Jeep Avenger Electric Review

It might seem a little odd that Jeep has given such an aggressive and confrontational name to a car as small, charming and likeable as the Avenger. Just look at it – it’s too cute to avenge anything, bless it.

But when you think about it, the name is quite fitting. Despite its diminutive size, the Jeep Avenger considers itself to be rugged, plucky, no-nonsense and not to be messed with. Think about Scrappy Doo in the old Scooby cartoons shouting “Lemmie at ‘em!” in the face of larger, more imposing adversaries – that’s how we see the character of the Jeep Avenger.

However, if the Jeep Avenger plans to shout its mouth off in such a way, it needs to back up the bluster. As Jeep’s first all-electric car, this teeny-tiny crossover SUV has plenty of pressure riding on its small shoulders, So, can it deliver?

Well, the Jeep Avenger certainly has the style to appeal in this image-conscious sector of the car market. All those classic Jeep design cues give it a cute brand of ruggedness that’s missing from other supermini-sized SUVs, electric or otherwise, so it really stands out. The interior is a cheerful environment, too, thanks to big splashes of colour and lots of light coming through the big windows, although the quality of the cabin materials trails that of most rivals.

The Jeep Avenger is not the SUV to pick if you’re after ultimate practicality, either. This is a small car with a small footprint, so rear space and boot space are inevitably very limited. On the plus side, there’s a decent amount of standard equipment included in the price (which is very reasonable by class standards), and the large central touchscreen – along with the rest of the controls – is easy and intuitive to use.

What might surprise you most, though, is what a pleasure the Jeep Avenger Electric is to drive. It combines zippy electric performance with tidy, nimble handling and a comfy ride, and although it’s at its best on tight city streets, it doesn’t feel out of its depth on the motorway. 

The official WLTP range figure for the Jeep Avenger Electric of 248 miles is competitive if not class-leading, and with DC rapid charging of up to 100kW supported, it can take on charge reasonably quickly, too.

All in all, in the scheme of small electric SUVs, the Jeep Avenger is a very likeable, very capable and very compelling choice, and if you're looking for such a car, it should be very near the top of your shortlist. A big price cut in late 2024, taking it to less than £30,000 new, is icing on the cake.

If you're looking for the hybrid version, you'll need our Jeep Avenger e-Hybrid review.

For most buyers, the Jeep Avenger Electric Altitude is the one to go for. It adds the kit most people will actually want, including adaptive cruise control, the larger 10.25-inch digital driver display and a reversing camera, without pushing the price as high as the Summit.

Longitude is not badly equipped, but Altitude feels like the point where the Jeep Avenger Electric becomes more complete. Summit adds some useful extras, though the price gap is harder to justify unless you particularly want the extra convenience and assistance features.

The current Jeep Avenger Electric line-up officially spans £30,099 to £33,999 before incentives, with Jeep’s current UK electric-car grant offer reducing those prices by £3,750 across the range. That brings the effective entry point down to roughly £26,349, with Altitude and Summit also cut by the same amount.

That pricing shift has transformed the Jeep Avenger Electric’s value case. It now looks much more competitive against other small EV SUVs, especially given the level of standard equipment.

The Peugeot e-2008 and Vauxhall Mokka Electric are obvious alternatives because they share much of the same hardware, but they offer a different flavour. The Peugeot feels more style-led inside, while the Vauxhall is a little more conventional.

The Hyundai Kona Electric is worth a look if rear-seat space and range matter more than character, while the MINI Aceman is a stronger choice if image and cabin design are top priorities. The Ford Puma Gen-E also lands squarely in this conversation.

The Jeep Avenger Electric’s point of difference is that it feels more playful and more distinctive than most of them.

The Jeep Avenger Electric is not the SUV to choose if your top priority is outright practicality. It is based on a small footprint, and that shows most clearly in the back seats.

Front-seat space is fine, with enough room for taller adults and a good driving position. Visibility is another plus, helped by the upright shape and relatively slim front pillars.

Rear-seat space is tighter. Headroom is acceptable, but legroom is limited, so taller adults will not be especially comfortable for long journeys. The rear bench is really best treated as a two-seater.

Boot space is 355 litres, which is decent for a car this size and exactly the sort of figure you would expect from a small electric SUV rather than a class leader. The opening is wide and useful, and the adjustable boot floor helps make the load bay more practical day to day.

For context, the Jeep Avenger Electric’s 355-litre boot is slightly ahead of a MINI Aceman’s 300 litres, but behind a Hyundai Kona Electric’s 466 litres and a Peugeot e-2008’s 434 litres. So it is competitive enough, but not a standout.

The Jeep Avenger Electric measures 4,084mm long, 1,776mm wide and 1,528mm high.

That makes it firmly a small SUV rather than something aspiring to family-car scale, and it helps explain why it feels so easy to place in town.

All three trim levels come with the same 10.25-inch Uconnect central infotainment touchscreen. While infotainment has traditionally been an area of weakness for Jeep, this latest system is much easier to use than those that went before, with logical menus, sharp graphics and fast responses to your various prods and presses. The screen is also well positioned high up on the dashboard, so it’s easy to see and reach.

