Jeep Goes Fully Electric – Avenger On Test

The Jeep name is known the world over and many use it as a generic name for an off-roader or 4x4. I’ve spent many an hour on some tough trails, putting their vehicles through their paces. One memorable event in the Lake District saw a convoy of Wranglers scale a rocky hillside that even the most experienced rambler would have struggled with.

Jeep is of course now part of the Stellantis Group and therefore platform sharing is the name of the game. The same underpinnings can be found on the Vauxhall Mokka Electric and the Peugeot e-2008, which in itself is no bad thing as they are now tried and tested.

Atop however, the look is very much unmistakably Jeep, with design cues such as the slatted grille, horizontal bonnet, and chunky wheel arches. Black plastic covers the lower part of the bodywork which should help protect the painted body from knocks and scrapes, whether off-roading or coping with the cut and thrust of urban life.

Ground clearance is good and although the Avenger is front wheel drive, it does come with a hill-descent control and various selectable off-road modes (mud, snow, and sand). During my week behind the wheel, I did venture off road, though nothing too challenging. For those in need of more traction, a four-wheel drive 4xe model is due to arrive later this year.

The Avenger is designed, built, and developed for the European market. It is also aimed at a younger audience than the traditional Jeep customer. Whether traditional ‘Jeepers’ warm to the Avenger will remain to be seen, but Jeep has confirmed that it will be a 100% electric brand by 2030.

The Summit edition on test was the range-topper and its kit-laden interior will be sure to delight all. Space up front is ample, but taller rear passengers will find legroom is a tad limited. There’s 341 litres of usable interior storage and boot space is a fair 355 litres. There’s a reversible cargo floor, should you be carrying a messy load.

A 10.25-inch touchscreen takes care of the usual functions and gives access to the TomTom navigation system. I was pleased to see separate physical climate control switches. Plastics are shall we say robust, rather than tactile, but should prove durable.

Driven on some of my favourite local test routes, the Avenger was quite good fun. Low speed ride is somewhat on the firm side, though on faster A-roads this became less of an issue. There are three drive modes. Select ‘Eco’ and just 81bhp will be available, fine if pottering around town. ‘Normal’ ups the ante to 108bhp, whilst if you need to get a shift on, then ‘Sport’ unleashes a heady 154bhp.

The Avenger is no ball of fire in any mode, with a leisurely 0-62mph sprint time of 9.6 seconds, but of more interest to would-be customers is the projected range of 249 miles, or 342 if remaining in the confines of the city. With colder weather I would suggest around 200 miles should be possible unless you are especially heavy with the right foot.

Jeep tells me that plugged in to a 100kW charger, the 54kWh battery can be topped up from 20-80% in just 24 minutes. Most buyers will doubtless use a far more affordable home charger to replenish the battery and if you opt for a specific EV tariff from your energy company, costs will be modest. Expect to wait around 8 hours if fully charging from empty at 7kW.

Three models off the Avenger are available, with the Longitude costing £35,700. This rises to £37,400 for the Altitude version, whilst at the Summit, your invoice will be for £39,600. Most will be bought on a PCP, with Jeep deals with an APR of 7.9% available now, with a customer deposit of £4,490 and 47 monthly payments of £399 being typical.

It should be noted that the Avenger is also now available with two petrol engines and a starting price of just £23,600, quite the saving over its EV equivalent. Do the sums I would suggest.

However, given the choice of the Stellantis EVS, I would happily choose the Avenger over its stablemates, the attractive styling being one of the main factors. It will undoubtedly lead to a raft of new customers who up until now would not have considered the Jeep brand and therefore it undoubtedly does what its maker intended.

Fast Facts
Jeep Avenger
Priced from £35,700
3 trim levels
Electric motor/54kWh battery
154bhp
WLTP range 249 miles
Front wheel drive
0-62mph in 9.6 seconds
Top speed 93mph