Jeep Avenger electrical SUV detailed, Australian plans unclear

Jeep has revealed its first battery-electric car, the Avenger, a small, front-wheel drive crossover designed for European and Asian markets.

Measuring 4.08m lengthy, it slots in beneath the 16cm-longer Renegade and gives an electrical powertrain or, in markets like Italy and Spain, a turbocharged petrol engine that has but to be detailed.

Some type of hybrid powertrain and all-wheel drive can be within the works in line with Automotive Information Europe – doubtlessly a 4xe-branded plug-in hybrid powertrain.

The business publication additionally experiences the Avenger makes use of a second technology of the eCMP platform underpinning the Peugeot 2008 and Citroen C4, amongst others.

Jeep CEO Christian Meunier advised CarExpert final month the Avenger had but to be locked in for Australia.

“Avenger goes to the UK, it’s going to Japan, and we’re taking a look at perhaps Australia if there’s a marketplace for it,” stated Mr Meunier.

The Avenger EV incorporates a 400V electrical system and a 54kWh nickel manganese cobalt lithium-ion battery situated underneath the cabin.

Claimed vary on the stricter WLTP cycle is 400km, whereas a newly developed electrical motor produces 115kW of energy and 260Nm of torque.

Jeep says a 100kW DC charger can take the Avenger’s battery from 20 to 80 per cent in 24 minutes.

The corporate makes no point out of an all-wheel drive variant at launch, although it says the front-wheel drive Avenger consists of terrain modes and hill descent management plus underbody skid plates to guard the battery.

The Selec-Terrain system gives Regular, Eco, Sport, Snow, Mud and Sand modes.

Jeep says it has the very best floor clearance in its section at 200mm, with strategy, breakover and departure angles of 20, 20 and 32 levels, respectively.

It’ll be inbuilt Stellantis’ Tychy, Poland plant, understood to even be the supply of upcoming Fiat and Alfa Romeo-branded small SUVs.

Jeep is looking it a “right-sized” SUV aimed on the B-SUV section, the second largest section by quantity in Europe.

The model is anticipating it to turn into its greatest vendor in Europe, and it’ll rival the likes of the Peugeot 2008 and Ford Puma – the previous already provided with an electrical powertrain, the latter getting one by 2025.

It’s significantly shorter than these fashions, nonetheless, and can be round 100mm shorter than a Toyota Yaris Cross or Volkswagen T-Cross.

A canted-back model of Jeep’s trademark seven-slot grille is current, and the corporate says it has positioned it forward of the headlights to guard them in case of an affect.

There are bulging, trapezoidal wheel arches underneath which sit 18-inch wheels, whereas down again there are tail lights with an X motif impressed by gas cans.

Jeep says the Avenger’s cabin was impressed by that of the Wrangler.

There’s an ordinary 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with wi-fi Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, satellite tv for pc navigation, and help for over-the-air updates.

This sits above a minimalist centre stack with a push-button gear selector.

An open shelf runs from the steering wheel to the passenger’s door, whereas above this can be a ‘beam’ that may be completed within the car’s physique color and which includes the air vents and ambient lighting.

The centre console options detachable dividers, permitting you to stow bigger objects between the 2 entrance occupants. There’s additionally an extra, concealable storage cavity under the gear selector.

Jeep says, all up, there’s 34L of entrance storage, in comparison with a mean of 15L on this section. Down again, there’s 380L of boot area.

There’s a alternative of seven.0- or 10.25-inch digital instrument clusters, whereas accessible creature comforts embody power-adjustable entrance seats with leather-based inserts and massaging, plus a hands-free energy tailgate, wi-fi telephone charging, power-folding and heated exterior mirrors.

There’s a set of lively security and driver help options, together with a Degree 2 autonomous driving operate that makes use of the adaptive cruise management, lane centring and Visitors Jam Help.

Different tools consists of visitors signal recognition, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and bicycle owner detection, driver fatigue detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep help, automated high-beam, and semi-autonomous parking help.

The Avenger nameplate beforehand graced a mid-sized Dodge sedan exported to markets like Australia and Europe within the 2000s. Previous to that, the Hillman Avenger sedan and wagon was manufactured by Chrysler Europe within the Nineteen Seventies, and it was later bought underneath each the Chrysler and Talbot marques there.

Jeep has a objective to turn into the world chief in zero-emission SUVs, and the Avenger is a part of a quartet of electrical SUVs launching between now and 2025 in Europe.

Two of these have already been revealed – the Recon and Wagoneer S – and also will come to Australia. CarExpert understands the fourth is an electrical successor to the mid-sized Cherokee.

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