Test: Jeep Avenger – Not a real Jeep, but a good one

A new Jeep, surely great off-road?

Not really no. The Avenger may look like a Jeep, but underneath it is largely the same car as the Peugeot e-2008, Opel Mokka-e or the DS 3 E-Tense. That means an electric powertrain and only power on the front wheels. Jeep has indeed made an effort to raise the car a little further, to put the wheels on the corners so that the approach, departure and departure angles are above average and to develop a special ESP program for sand, mud and snow, but many you won’t go further than a marshy meadow with it. Low gear, limited slip differentials or four-wheel drive are not possible and the braked tow weight is exactly 0.

You don’t want much rougher than this.

Ok, what about the asphalt then?

Fortunately, the new Jeep Avenger drives very pleasantly there. There is no dynamic fiber in the chassis, but that is of course not necessary for a B-segment SUV. More importantly, the chassis takes thresholds as if they were not there and can absorb all the misery well even on bad road surfaces. Only the controls are a bit disappointing in that light. In ‘Normal’ it is so light and indirect that it gets a bit scary at times. Things are better in Sports

Does the Avenger also go faster in Sport?

Certainly. The Avenger shares its electric powertrain with the DS 3 E-Tense and that means a maximum of 156 hp and 260 Nm. But it only does that in Sport, in Normal and Eco the engine is throttled to increase the range. If you still want full power, you have to give kickdown. In all cases you can go from 0-100 in at least 9.0 seconds and at 150 km / h it stops accelerating. Naturally, this is quiet and seamless, which fits well with the comfortable character of the chassis.

Nice: physical buttons and lots of storage space. That iPad cover as a conclusion does not add much.

Doesn’t sound crazy, is the powertrain also a bit efficient?

Jeep claims an average consumption of 15.2-15.9 kWh per 100 kilometers, which is reasonable for this segment. Thanks to a battery with a capacity of 54 kWh gross and 51 kWh net, you can reach just under 400 kilometers on the WLTP cycle. Charging is possible with 11 kW on alternating current and a maximum of 100 kW at a fast charging station. These are all values ​​that are not groundbreaking, but certainly not wrong for a B-segment SUV.

Any other plus points to the Avenger?

The space in particular stands out in a positive sense. As mentioned, the Avenger operates in the B segment and then 355 liters of luggage space is above average. The space in the back seat is also positive. Dutch adults of average stature can easily find a place there. Up front, Jeep claims 34 liters of storage space. That is a fairly abstract value in this context, but rest assured that you will not easily be short of a place to put your sunglasses or wallet. It also all looks nice and rough. Although you really recognize that it is a Stellantis product, Jeep gives it its own twist.

Looks nice and works very well.

So what about the service?

Remarkably good. Jeep has taken a good look at Opel, among others, and therefore mounts the necessary physical keys for operating the air conditioning and there are shortcut keys to navigate more easily through the extensive but fairly slow infotainment system. Both that system and the digital instruments look good and the seats are very comfortable. Combine that with the good range of space, pleasant chassis and a starting price of €37,000 and you have a car that has pretty good cards. In any case, more than ‘real’ Jeeps.