AVENGING ANGEL? (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_jeepavenger_2023

By Jonathan Crouch

Is this Avenger the car to save Jeep? Jonathan Crouch drives it and decides.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 62

The Avenger is Jeep's first mainstream compact SUV model, a small, fashionable contender that unlike most of its competitors is a bit more SUV than Crossover. It sells mainly as an EV, but is also offered in conventional petrol and 48V Hybrid forms. Virtually all the Stellantis Group engineering here we've seen before, but it's been delivered with a distinctively Jeep vibe.

Backgroundword count: 232

The Avenger was the first-ever all-electric Jeep and at its launch in late 2022 represented a key milestone for the brand as it aimed to become a world leader in Zero Emissions SUVs. The Avenger name was one we hadn't seen since the Hillman and Chrysler saloons of the Seventies, a badge attached to the first of the brand's EVs, the smallest Jeep ever made and a fresh entry point into the company's product range. Two larger EVs will follow it - the luxury Wagoneer S and the off-road focused Recon - as part of what will be a four-strong line-up of Jeep EVs by 2025, with the whole range fully electric by 2030. Jeep still wants to sell you combustion models too though, so the Avenger range was broadened in late 2023 to include a conventional 1.2-litre petrol model and a 48V Hybrid. With an AWD 4xe 1.2-litre eHybrid version added in late 2024. Whatever their powertrains, all Avengers sit on the same ECMP2 platform as Stellantis Group crossover cousins like the Peugeot 2008, the DS3 and the Vauxhall Mokka, but here that chassis has been adapted for greater ground clearance and a little more off road prowess, even though the car will primarily be sold in front-driven form. It's built at the Group's high-efficiency plant in Tychy, Poland and is positioned just below the familiar Renegade in the Jeep line-up.

Driving Experienceword count: 318

If you're looking at an Avenger in EV form, forward motion comes from a single 154bhp electric motor with 260Nm of torque mounted on the front axle and powered by a 54kWh battery. When fully charged, this offers a range of 249 miles. Expect slightly less than that for the forthcoming 4WD version, which adds a further motor on the rear axle. If you want to stick with combustion power, Jeep will sell you an Avenger with three flavours of 1.2-litre three cylinder PureTech petrol engine. One is conventional with 100PS and manual transmission. The other for the Hybrid model uses the same engine paired with a 28bhp electric motor integrated into a bespoke 6-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The third on the top AWD 4xe variant uses the 1.2-litre unit and dual clutch auto once again, but in 136bhp form mated to a pair of 28bhp motors on each axle. Despite the fact that the Avenger is primarily a front-driven design, Jeep is positioning it as the off-road champion of the EV market's growing SUV B segment. There's a higher ride height (minimum 200mm) than is normal in the class and, thanks to short overhangs that mean better approach and departure angles, it should be more capable off piste than a comparable Renegade 4xe Plug-in Hybrid - and certainly will be in 4xe form. Even with standard models, there are 20-degree breakover and approach angles and a 32-degree departure angle. All of which might sound irrelevant for an urban SUV but which, Jeep says, will make it better suited for dealing with speed humps, high kerbs and steep multi-storey car park ramps; yeah right. An Avenger though, might give you more confidence than its rivals in a snowy snap. This is the first front-driven Jeep fitted with standard Hill Descent Control and 'Selec-Terrain' driving modes: there are six settings - 'Normal', 'Eco', 'Sport', 'Snow' and 'Mud & Sand'.

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