Revealed at the Paris Motor Show in October, the Jeep Avenger is a surprise new entrant into the small SUV sector as an EV alternative to the existing Jeep Renegade. The Jeep Avenger has already been crowned the European Car of the Year 2023, beating finalists including the Kia Niro, Nissan Ariya and Toyota bZ4X.
Pre-orders for the new Jeep Avenger 1st Edition are now open, with prices starting from £36,500. Customers can buy the Jeep Avenger 1st Edition in a choice of three colours (Sun, Graphite and Volcano), all with a black roof, privacy glass and 18-inch alloy wheels.
Entry-level models are set to follow later in 2023 with prices expected to start from around £30,000, positioning the Jeep Avenger alongside electric SUV rivals such as the Vauxhall Mokka-e, DS 3 Crossback E-Tense and Peugeot e-2008.
The new Jeep Avenger is slightly smaller than the existing Jeep Renegade. The company says it has been positioned to compete in the so-called B-SUV segment and attract “a new, younger, more feminine customer base”.
The exterior is designed to reflect this. It’s less rugged and boxy than the Renegade, with a curvier, sportier appearance. We love the broad flared wheelarches and the shape of the bonnet is also stylish. A more aerodynamic closed-off version of the famous Jeep seven-bar grille sits between mean-looking LED headlights.
At the rear, the new Jeep Avenger has a more hunkered-down look than the Renegade, which can be neatly set off by a contrast roof colour. The tail lamps have a fun design – and of course, being electric, there are no tail pipes.
Jeep isn’t yet ready to show us the interior of the new Avenger. The company has good form in producing characterful cabins though, and we expect it will also benefit from the group-wide strides in cabin quality many Stellantis brands now enjoy.
Bosses say the Jeep Avenger will also have a large boot and a roomy interior, thanks to a real focus on design versatility. Again, this is part of its plan to bring in younger, more family-oriented customers into the brand – and it will also help owners make full use of the Avenger’s many lifestyle elements.
For now, the Jeep Avenger will lead the brand’s shift to electric cars in Europe. By 2030, it says all the cars it sells in Europe will be 100% electric; the Avenger is the first of four zero-emissions cars coming to Europe by 2025.
The Jeep Avenger is powered by a 156PS electric motor (with 260Nm torque), while the battery provides a range of up to 248 miles.
The Jeep Avenger will have added 4x4 authenticity thanks to the option of four-wheel drive, alongside the regular front-wheel drive version. The company will use either two or four motors, each producing around 100PS – meaning the four-wheel drive version could have almost 400PS, a very exciting prospect indeed.
We expect Jeep will later launch mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the Avenger. They will use petrol engines from other models in the huge Stellantis line-up, for customers who aren’t quite ready to go electric just yet.
Both electric and plug-in hybrid versions will use an automatic gearbox and we think it’s likely the mild hybrid will also use an automatic gearbox.
A key part of the Jeep Avenger’s appeal will be its all-weather ability, the firm added. It will be very capable on all surfaces and give plentiful peace of mind to those behind the wheel. It will likely prove particularly popular in Italy, Germany and France, as well as here in the UK.
As it’s a brand-new car, there aren’t any used Jeep Avengers on the road – so why not take a look instead at its slightly larger sister car, the Jeep Renegade? Available in both petrol and diesel guise, the Renegade has been on sale since 2015 so there’s a good amount of choice on the market.
We spotted a really smart-looking 2021 1.0-litre turbo GSE Longitude on sale, with 12,000 miles on the clock, priced at just £16,995.
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The new Jeep Avenger will be built in the giant Stellantis plant in Tychy, Poland. More than 2.5 million Fiat 500 have already been built at the factory.
Jeep claims the new Avenger will have “impressive” ground clearance, breakover and approach angles for its segment, making it one of the most capable 4x4s in its class.
The new Jeep Avenger will be a global car, with the firm planning to also sell it in Japan and South Korea.
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