Niels van Roij assesses electric SUV
Jeep seems to be one in recent years hit and misspolicy to follow. Car designer Niels van Roij takes a detailed look at the Avenger, the special position that the car must fulfill in Europe and the design of the small Jeep.
The Wrangler and Gladiator are not only models synonymous with Jeep, they are also textbook examples of the correct interpretation of the American brand DNA.
The basic ingredients for Jeep DNA are vertically oriented proportions, wheels positioned at the extreme corners and simple graphics of the headlights, grille, DLO and wheel arches.
Large engines are housed under the equally large nose, while the roof and doors are removable for the ultimate off-road experience. The car stands in a crystal clear position against its competition and, like the G-Class and Defender, has gained iconic status among passionate enthusiasts.
Wrangler is the right Jeep
The design of the Wrangler links in a modern way to that of the Willy’s Jeep. The Wrangler is therefore not only a perfect off-road vehicle for America, it is the right Jeep. However, tax measures and a much more compact infrastructure make this model unsuitable for Europe.
Jeep has created cars with the Grand Wagoneer, Renegade, Patriot and Cherokee that can be labeled as far from the proper, mirroring the Jeep core values. All are bad proportioned and equipped with contrived surfacing.
The Cherokee, in particular, pushed Jeep towards catastrophic failure. Characterized by a forced Down the Road Graphicwith wide flat eyes, an unpleasant break in the grille, a too flat nose, a weak stance with small wheels that fell well inside the body and a slender-looking body, due to brittle surfacing ideas.
Avenger clearly modern generation Jeep
The Avenger is clearly a modern-generation Jeep, with a subtly different shape spectrum than many previous models, without completely going in the wrong direction, as the Cherokee did so catastrophically. The essence of the brand was retained: relevance through design. With the exterior design, the Jeep design team has struck the right balance between simplicity and subtle automotive dynamics.
The proportions are basically very Jeep, with the upright nose and two-box design-body outline. The Avenger has short front and rear overhangs, which increase the approach and departure angles in combination with the high ground clearance for the segment. The stance is fine.
The nose showcases the iconic seven-slot grille, an authentic Jeep brand signature, which has evolved from a vertical to a horizontal element with a closed pattern for the Avenger.
The surfacing helps underline the robust look. Faceted edges around graphic elements of the nose, the body cladding all around and the wheel arches give substance to the whole. The side view is formed by the classic trapezoidal wheel arches with voluminous fenders around them, another Jeep design element. They impart a sense of strength, robustness and solidity to the Avenger.
Viewed from above, the front corners, with headlights and fog lights, are skillfully sculpted around the corners by the Jeep designers. As a result, the whole looks more pleasant and the already short overhang is visually reduced even more, without pretending to have too many dynamic properties.
The Avenger has been tested against the Jeep DNA, an admittedly not radically innovative, but well-drawn compact interpretation of it. A strong continuation of Jeep in the electric age. His predecessors prove that such a thing – certainly based on existing Stellantis platforms – is no sinecure.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl