Jeep is a logo known for its big, thirsty, off-road 4x4s, but its first electric vehicle is almost the opposite.
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It’s the all-new 2024 Jeep Avenger: a lightweight, city-sized electric SUV designed to tackle the wilderness of the inner suburbs of “great” Australia.
But while it prioritizes urban adventure over the hard stuff, the brand’s first EV for the Australian market borrows the Jeep attributes that set it apart from its electric competitors.
Here’s what you want to know. . .
This is a milestone for the brand, which is starting to offer more hybrid variants of its vehicles. But the arrival of an all-electric vehicle is a milestone in any automaker’s plans, and Jeep places great importance on the arrival of the Avenger.
According to the brand, the Avenger will offer a 400 km route in its European tests. Jeep also says it will take 24 minutes to reach 20 to 80% with a maximum charging speed of one hundred kW. It uses a 54kWh battery that powers a 115kW/260Nm motor.
It’s front-wheel-drive only, but the logo also offers variants of the gas-powered Avenger. While there are no plans to introduce the petrol-powered Avenger to Australia, the logo doesn’t indicate that either.
Electric cars were out of reach for Australians for a long time until recently, when we started to see more affordable models, especially coming from China.
Jeep wouldn’t comment in particular on what the Avenger will cost when it finally arrives in Australia, but “with our other vehicles, [Jeep doesn’t] historically compete with [entry-level] markets,” a brand representative said. told the logo to Drive.
“We’re actually trying to position ourselves as a premium offering, but we’re going to try to be as competitive as possible price-wise. “
With that in mind, their value may be closer to the $50 to $60,000 mark, like other high-end EVs like the Cupra Born or Tesla Model 3.
This value would be superior to that of their solid comrades such as the Jeep Wrangler and the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Although the Avenger is a Jeep – historically a manufacturer of giant off-road vehicles – it’s a vehicle designed for small suburban streets like those found throughout Europe.
This is the smallest style Jeep has ever designed, even though it carries a heavy battery underneath the metal frame, and its dimensions put it more or less in line with the Toyota Yaris Cross, in terms of size.
It’s made in a Stellantis (Jeep’s parent company) factory in Poland, and its look and styling were created in the brand’s design studio in Turin, Italy.
Although it’s not meant to be a compromised off-road vehicle (expect other electrified Jeep models like the Recon), the logo has included a protective layer of plastic around it to ensure the frame rubs against trees, etc.
It also has a ground clearance of 200mm, an angle of 20 degrees, a lean angle of 20 degrees, and a departure angle of 32 degrees.
Inside, the Avenger’s design catches the eye with giant 10. 25-inch screens and a colorful dashboard in the cabin. There’s also colorful ambient lighting to decorate the space’s curb appeal.
Both screens use Jeep’s new infotainment software, distinct from the old Uattch formula, which has the ability to connect to your phone to inform the owner about diversity, report vehicle status, and can even lock the vehicle remotely.
Thankfully, there are physical controls for things like volume and temperature controls, which we love.
Small SUV bodies make interior comfort and garage difficult, but Jeep has created more than 30 liters of storage space between compartments, including a ridiculously deep glove box, a lidded center console tray, and a center console tray.
There’s no shortage of designer Easter eggs on the Jeep Avenger, a feature the logo is known for on its other models.
These come with a child through a telescope in a constellation inside the windshield, cute seven-bar grid patterns found on each wheel, a compass with coordinates written on the radar sensor, and a ladybug molded into the roof.
If that’s not enough as a starting point for verbal exchange, Jeep offers customization and accessories to enhance the Avenger. There are graphic stickers that can be implemented on the hood, seven-slot grille, and even the roof.
There are also two-tone ones that raise a roof and black mirrors.
Jeep has told us that the Avenger is expected in Australia in the second part of 2024, which is roughly 18 months after its launch in Europe. More facts about the Jeep Avenger lineup and its pricing will be available closer to the car’s launch.
It’s important how the Jeep Avenger behaves once it lands and launches in Australia, but the style is already receiving praise after its arrival in Europe around this time last year.
It recently became the European Car of the Year 2023 and has been awarded by other foreign publications.
Journalist