Jeep Avenger EV non-4×4 to be released in Australia
Jeep’s first-ever BEV, or Battery Electric Vehicle will be on sale in Australia from Q4 2024. That’s BEV, not just EV, as Jeep have had a hybrid Wrangler for some years now. A BEV has one power source and that’s the battery.
Now about that non-4X4.
“A pure expression of “concentrated Freedom”, it is the first front-wheel drive Jeep vehicle equipped standard with Selec-Terrain® and Hill Descent Control, which, together with the improved ground clearance and angles, make it a vehicle with unexpected off-road capability.”
I’ve read a lot of press releases in my life, but “pure expression of concentrated Freedom” takes marketing to new height of wordsmithery. Yes, any capability from low-slung 2WD would be unexpected, so I guess ‘unexpected’ is correct. In the video below I do a lot of offroad in a 2WD Suzuki, but that’s helped by the weight being mostly over the front wheels, not rear. The Avenger wouldn’t have that advantage.
Jeep have given the vehicle its Selec-Terrain adaptive terrain system, and boast about 200mm of ground clearance. I’m not convinced. I am pleased to see a focus on protecting the battery from damage.
Then there’s the name. Given Jeep’s customer-relation woes, I’m not entirely sure “Avenger” is the most appropriate name?
The Avenger pricing is:
- Longitude $53,990
- Limited $57,990
- Summit $63,990
all excluding onroads. All share the same 54kWh battery and 115kW motor.
Range is a WLTP range of 396km. That’ll translate to more like 300km in real-world conditions, and you can learn about WLTP and EV range here.
Charging is as you’d expect, and Jeep have given us a handy graphic:
And some useful charging times:
So where does the Avenger fit into the market? It isn’t a super-cheap EV to compete with the Chinese brands. It isn’t sporty, like Hyundai’s new N-car. It would have better offroad capability than the average 2WD SUV, but that’s such a low bar I feel it’s pointless. So I’m not entirely sure where the Avenger sits in the marketplace. And I’ve confirmed with Jeep that it cannot tow. What do you think?
