2024 Jeep Avenger review: International first drive

08/08/2024 12:56 AM

2024 Jeep Avenger

When you think Jeep, like most people, you probably think off-road. And that's not without good reason of course. The American icon has forged its legend in the toughest off-road environments around the world. However, the 2024 Jeep Avenger is, according not just to Jeep but also by the numbers, the manufacturer's most compact EV. And therefore, it is by virtue, unashamedly a city-focused small vehicle by any measure. 

Our pricing and specification guide goes into the finer details, but as is par for the electric vehicle course, the Avenger won't be cheap. It starts from $53,990 before on-road costs, and costs as much as $63,990 before on-road costs for the range-topper. Price might be the barrier for some buyers, then, but that's a fair point for nearly any electric vehicle on the market currently. Our pricing guide in this story is based on the entry-grade Avenger Longitude.

Pricing does place it squarely into the competitive set, though, when compared to the likes of the Hyundai Kona Electric or the popular BYD Atto 3 and MG ZS EV. The starting price for the entry-grade Avenger places it either side of those electric vehicles that Aussie buyers are already familiar with. It's also fair to say that if budget is your first focus, an EV probably isn't in your immediate future. So, keep that in mind if you’re thinking that EVs are still too expensive.

Let's take a look, then, at how the Avenger performs as a city-focused EV. 

First up, the Avenger looks fantastic. The choice between it and the Alfa Romeo Junior, with which it shares a platform, will be a tough one. Having driven them not quite back to back, but not too far apart, I honestly can't commit to which I prefer. Both appeal, but for very different reasons.

Some of you will love the more rugged styling of the Jeep, whereas the Alfa Romeo is more about subtlety and design elegance – especially outside. On the other hand, the Avenger is sharp, attractive and, perhaps most crucially, looks like a Jeep. So that's half the battle won. That feeling carries over into the cabin too. More on that in a minute. 

Part of that Jeep authenticity is more than just the lines of the car and the signature of the head and tail-lights. It's in the wheel arch openings, the body protection, and the ruggedness of the exterior beyond simply what it looks like. Short overhangs, decent ground clearance and chunky sidewalls on 17 or 18-inch rims all mean you can work the Avenger into the cut and thrust of the daily grind without even a hint of pothole or poor surface damage. That’s handy for our roads too.

Out on the road, into the mix of small cars in and around Milan, the Avenger looks fantastic, doesn't scream that it's electric, and gets plenty of attention from style-conscious locals. Your feedback would indicate that you also prefer an electric vehicle that doesn't try to attract attention simply by shouting about its powertrain, and the Avenger doesn't yell about its credentials in any way. The modern Jeep design is evident no matter which angle you're looking at it from. 

Read our guide for the standard specification list, because there's plenty to dissect, and the Avenger feels well specified across the range. Although, it's worth noting that blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are exclusive to the Limited and Summit.

I love the cabin, and did so from the first minute I took a close look at it. It's unmistakably a Jeep cabin, but also modern, neat and well executed in terms of both design and functionality. The seats are comfortable front and rear, with a hard-wearing feel to them. Although, it has to be said, if you’ve got four tall adults on board, the Avenger’s cabin is a tight one. There’s enough clever storage space for the city buyer, and we liked the iPad-style cover over the centre console that is funky but also functional.

We tested Apple CarPlay briefly at launch as well, and that also worked snappily. Twin 10.25-inch screens head up the technical inclusions, and the way the central screen is mounted atop the dash makes it easy to see. It responded well to touch commands as well, and it’s easy to use on the move.

The Avenger gets a single electric motor up front and front-wheel drive (FWD), with outputs of 115kW and 260Nm, and good for a 0–100km/h sprint in 9.0 seconds. The battery pack is measured at 54kWh with Jeep claiming 51kWh usable capacity. The range covers three model grades in Australia. 

Claimed driving range in European WLTP testing is 396km for the Longitude and Limited, and 391km for the Summit, with claimed consumption of 15.6kWh per 100 kilometres and 15.8kWh/100km respectively. DC fast charging works up to 100kW, and according to Jeep that can get you from 20 to 80 percent in 24 minutes. As a guide, if you've got a 7kW wall box at home, it will take seven hours and 58 minutes to go from zero to 100 per cent. 

The discussion of range with electric vehicles has started to settle down now, to the point where most city buyers recognise that 400km is enough for the average punter. Especially if you're focusing on the urban environment where vehicles like the Avenger will shine brightest. If you tackle less than 40km each way, as most of us do, the Avenger has more than enough range on hand to work smartly. 

The Jeep Avenger is covered by a five-year, 100,000km warranty, while its battery receives an eight-year, 160,000km warranty. Service intervals are every 12 months or 12,500km, whichever comes first, with capped-price services of $250 for each scheduled service.

There are stiffer dampers under the skin – than other vehicles on this platform – and Jeep-specific underbody protection. One of those is a good addition; one seems unnecessary to me for a FWD vehicle that won't ever be heading too far off-road. There are dedicated off-road drive mode settings and a clever traction-control system that promise to deliver some ability on scabby surfaces, but I doubt owners will be testing them out in Australia. 

I thought the ride quality was good, but with the caveat that Italian roads are generally better than ours, save for the cobbled sections you might encounter. Much of our testing was undertaken three-up, and the Avenger dealt with differing road surfaces easily.

The firmer suspension comes into its own on a twisty road, where the Avenger feels a lot more lively than you'd expect of either a compact SUV or an electric vehicle. Steering, brakes and all-round balance all felt reassuring on our brief test drive. The 10.5m turning circle is handy in the daily grind, too, making the Avenger easy to manoeuvre even in tight confines.

The powertrain is, as expected, quiet, refined and punchy. Just about all electric vehicles are fast, and the Avenger is faster than you'll need around town. It's usable, too, without being too fast. Most importantly, the Avenger is punchy off the mark, and the fact that it's as comfortable rolling along an Italian motorway at 130km/h as it is being hurled into a corner on a back road shows that there's competence beneath the skin too. A Jeep should be fun, after all, and the new Avenger is. 

The good news with the new Jeep Avenger is that it doesn't feel (or look) like a boring derivative that shares a platform with other vehicles. It really does look and feel like a Jeep. As we find ourselves writing after nearly every EV test, price will be the kicker in this market.

The new Avenger is a competent and enjoyable urban EV. Is it priced sharply enough to attract the interest of Aussie buyers? Let's find out. 

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