When it first appeared, everybody liked the Jeep Avenger so much that it was awarded the European Car of the Year title for 2023. Not bad for a compact SUV with an electric motor. But electric cars don’t suit everybody, so Jeep added a regular 1.2-litre petrol engine to the range. Now it’s filling the gap between the two with the e-Hybrid, a Jeep Avenger with the same 1.2-litre petrol engine but with the bonus of a 29hp electric motor.
What’s under the bonnet shouldn’t be a surprise, as the Jeep is closely related to all manner of cars from its Stellantis owners, from the Peugeot 208 to the Vauxhall Mokka, and the hybrid engine has been slotted into vehicles as diverse as the Citroen C5 Aircross and Vauxhall Corsa.
It’s such a known quantity that I could almost write the verdict without setting foot in the car. But somehow, the little Avenger is greater than the sum of its parts.
Someone at Jeep has been fiddling with some software, as the six-speed automatic gearbox fitted to the car has been transformed. What was a clunky, reticent box now shifts gears smoothly, reacts quickly when required, and doesn’t stutter at manually introduced instructions from the steering column-mounted paddles.
It might not sound much, but it makes the Avenger e-Hybrid a far more pleasant car to drive than any of its closely related rivals. Yes, it’s not exactly long on power — Jeep has limited it to 100hp from the engine plus the 29hp electric motor, and there’s just 205Nm of torque available — but the Jeep is light on its feet. At 1,288kg, it’s 232kg lighter than the electric model, and that shows in the way it performs.
The numbers might say the 0-62mph time is a rather pedestrian 10.9 seconds, but the constant help from that electric motor means there’s enough zip and vivacity that you’re never left wanting for more.
It’s a compact city car, not a sports car, but it doesn’t lose its way on the open road. Chunky 18-inch alloy wheels fitted with, inexplicably, winter tyres, despite the spring sun blazing down on us, provide plenty of grip to a car that’s tidy and well-balanced in the corners. It’s not razor sharp and won’t worry anybody who’s just put a deposit down on a Toyota GR86, but it’s got pleasingly linear steering, little body roll and a resistance to diving under braking. It’s more than competent.
That continues off-road. Despite being front-wheel drive, we tackled an off-road route that we imagine will be more demanding than any owner will ever subject the vehicle to. Strong approach, breakover, and departure angles — all essential to proper off-roaders — meant it aced most challenges, while hill descent control made mincemeat of a gravelly 40-degree drop. If you want to venture further from the tarmac, a four-wheel-drive Avenger is coming soon.
Fuel economy takes a hit off-road, of course, but Jeep promises up to 58mpg, according to WLTP testing. That’s a little optimistic, perhaps, as the 0.9kWh battery pack won’t let you run for more than a very short distance on electric power alone. However, an intentionally gentle drive had the onboard computer showing 55.1mpg, so it’ll be possible to match the figures. We’d be expecting 45-48mpg under most circumstances.
In every other respect, it’s the same as the Jeep Avenger that went down so well previously, which, after the cosmetic mess of the ill-proportioned Renegade, looks fantastic wearing its seven-bar grille. It’s got a straight-laced cabin (bar the iPad cover-alike folding cubby hole cover that we’d be happy to see deleted) with a splash of colour here and there to break up the strong horizontal theme. There are physical buttons to control the climate control system, a 10.25-inch infotainment screen for everything else, and enough equipment and technology to keep most people happy.
Front seat passengers are well looked after, with plenty of room, despite the seats being a little high. The uncluttered design adds to the sense of space, leaving you feeling like you’re in something a grade or two larger.
That’s not the same experience for those in the back, where space is tight. A 35-mile drive wedged behind a driver was bearable, and I’m sure he appreciated my knees massaging his back throughout the drive, but the seats are definitely best left to the kids. Even then, cost cutting is evident, as there’s no armrest or even door pockets.
Even further back, the boot is fine. A false floor can be raised or lowered, giving between 321 and 380 litres of cargo-carrying capacity. Jeep gives a maximum volume of 1,277 litres with the rear seats folded. That’s behind the Volkswagen T-Cross, but more than you’ll squeeze into the electric Avenger.
Competent, capable and cool — the e-Hybrid has to be the pick of the Jeep Avenger range, especially as it’s £9,500 cheaper than the EV model.
Model Tested: Jeep Avenger e-Hybrid Summit
Average Janes Rating: ★★★★☆
| Price | £29,200 | Range | £25,300–£29,200 |
| Power | 100 hp | Torque | 205 Nm |
| Max speed | 114 mph | 0-62 mph | 10.9 seconds |
| Economy | 56–58 mpg |
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