Jeep Avenger | Test Drive | Auto Class Magazine

Jeep Avenger | Test Drive

9 December 2024 Redazione News, Stories, Tested

Forget any remote association with Marvel superheroes, the Avenger is not here to save the planet, but at least in part it knows how to make it better with a solution as simple as effective. The secret lies in its size that makes it the smallest Jeep ever produced.

Words Matteo Lavazza / Photos Jay Tomei

Somewhere, I don’t remember where, I read that August is the month of summer break. Holidays, vacations, things that people sitting in the biggest rooms here probably don’t even know what really are. That’s why they gave me the key of the new Jeep Avenger and told me to cover as much road as possible, in order to understand whether the smallest of Jeeps actually makes sense or not. Forget any far-fetched comparison with Marvel superheroes, the Avenger is not here to save the planet, but at least in part it knows how to make it better with a solution that is as simple as effective. The secret lies in its size, which makes it the smallest Jeep ever produced. We are a good 15 centimeters shorter than the already compact Renegade, so you will have guessed that this is a distinctly European flavor, but this does not mean it will limit its role to the old continent. Last note and then I’ll tell you how our month of testing went, the Avenger is currently only available as an EV, with the exception of Italy and Spain, where it is possible to buy one with Mild Hybrid petrol engines, like the one I am driving.

3-cylinder turbo petrol with a small and lightweight 1.2-cc engine that transmits 101 horsepower to the front axle. Don’t worry, because all-wheel drive is at the corner and we are sure that it will satisfy that segment of customers who cannot help but associate a rugged path with the Jeep name. It is called Avenger and it is the proposal that Jeep gives us in order to remain within 4 meters in length, without for this reason giving up the practicality and versatility of a model that is based on the Stellantis CMP2 platform, shared for example with the Opel Mokka and Peugeot 2008. Unlike the others, Jeep has a more massive look, elevated by the presence of the generous 18-inch alloy wheels of the top-of-the-range Summit spec that equips the model under my clutches. Enough chit-chat, I’ll tell you how it is and how it goes in the real world, far from presentation brochures and advertising slogans.

Summer, a scorching heat that seems wanting to melt the tires that remain stationary for too long on the boiling asphalt. A scenario that immediately takes you away from the city, despite the fact that the urban environment represents in every way the daily bread of a crossover like the Avenger. The centimeters from the ground and the raised seating position are in fact a godsend for tackling traffic, with the incredibly agile 1.2 that communicates well with the 6-speed manual transmission. The clutch pedal, for example, is soft at the right point and very precise, so much so as to forgive the need to often have to change gear in order to move with ease to clear an intersection or make an unexpected overtaking while we head towards the Langhe region. After having tested the effectiveness guaranteed by its compact dimensions and excellent visibility on all four sides, the Avenger needs to stretch a bit along the soft hills at the gates of Barolo and Novello.

Air conditioning – unfortunately single-zone – and satellite navigation with TomTom maps, all at your fingertips via the central touch display with a 10.25” diagonal. This system not only works wonderfully and is very fast and intuitive, but it also has convenient smartphone-style shortcuts that finally allow you to act on the car’s parameters, limiting distractions and wasted time once you’re driving. The climate control also has physical piano buttons in the lower portion of the dash, just below a large and practical storage compartment with a removable rubber bottom, ideal for placing your smartphone if you don’t want to use the induction hub located in front of the gear lever. In short, the Avenger is the epitome of practicality, which surprises me given its compact dimensions: 4.08 m long, a wheelbase of 2.56 and a width of 1.72. Yes, the ideal values for moving around easily at all times.

