We chose the Jeep Avenger as our Small Electric Car of the Year in 2024. Facing increased competition in the sector with ‘New Kids on the Block’ such as the Renault 4, Fiat Grande Panda & Citroen e-C3 Jeep has updated the Avenger, but can it still turn on the charm ? We went to Germany to find out.
Tell me more
The updates to the Avenger Electric features are mostly cosmetic. These include a new illuminated front grille, redesigned bumpers, alloys & updated LED lighting on the outside, whilst inside there’s improved infotainment, revised trim materials & some new convenience features that keep it fresh. The battery though hasn’t altered so it’s powered by the 54kWh Stellantis battery pack that powers a single electric motor which drives the front wheels. Power output is up to 154bhp with 260Nm, meaning the Avenger will accelerate from 0-62mph in 9.6 seconds & comes with a top speed of 93mph. Range is a claimed 248 miles.
Model range
Refreshingly simple, with prices currently starting from £30,099. So you get three trim levels; Longitude, fitted with a 10.25″ central touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, 7″ digital drivers display, LED headlights, 17″ alloys, rear parking sensors & cruise control. Next up is Altitude, with keyless entry, adaptive cruise control, a power tailgate & a larger 10.25 digital drivers display. Range topper is the Summit adding heated front eats, a 360 degree parking camera, 18″ alloys & a larger suite of autonomous driving features. If you want more, option packs can be added to all trims.
For off-roading, all models feature, settings for Mud, Sand & Snow plus a hill descent system.
Exterior
Jeep cleverly designed the Avenger to be squat & boxy & it’s undoubtedly a Jeep, which is a good thing. Size wise it’s compact, measuring just 4,084mm long, 1,776mm wide & being 1,528mm tall.To compare, it’s 216mm shorter than the Peugeot e-2008, so it’s small. Looks wise it’s a ‘Tonka Toy.’ Chunky & square with plenty of black & chrome cladding. The front features Jeeps seven-slot grille with high corner LED headlights. The rear doors open with hidden handles in the door frame & at the rear, the light clusters have a red X shaped pattern within. A blue ‘e’ to indicate electric is also fitted to the front grille & the rear tailgate & if you look closely, a small illustration of the designer’s son looking through a telescope at the stars is located in the corner of the windscreen. 85 Anniversary models all feature some copper detailing on the alloys & front.
Interior
We were driving a Silver-Grey Avenger 85 Anniversary which featured the usual black, chrome & grey on the dashboard, seats & door panels. Elsewhere, the air vents are slim with the touchscreen & digital drivers display being the standouts. There’s no gear lever, rather 4 buttons located in the central dash for P, R, N & D/B, the regeneration setting. The most noticeable update is actually the red drive mode selector which allow you to toggle through the options, Mud, Sand & Snow plus a hill descent system.
Behind these sit a large cubby hole with magnetic cover & the electric handbrake It’s minimalist with a square of 4 buttons under the touchscreen, for the home screen, car functions, hazards & to lock/unlock the Jeep & a line of short cut buttons underneath the touchscreen.
Range topping Summit comes well specced & includes privacy glass, a six way manually adjusted drivers seat/four way passenger seat, six speakers, an 11kW on-board charger, keyless entry & start, intelligent speed assist, traffic sign recognition & wireless smartphone charging.
Quality is good & it certainly feels hard wearing.
Practicality
Plenty of head room all around, but it’s short length means there’s not much leg room in the rear. Three USB’s feature, two up front, one in the rear & a 12v socket . There’s shallow front door pockets, but no rear door pockets, a shelf in the dashboard in front of the passenger, twin cup holders that are adjustable & a rear armrest with two more cup holders.
The boot comes with 355 litres of space & when you fold down the rear 60:40 split seats ,this increases to 1,053 litres. The boot floor has a removable bottom with space underneath for your charging cable.
Charging
The updated Avenger still offers a 100kW maximum charging speed. Charging at home on 7.4kW wallbox, means a full charge in about 7.5 hours. https://www.rolecserv.com/ev-products/evo Or, the Avenger can be recharged from 0-80% in 30 minutes from a 100kW rapid charger.
Infotainment
At 10.25″ the touchscreen is a good size. A tick for the easy Apple CarPlay wireless connection to our i-Phone. Another tick for separate climate controls & separate volume control. The graphics are clear & response times pretty good. The menus are straightforward although some of the icons are quite small.
In the cabin
The boxy shape of the Avenger means that all around visibility is good. The 6-way driver seat adjustment means you’ll find a comfortable driving position & the seats have chunky bolsters to stop you sliding off them especially if you venture off-road.
Driving
The Avenger has been set-up with firm suspension & coupled with the seats, the ride can get a bit fidgety over poor road surfaces. It’s much better news on the motorway, or over decent tarmac, where it drives smoothly & where outside noise is mainly kept out of the cabin even at 70mph.
The steering is incredibly light & you’ll find yourself driving the Avenger like a dodgem, which is perfect for city centres & the urban crawl, with it’s pocket size & on board reversing camera, also making it easy to park.
We tried out the three main driving modes & whilst Eco would be our de facto choice to conserve your battery range, Sport does loosen the shackles & you can get a bit of fun from the car. In ‘D’ mode the Avenger tootles along quite happily. When you add the ‘B ‘regeneration to the equation, there’s a bit of brake pull as you slow down, but it’s not very strong & definitely doesn’t equate to one pedal driving.
Whist the Avenger isn’t really a proper off-roader we did spend a morning tackling some difficult tracks near Wiesbaden including gravel, sand, mud & grass. Jeep even provided a ‘play-ground’ experience where he Avenger did things you wouldn’t expect including riding through deep ruts & rocks, ascending & descending steep inclines & performing do-nuts in a field which it managed admirably.
Pros
It’s cute looks make it stand out whilst retaining the Tonk-Toy Jeep look off old, always a good thing. The clutter-free interior is nicely laid out. Coming with the Stellantis 54kWh battery means a decent 250 mile range. It’s electric so just 3% BIK for company car drivers. Handles really well in town & surprises when you venture away from it.
Cons
Rear legroom is tight & boot space average. Updates are cosmetic only.
Verdict
With raft of new electric competition from Renault, Citroen et all, Jeep have tried to make the Avenger stand out. The updates are welcome but for us, thanks to its cute looks it’s still a car we’ve a lot of time for & after just a few minutes on board, we found ourselves smiling. Not because the Avenger is scintillating fun, it isn’t. A combination of the design, the cabin & its road manners are endearing & you can’t help but enjoy driving this small electric off-roader, on road. It’s definitely not a car to be in when you’re in rush. It’s more a car to drive in town & elsewhere leisurely. And tackle that gravel track if you need to
A GI Joe 4/5
