An electric jeep? Since true off-road enthusiasts turn up their noses. Where, please, should there be outlets in the wilderness, desert or savannah? It so happens that around 98 percent of all models of this vehicle type avoid such regions anyway. As the first manufacturer of off-road vehicles, Jeep can now present its first all-electric model, the Avenger, with a clear conscience. With its compact dimensions, attractive design, decent range and respectable comfort equipment, the mini-SUV fulfills all the requirements to assert itself in the urban jungle. And there might be some green cheers too.
Although, if you think about it, a Stromer is basically made for off-road use. After all, what do you need to crawl hills and valleys on caterpillar tracks, smoothly creep up or down slopes, or wade through hoods at high water points? Robust traction from the first corner. And this is precisely the much cited and admired specialty of an electric motor. The idea of silently moving through nature instead of being spooked by a pounding diesel engine is downright appealing.
The first electric Jeep Avenger wants to be just as understanding. In complete contrast to its name (“Avenger”), the SUV, which is only 4,08 meters long and has short overhangs, has a friendly appearance with sharp contours, harmonious proportions and a seven-slotted radiator grille. It goes without saying that this is just brand-typical waste, as the Stromer needs neither air nor cooling. But it connects with its compact siblings, Renegade and Compass, both of which tower over it by several inches. And the Avenger also has the usual features such as wide fenders with wide wheel arches, offset side and underrun protection panels and the X in the taillights like the Wrangler and Renegade.
The interior is also immediately captivating with a continuous instrument panel spread over the entire width, which contains all the controls, the air vents, the ambient lighting and the central touchscreen with a screen diagonal of 26 centimetres. The bottom is mostly storage. Including the spacious center console, the Avenger offers up to 34 liters of stowage space. The central tunnel is flexible and modular and can be moved around depending on the size of items or even removed to make room for larger items. At 380 litres, the boot is also one of the largest in the segment. It can be opened by a sensor-controlled electric tailgate and filled easily via a 72 centimeter deep loading sill.
The infotainment system with 10.25-inch touchscreen is still standard, and the digital instrument cluster is available in two versions with a display diagonal of 17.8 and 26 centimetres. There’s also TomTom navigation with natural voice recognition and over-the-air updates. Using the app, Avenger owners can locate their location, lock and unlock the doors, check the battery level and recharge the vehicle.
When it comes to safety, the Avenger is at the forefront of small SUVs. Thus, it meets the requirements for level 2 autonomous driving with automatic speed, distance and lane keeping control in combination with adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistant. There is also an autonomous traffic jam and brake assistant, 360-degree parking sensors with active parking assistance and a 180-degree reversing camera with drone view.
Unlike its brand brothers, however, it has to do without all-wheel drive. But a Trailhawk version is already in preparation. In any case, the Avenger has classic off-road characteristics such as 20 centimeters of ground clearance or an attack angle of 20 degrees front and 32 degrees rear. In the urban jungle, high curbs or steep ascents and descents in underground car parks can be mastered without a scratch. A downhill driving aid and the Selec-Terrain system with the driving programs Sand, Mud (mud) and Snow (snow), on the other hand, seem a bit too ambitious for a front-wheel drive vehicle. Eco, Normal and Sport, on the other hand, fit well into urban everyday life.
Just like the electric drive system. The Avenger is the first model of the Stellantis group to get on the ECMP2 platform with the new electric motor. The 400-volt electric motor delivers 115 kW (156 hp), develops 260 Nm of torque from standstill and is powered by an equally larger battery with a capacity of 54 kWh. Positioned under the front and rear seats and the central tunnel to save space, it should guarantee a WLTP range of 400 kilometres, and up to 550 kilometers should also be possible in city traffic. The battery can be charged quickly on a DC column, where it should be 20 to 80 percent filled in 24 minutes with up to 100 kW. On an AC wall box, it should be fully charged in three stages to 11 kW in five and a half hours. Jeep specifies the average consumption from 15.7 to 16.5 kWh. Jeep has not yet released any additional driving data.
Jeep has already opened the configurator for the Avenger on October 17th, initially only in a first edition, which corresponds to a future top model with almost complete equipment. These include full LED headlights, digital cockpit, infotainment system with 10.25 inch touchscreen, ambient lighting, smartphone integration with charging pad, level 2 assistance package including assistant for traffic jams, the sensor-controlled tailgate, 18-inch alloy wheels and two-tone paintwork. Cost: 39,900 euros or 349 euros of monthly fee. However, 3,000 bookings have been received in Germany alone, in Europe there are already 10,000. The first deliveries are expected in the second quarter of 2023. It seems that the first all-electric Jeep will be a success without going off the road. (Frank Wald/cen)
