Jeep announces further details about new electric Avenger SUV

PARIS: Jeep has revealed its first EV – the Avenger – in full at the Paris Motor Show, with the brand announcing new details about the model.

Slotting underneath the Jeep Renegade, the Avenger will arrive in 2023 as the brand’s most compact model.

Designed primarily for Europe, it is based on a platform called ‘e-CMP2’, and will be produced at a factory in Tychy, Poland, alongside a range of models from parent company Stellantis – including the Peugeot e-2008 and Vauxhall Mokka-e.

Its electric motor develops 154bhp and 260Nm of torque, and is paired with a 54kWh battery that allows for a range of 400km. It can also be rapid charged at up to 100kW, with a 20 to 80% charge said to take just 24 minutes.

In the UK, the Avenger will only be offered as an EV, though Italian and Spanish markets will be able to choose it with a turbocharged petrol engine.

The firm says it offers "Jeep brand capability", but the Avenger will only be offered in a front-wheel-drive guise, not the brand’s trademark 4×4. That said, it will be equipped with a "Selec-Terrain7"’ mode, which includes specific settings for snow, mud and sand, along with hill descent control.

Short overhangs and large wheels also give it 20cm ground clearance, the most in the segment, with Jeep saying it’s the "benchmark7" in the class.

The Avenger keeps the American brand’s trademark seven-hole grille and bulging fenders, while gets cladding all around the exterior, helping to give it that chunky look that Jeeps are known for.

Inside, the Avenger gets a 10.25-inch touchscreen as standard that is said to offer "smartphone-like graphics", and also includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Christian Meunier, Jeep brand CEO, said: “The new Jeep Avenger represents a key milestone for the brand as it is the first of a portfolio of all-new Jeep EVs to be introduced in Europe.

“It offers Jeep brand capability that is right sized for the European market and at the Paris Motor Show, we are showcasing why it is a great all-electric Jeep brand alternative to current players in the B-SUV segment.”

The Avenger will be followed by three further all-electric models in Europe by 2025 as the brand seeks to build its electrified line-up.

Reservations for the new Jeep Avenger will open from January 2023, with prices likely to start from around £35,000 (RM186,000) in the UK.