As I observe the neat vineyards outside the window, I move the steering wheel with a finger and notice that it is quite precise, regardless of the driving mode chosen. There are 6 of them, namely Sport, Normal, Eco, Sand, Mud and Snow and I have to be honest, at least with the manual gearbox, they practically do not change anything from one another, except for a pinch of extra resistance on the steering and the color of the second digital display, the 7.25″ one that integrates speedometer, fuel gauge and mirrors the navigation or radio information in a more convenient position. The Avenger, especially in this Yellow Sun color with contrasting black roof, does not go unnoticed. The seven profiles on the front grille continue to characterize it and the thin lines of the light clusters make it decidedly recognizable. It is also fun to play at finding the “easter eggs”, such as the ladybug on the roof profile, the child with a telescope and the grille of the legendary Willys. American style designed in Turin that borrows more than a few ingredients from the ex-PSA group, now all part of the Stellantis family.

And it doesn’t matter, because driving it is pleasant and relaxing, exactly as it should be when it comes to a car aimed at those who have to clock up miles in any condition. As mentioned, four-wheel drive is not yet available – which I consider a fundamental factor on a Jeep – and the moment we leave the asphalt I realize that between the standard tires and the lack of a mode that best manages the distribution of traction between the two front wheels, it is certainly possible to tackle dirt paths, provided they are not demanding. In that case, the Avenger is not the Jeep for you. Once this little stone has been removed and the most hidden paths that wind above La Morra have been abandoned, I pass in front of one of the many giant benches that color the area and the comparison with the smallest Jeep ever pops back.

After all, it is precisely something unexpected that has the possibility of making space for itself in an all too crowded segment like that of crossovers, especially in a family – the Stellantis one – where I could list at least half a dozen models competing with the Avenger. It, for its part, has a look that is more than spot on, a muscular line that maintains the “hot wheels” style introduced with the Mokka and accentuated by the rear door handles sunk into the third pillar. In short, the Avenger is one of the most beautiful crossovers in the game, if not the best looking and this is a starting point of great advantage because it allows you to choose a practical and versatile car, without sacrificing aesthetics.

I stop just outside Monforte d’Alba and while the metallic yellow of the bodywork merges with the postcard landscape I begin to evaluate some numbers such as the small size of an engine that is not very thirsty (about 8.1 liters per 100 km in mixed driving conditions), but more lively than you might think. In fact, the 10.6 seconds for 0-100 kph do not do justice to the elasticity guaranteed by the 1.2, especially in the lower ratios. With a weight that slightly exceeds 1,200 kg and dimensions that allow you to find parking even in the most crowded cities, the Avenger is the superhero for everyday life that you were probably looking for, especially for the fact that the four-wheel drive will be available soon, to the great satisfaction of those who will need to use it as it should be when it comes to Jeep.

The cabin is comfortable and despite some plastics being a little cheap – but better than the Renegade – I do not think I have found a defect that would compromise the purchase, especially because the Avenger starts at the more than acceptable price of €24,300 (Longitude). And so I enjoyed Langhe in the height of summer, when the grape harvest had not yet stripped those rigorously ordered fields. I faced the city in the midst of the excitement of the last few days before the long-awaited break and traveled the motorway with the comfort of a higher segment vehicle. I turned an article that revolved around the wonders of a UNESCO heritage area upside down because the real protagonist was – not without a hint of surprise – this little big Jeep that waved white flag only because of the lack of four-wheel drive when I tried to climb a path that reminded me that the Avenger is not a small Wrangler, but an excellent alternative to 90% of the cars designed for the urban jungle.

I was favorably impressed by the work that the Turin design team did starting from the platform and the available dimensions, but convinced that in the end it would be yet another crossover already seen and reviewed, but after a month of cohabitation I realized that just a few hours were enough to get in tune with a model that apparently could seem superfluous, but which actually enriches the Jeep brand’s price list and becomes one of the most interesting and valid products of the entire group. Here, at least in conclusion I decided to bring out a small reference to Marvel: the Avenger is the superhero (urban, but not only) that we didn’t know we needed. Luckily it’s here, soon also with four-wheel drive and a great desire to put some mud on its fenders.