Jeep’s petrol Avenger is competitively priced

Jeep’s new Avenger was introduced to Ireland in September of last year as an all-electric car with a claimed range of around 400km (550km in urban driving). There was no mention at the time of an internal combustion engine vehicle being added to the line-up, in keeping with Jeep’s plans to have an all-electric line-up by 2030.

Times change, and just a year later, a 1.2 petrol has joined its 154bhp all-electric sibling, I believe by public demand, along with a dual-clutch mild hybrid automatic. Or maybe, Jeep wised up to the fact that many of their other siblings in the huge Stellantis Group were offering a petrol version alongside their EV models.

Whatever. The car certainly impressed important judges as it won the 2023 European Car of the Year award. So far this year, Jeep has sold 97 new cars here of which 56 were Avengers, 23 were for Compass, and 18 were Renegades.

A Jeep is usually associated with being a large 4x4 vehicle but that’s not the case with the Avenger, which is front-wheel drive only. Sizewise, this crossover SUV is positioned below the Renegade in the brand’s line-up so it is Jeep’s smallest vehicle at 4,084mm long, 1,797mm wide, 1,534mm high and with a wheelbase of 2,557mm. And yes, it is quite high for ease of getting in and out, which should please many customers. It looks rugged especially from the front with the big 7-slot grille and from the side with those big wheel arches and 18-inch wheels which are placed at the outer sides of the car to give it a square stance and also provide more inside space.

The exterior is completely shielded by bodywork protections which help protect it against bumps and shocks and there’s no loss of colour in the case of an impact. All-round cladding also adds protection against impacts.

The spacious interior is quite upmarket and comfortable. Seat upholstery in the entry Longitude version is in Robin cloth and vinyl with grey accents and looks very well. The driver’s seat has 6-way manual adjustments; the co-driver gets 4-way seat adjustments.

The dash includes a long, open and lipped shelf that runs the whole way across, with a knob below for volume control, and up and down arrows for temperature, A/C etc. Tucked in below are a 12V power socket, a small C-type USB and a charging one, and a charging pad.

The fully digital dashboard includes a floating 12.25-inch radio and infotainment system that’s almost at eye level, and a 7-inch driver’s digital cluster. The Home button controls many of the car’s features; ADAS short-cuts for Lane Keeping Assist and Stop-Start (both of which I always turn off in a car), Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Wireless Mirroring, and navigation. There are piano-style switches for climate control. The multi-functional steering wheel comes with a flat bottom and the switchgear is clear and easy to use.

Rear legroom would be quite tight for 6-foot passengers seated behind an equally tall person in front and there’s a high tunnel to contend with. The middle seat back doesn’t come down so there are no rear cup holders. There are also no door bins but you’ll find a charging USB.

My car had a power tailgate and high boot floor with a capacity of up to 380 litres of cargo space - more than the 355 litres in the EV version.

I expect the 1.2 petrol to be the volume seller as it allows more range should you wish to take your car on longer journeys and found the 6-speed manual gearbox neat to use and well matched to the 100hp powertrain which incidentally is fine for motorway cruising - but I prefer the fast acceleration in the 156hp EV version.

Avenger can’t ford deep water. However, it goes a long way towards off-road capability through its Selec-Terrain drive mode selector with six different driving modes of Eco, Normal, Sport, Sand, Mud and Snow. It also has Hill Descent Control that enables low-speed off-road driving, automatically controlled. This all makes Avenger an ideal car to use for bad weather and winter driving.

Jeep claims around 5.7 L/100km fuel consumption and a maximum torque of 205 Nm.

The entry-level Longitude spec has as standard full LED headlights and 16-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensor, and anti-theft alarm. The Altitude adds Adaptive Cruise Control, 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and lock, wireless charging pad, a 180-degree rear parking camera with drone view, while the top Summit level comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, a complete ADAS system, the latest generation of infotainment, heated door mirrors with power folding, privacy glass and automatic high beam assist. It is recognisable from the other trim levels by some exclusive style details. The 360-degree parking sensors give you a complete view over the space around the car while the rear Parkview camera shows you a high-definition image of the area at the rear of the car.

PRICE: the petrol range starts at €31,495 while the electric is way more expensive, starting from €35,995. That’s a hefty difference. Annual tax: €200.