Recently chosen as Car of the Year 2023 in Europe, the Jeep Avenger is established as a key model for the growth plans of the brand in the old continent. And it is that it is not only the smallest proposal in the range but is also presented as the first electric car produced by Jeep.
The Jeep Avenger uses the eCMP modular platform from the Stellantis group, which we can also find in the Citroën ë-C4, DS 3 E-TENSE, Opel Mokka Electric, and Peugeot e-2008, among others. The newcomer, which is equipped with a 156 hp (115 kW) and 260 Nm engine, is currently only available with front-wheel drive.
Although up to now the eCMP platform has not been offered with all-wheel drive, the existence of a Jeep without this option is inconceivable. For this reason, the company is already working to adapt the architecture to this configuration. It is confirmed that the new version will hit the market in 2024.
“It is another strength of the Avenger,” Antonella Bruno, head of Jeep in Europe, explained in a recent interview. “The two-wheel-drive edition is just as capable an off-roader as the Renegade. But yes, the 4×4 will arrive and, when it does, it will offer maximum capacity. There is a plan, we are going to launch the electric and then the 4×4 will arrive in 2024 ».
The Jeep Avenger 4×4 could be electric or hybrid
Preceded at the end of last year by the Avenger 4×4 Concept, this model will probably integrate a second motor on the rear axle, which will improve its off-road performance. Systems such as Hill Descent Control or Selec-Terrain with six driving modes (Normal, Eco, Sport, Snow, Mud, and Sand), already present in the standard variant, should be maintained.
However, the distinction made by Bruno between electric and 4×4 makes us think that perhaps the Avenger 4×4 is not pure electric, but a hybrid. And it is that following in the footsteps of the Renegade 4xe and Compass 4xe, it could combine a gasoline engine in the front axle with an electric unit in the rear, something that we will not discover until next year.
This transformation will also be used to make other changes. The ground clearance will exceed 20 cm, and the original dimensions will be improved (20º attack angle, 20º break over angle, and 32º departure angle), being highly probable that they coincide with those of the prototype (21º attack angle, ventral angle of 20º and departure angle of 34º).
