Jeep Avenger: Fun but pricey

This is the reigning European Car of the Year. Yes, the best car launched in Europe last year was not some high-end European sports sedan or funky French mini-SUV. It was an American-badged, electric SUV. This must be good.

The Jeep Avenger is good, in its own quirky way. I said American badged because it is about as American as French fries… sure, there is some influence, but it is based on the Stellantis group’s EV platform, specifically the Fiat flavour, and built alongside the Fiat 500 and 600 in Poland. Now, this is no bad thing, as Stellantis’s range of small EVs are a solid package. Consequently, you see switchgear and software very reminiscent of the 500e we tested last year.

And it looks great. You have a classic Jeep seven-bar grille, purposeful-looking body cladding, and large 18-inch wheels. The rear features lights styled like jerry cans. Jeep fans love that kind of stuff.

Now, the Avenger is not going to be EV only, at least not in Europe. There, petrol, hybrid, and all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid options will hit the road. It is unclear yet what we will see at this end of the world.

For now, the front-drive Avenger sports a 115kW and 260Nm motor, co-developed with the Japanese company Nidec. The battery is an NMC unit, with 51kWh of usable capacity, making for a 402km WLTP range. It’s a safe 350 in conditions, which isn’t massive – but this is a city car. Charging is solid for a vehicle with a smaller battery: 100kW CCS 2 DC and up to 11kW three-phase AC charging.

Performance is adequate, with a quoted 9-second 0-100km/h time, though it feels nippier than that around town. After all, it is a small car, tipping the scales at just 1255kg. It measures just under 4.1 meters long, 1.8 meters wide, and a smidge over 1.5 meters tall.

The wheelbase, at 2.557 meters, helps its boxy shape create a fairly roomy interior. Those in the front will enjoy a spacious and airy space, while those in the back get good headroom but perhaps a smidge less legroom than desirable. There is also a drivetrain tunnel in the centre, a nod to the other possible drivetrain options.

The boot at 340 litres is square and very usable. The tailgate is electric with a foot-swipe activation. No frunk, though!

The interior feels very ‘Jeepy’, with a large-ish steering wheel, lots of tough durable plastic, and the usual Jeep Easter eggs. The seats are comfortable and supportive, even for a big lad, and visibility is excellent. The 10.25-inch U Connect infotainment system works well enough, though you will mostly use the wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Like the 500, the buttons for the start and transmission shifting take a bit of a shove to work properly.

The car has achieved a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating. It carries a suite of ‘level-2’ features that include Blind Spot Monitoring, Autonomous Emergency Braking with Vulnerable Road Users (pedestrian and cyclist) protection, Automatic Parking, and Park View Rear Backup Camera. They work well enough.

Comfortable fun is how to describe the way the Avenger drives. Sure, it’s not fast, but the steering is quick and the lock quite impressive – perfect for tight city turns. The ride is comfortable, and while the trade-off is a little roll in corners, it is nothing uncomfortable. It feels more Euro-hatch than small off-roader.

It just feels fun to drive; it really is a cheeky little thing that is far more engaging than its individual parts.

The downside to all this? It is so, so expensive, and I think the local Jeep distributor knows it too.

It launched at a cheeky $59,990, but that was with the Clean Car Discount included. Now, it’s $69,990. That is a lot, more than a Model Y and definitely more than the discounted prices its Stellantis brethren are currently trading at.

Will fun and character be enough to overcome that steep price of admission? For people who just love the style or fleets looking for something funky, maybe. But for the general EV enthusiast, that price may need to be rethought.