Jeep Avenger electric SUV detailed, Australia plans unclear

Jeep has unveiled its first electric vehicle, the Avenger, a small front-wheel-drive crossover aimed at the European and Asian markets.

With a length of 4.08 m, it is 16 cm longer Renegade and will offer an electric transmission or, in markets such as Italy and Spain, a turbocharged petrol engine, details of which have yet to be revealed.

Some form of hybrid powertrain and all-wheel drive is also in the works Automotive news of Europe – potentially a hybrid power plant under the 4xe brand.

The industry publication also reports that the Avenger uses the second generation of the underlying eCMP platform Peugeot 2008 and Citroen C4among others.

Jeep CEO Christian Meunier told CarExpert about it the last month The Avenger has yet to be closed in Australia.

“The Avenger is going to the UK, Japan and we’re looking at maybe Australia if there’s a market for it,” Mr Meunier said.

The Avenger EV has a 400V electrical system and a 54kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt-lithium-ion battery located under the passenger compartment.

The claimed range on the tougher WLTP cycle is 400km, while the newly developed electric motor produces 115kW of power and 260Nm of torque.

Jeep says a 100kW DC charger can discharge the Avenger’s battery from 20 to 80 percent in 24 minutes.

The company didn’t mention an all-wheel-drive option at launch, though it says the front-wheel-drive Avenger includes terrain modes and hill descent control, as well as skid plates under the body to protect the battery.

The Selec-Terrain system offers Normal, Eco, Sport, Snow, Mud and Sand modes.

Jeep says it has the highest ground clearance in its segment at 200mm, with approach, departure and departure angles of 20, 20 and 32 degrees respectively.

It will be built at the Stellantis plant in Tychy, Poland, which is also believed to be the source of future small SUVs from Fiat and Alfa Romeo.

Jeep calls it a “legitimate” SUV aimed at the B-SUV segment, the second largest in Europe.

The brand expects it to become the best-seller in Europe, and it will compete with the likes of the Peugeot 2008 and Ford Puma – the first is already offered with an electric transmission, the second will receive it by 2025.

However, it is much shorter than these models and about 100mm shorter than a Toyota Yaris Cross or Volkswagen T-Cross.

There’s a swept-back version of Jeep’s signature seven-slot grille, which the company says it placed in front of the headlights to protect them in the event of an impact.

There are bulging trapezoidal wheel arches, under which sit 18-inch wheels, and lower back there are taillights with an X motif inspired by fuel cans.

Jeep says the Avenger’s cabin was inspired by the interior Wrangler.

There’s a standard 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay wireless, sat-nav and over-the-air update support.

It sits above a minimalist center stack with a push-button gear selector.

An open shelf runs from the steering wheel to the passenger door, while above it is a ‘beam’ which can be finished in the car’s body color and which includes air vents and ambient lighting.

The center console has removable partitions that allow you to place large items between the two front passengers. There is also additional hidden storage space under the gear selector.

Jeep says there’s a total of 34L up front, compared to the segment average of 15L. There is a 380 liter boot in the back.

There’s a choice of a 7.0-inch or 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, while available amenities include power-adjustable front seats with leather inserts and a massage function, as well as a power tailgate with speakerphone, wireless phone charging, electric drive of folding and heating of exterior mirrors.

There’s a suite of active safety and driver assistance features, including a Level 2 autonomous driving feature that uses adaptive cruise control, lane keeping and traffic assist.

Other equipment includes traffic sign recognition, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, driver fatigue detection, blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, automatic high beam and semi-autonomous park assist.

The Avenger nameplate used to adorn a mid-size Dodge sedan exported to markets such as Australia and Europe in the 2000s. Prior to that, the Hillman Avenger sedan and wagon was produced by Chrysler Europe in the 1970s and later sold there under the Chrysler and Talbot brands.

Jeep aims to become the world leader in zero-emission SUVs, and the Avenger is part of a quartet of electric SUVs to be launched in Europe by 2025.

Two of them have already been discovered – Recon and Wagoneer S – and will also come to Australia. CarExpert understands that the fourth is an electric successor to the mid-size Cherokee.

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