HILL-MAN AVENGER (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_jeepavenger_2023

By Jonathan Crouch

Jeep's Avenger is a trendy little SUV with more substance than many rivals. Jonathan Crouch looks at the updated version.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 66

The Avenger, Jeep's first all-electric model, has proved to be a successful entry model for the brand - and gets a useful mid-term update here. As before, it's a small, fashionable contender that unlike most of its competitors is a bit more SUV than Crossover. Virtually all the Stellantis Group engineering here we've seen elsewhere, but it's delivered in this case with a distinctively Jeep vibe.

Backgroundword count: 192

The Avenger was the first-ever all-electric Jeep and at its launch in late 2022 represented a key milestone for the brand as it aimed to become a world leader in Zero Emissions SUVs. Since then, the line-up has broadened to include combustion power, then was lightly updated in Spring 2026 to create the car we're going to look at here. Back at this model's original launch, the Avenger name was one we hadn't seen since the Hillman and Chrysler saloons of the Seventies. Here, it was a badge attached to the first of the brand's EVs, the smallest Jeep ever made and an important entry point into the company's product range. Whatever their powertrains, all Avengers sit on the same ECMP2 platform as Stellantis Group crossover cousins like the Peugeot 2008, the DS 3 and the Vauxhall Mokka, but here that chassis has been adapted for greater ground clearance and a little more off road prowess, even though the car is primarily sold in front-driven form. It's built at the Group's high-efficiency plant in Tychy, Poland and over 270,000 had been sold by the time of the launch of this updated version.

Driving Experienceword count: 390

It seems a long time ago now that the Avenger was launched in EV-only form. The EV version continues of course, unchanged from before, but with this update, the main news is that the two combustion hybrid models are now joined by an all-new un-electrified 'Turbo 100' pure petrol variant. This entry-level derivative has a completely different powerplant from the 1.2-litre base PureTech 110hp model that was offered earlier in the production cycle, this replacement starter Avenger variant using a 98bhp 1.2-litre three cylinder petrol unit not previously seen. It offers 205Nm of torque, is mated to 6-speed manual transmission, uses a new turbocharger, has a higher compression ratio with more efficient Miller cycle operation and offers a more robust timing chain system. Elsewhere in the line-up, the engineering is unchanged. We'll start with the EV version, which continues to use a single 154bhp electric motor with 260Nm of torque mounted on the front axle and powered by a 54kWh battery. When fully charged, this offers a range of 249 miles. The mainstream alternative is the combustion e-Hybrid, which pairs a familiar three cylinder 1.2-litre Stellantis-sourced 110hp petrol engine with a 28hp electric motor integrated into a bespoke 6-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The top AWD 4xe variant uses that 1.2-litre unit and dual clutch auto package once again, but in 136hp form mated to a pair of 28bhp motors on each axle. Despite the fact that the Avenger is primarily a front-driven design, Jeep is continuing to position it as the off-road champion of the EV market's growing SUV B segment. There's a higher ride height (minimum 200mm) than is normal in the class and, thanks to short overhangs that mean better approach and departure angles, it should be more capable off piste than a comparable Renegade 4xe Plug-in Hybrid. There are 20-degree breakover and approach angles and a 32-degree departure angle. All of which might sound irrelevant for an urban SUV but which, Jeep says, will make it better suited for dealing with speed humps, high kerbs and steep multi-storey car park ramps; yeah right. An Avenger though, might give you more confidence than its rivals in a snowy snap. This was the first front-driven Jeep fitted with standard Hill Descent Control and 'Selec-Terrain' driving modes: there are six settings - 'Normal', 'Eco', 'Sport', 'Snow' and 'Mud & Sand'.

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