First drive


Jeep Avenger


Too small for America, Avenger is capable enough on and off-road to justify the Jeep badge. Martyn Collins


We must admit the Avenger kind of caught us by surprise, seemingly coming from nowhere, having only being revealed at last year’s Paris Motor Show. Since then, the first Jeep EV has walked off with major awards including the prestigious European Car of The Year 2023. Designed and built in Europe, the Avenger is best described as neat, attractive, and clever. Although its compact body (4,084mm long) is too small for America, Jeep admitted at the European launch. Design highlights include the ‘Swoosh’ roofline and floating C-pillar. Elsewhere, there are reworked versions of the trapezoidal arches and seven-slot grille that are iconic Jeep design cues. We say clever, as items such as the fog lights and rear reflectors are encased in the front and rear bumpers, so they


Standard equipment:  Rear parking sensors, full LED headlights, 16in alloy wheels, 10.25in infotainment screen


Engines:  EV: 156hp


Equipment grades:  Longitude, Altitude, Summit


Transmissions:  Single-speed automatic


are saved from light urban knocks. The Avenger’s raised ride height, short front and rear overhangs, underbody protection, plus sand, mud, and snow modes, even Hill Descent Control, mean that despite no four-wheel drive (yet!), in our opinion the Avenger must be the most capable B-segment SUV around. Inside, the Avenger has the feel of a pre-Stellantis Fiat Group car. Yet if you look closer, the French tie-up has gifted this Jeep the familiar stalks, switchgear, and infotainment, with the lower button gear selector and higher bank of switches coming from the all-electric Fiat 500e. Like the exterior, the Avenger’s interior design is neat, attractive, and everything feels well screwed together. On top of feeling spacious, stowage is impressive with a total of 34 litres around the interior and a 380-litre boot.


The only interior dislikes are the hard and shiny plastics for the doors and dashboard – although we suppose these fit with the toughness of the brand. Plus, we are not fans of the Apple iPad-like magnetic cover for the deep central dashboard cubbie. It feels cheap – and we wonder how long it will last?


Underneath the Avenger’s body, this Jeep shares its basic platform with the Peugeot 2008 and Vauxhall Mokka, but the eCMP2, as it’s called here, gets 600 new dedicated components.


Positive


Design inside and out, spacious interior considering


the compact design, more capable on and off -road than you’d think, good to drive


Negative


Hard interior plastics, some interior details disappoint, brakes sometimes snatchy at low speeds


Firstly, there’s an all-new electric M3 motor, that Jeep claims improves range by 5%. A 400-volt motor, it is the first power unit launched by eMotors, – the Stellantis 50:50 joint venture with NIDEC, and it produces 156hp and 260 Nm of torque. With up to 255 miles of range, the Jeep is no better than average, but is still competitive when compared to rivals. Another key new part is the Avenger’s 54kWh battery, which is very compact and is located under the front and rear seats and the central tunnel. When it comes to charging, this Jeep’s on-board charger delivers 100kW, equalling a 20% to 80% charge in just 24 minutes at a fast charger. With a 0-100% charge taking five-and-a-half hours on an 11kW charger. Our test car was in top-spec Summit trim, fitted with 18in wheels, but the ride remained refined and comfortable. The steering is not without feel, and while the soft ride and tall stance mean there’s some body roll, it’s all very safe, grippy and fun. Performance is dependent on mode, but


Data is from Kee Resources based on a three-year/60,000-mile cycle


8/10 Jeep Avenger Summit


P11D £39,045 On sale Now Residual value 50.2% Depreciation £19,416 Fuel £4,195 Service, maintenance and repair £1,518 Cost per mile 41.88p Range 241-255 miles CO2 (BIK %) 0g/km (2%) BIK 20/40% a month £12/£26 Luggage capacity 380 litres Battery size/power 54kWh/156hp


it generally feels brisk rather than fast with. It is happiest in ‘Normal’ mode most of the time, but ‘Sport’ worked equally well out of town – making the accelerator noticeably more responsive. Brakes are the only issue, with a surprising amount of travel and feeling a bit snatchy at low speeds.


Prices start at £34,800 for the entry- level Longitude, which seems decent value against rivals, rising to the range-topping Summit that we drove at £39,100. Jeep has so far taken 20,000 Avenger orders in total, with the first UK cars hitting the roads in mid-summer. On this evidence, we’d say this Jeep totally justifies its European Car of the Year win and it’s a no-brainer that it will improve on the brand’s 0.3% UK sales position. In fact, the Avenger could be the best current EV made by the Stellantis group – it really is that good.


www.businesscar.co.uk | May 2023 | 37


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