The system supports most of the functionality you'd expect, but it’s perhaps a little surprising that you have to pay extra for sat-nav on every model, and it comes as part of a relatively expensive option pack. We wouldn’t bother, because the system includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, so you might as well just hook up your phone and let that take care of navigation duties. 

The entry-level Longitude version gets a 7.0-inch digital drivers display, but in Altitude trim and upwards, this is upgraded to a 10.25-inch display, which also offers a good level of configurability. You also get a USB-C port for the second row, while the Summit adds wireless phone charging.

The Jeep Avenger’s cabin is dominated by hard, scratchy, cheap-feeling plastics. Indeed, search around the cabin with prying fingertips and you’ll do well to find a single surface that’s in any way cushioned or tactile. However, while in many cars that leads to a dour and drab feel, nothing could be further from the truth in the Avenger, because things still manage to feel disproportionately cheery inside the car. That’s probably due to the combination of the large, tall windows letting plenty of light in, and the colourful piece of (usually body-coloured) trim running horizontally along the width of the dashboard, injecting a splash of much-needed colour. It can’t match the poshest-feeling small SUVs for quality, but it’s an entirely inoffensive place to sit.

All versions of the Jeep Avenger get the latest version of the Stellantis group’s electric powertrain and this pairs a 54kWh battery pack (51kWh of which is usable capacity) with an electric motor developing a maximum 156PS and 260Nm of torque. We say ‘a maximum’, because the power level you actually get depends on which of the three main driving modes you select. Sport mode gives you the lot, allowing a 0-62mph sprint time of 9.6 seconds. However, stick with the car’s default Normal mode, and you only get served up 110PS, while selecting Eco mode limits the output to just 82PS to preserve charge and maximise range.

Things can feel a little pedestrian in Eco mode, but it’s fine for pottering gently around town, although you might want to switch modes when trying to nip into small gaps in city traffic. Normal mode feels fine for most sorts of driving, and you’ll easily keep pace with the ebb and flow of traffic, even on the motorway. Sport mode, meanwhile, doesn’t exactly turn the Avenger into some sort of rocketship, but it is nice to have the option of that little bit of extra punch when you need it. Once the initial extra hit of acceleration when you first put your foot down is done and dusted, however, acceleration feels much the same as in Normal mode.

The Jeep Avenger is at its best in an urban setting, where its perky acceleration, compact dimensions, light steering and tight turning circle make it a doddle to thread along narrow and congested streets. The suspension delivers really good body control, which helps towards the Averger’s zippy feel, but happily, this doesn’t result in an overly firm ride, with the suspension doing a good job of mopping up most bumps and ruts at low speeds.

Go a bit faster and that tight body control also helps when changing direction, and there’s plenty of grip to call upon. However, that light steering that was such a boon in town works against the Jeep Avenger here, because it means you feel a little less involved in the action. Things always feel stable and predictable, though, and the ride also stays comfy at higher speeds.

Being a Jeep, the Avenger needs to have at least some off-roading ability. It’s front-wheel-drive only, so you won’t be traversing the north face of the Eiger, but some concessions are made to the notion of off-roading. There’s more ground clearance than on most small crossovers, and the short overhangs and flush sides mean approach and departure angles are actually pretty decent. The car also comes with hill descent control, along with various all-terrain modes that prime the traction control system to cope with various types of loose surface.

Euro NCAP awarded the Jeep Avenger a slightly disappointing three stars for safety when it was crash tested in 2024. It's not entirely bad news, though - it scored relatively highly for adult (79%) and child (70%) occupants, but lost scores for its protection of vulnerable road users (59%) and for its safety assist systems (53%).

The good news is that the level of standard safety kit you get on the Avenger is mostly the same regardless of which of the three trim levels you choose. The standard roster includes six airbags, three sets of Isofix child seat mounting points (front passenger seat and outer rear seats), automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, intelligent speed assist and E-Call automatic emergency response.

The exception to that rule regards cruise control. The Longitude version gets a regular manual system, while Altitude gets an adaptive system, and Summit gets an upgraded system that also includes lane centring and traffic jam assist..

The official WLTP range is up to 248 miles, with Jeep also quoting a higher urban figure. In the real world, something around 180 to 220 miles is a more realistic expectation in mixed conditions, with less in colder weather.

The Jeep Avenger Electric supports DC rapid charging at up to 100kW, and Jeep quotes a 20 to 80 per cent top-up in as little as 24 minutes. AC charging is up to 11kW, which means a full charge can take around five hours 45 minutes on a suitable three-phase supply, or around eight hours 15 minutes on a more typical 7.4kW home wallbox.

The Jeep Avenger’s status as an all-electric car should be a positive for reliability in theory, because EVs have far fewer moving parts than combustion-engined cars, so there’s less potential for something to go wrong. That’s also the reason why the Avenger only needs routine maintenance work every two years or 16,000 miles, which is a long time between services. Jeep’s three-year, 60,000-mile warranty is nothing special, but the electric drivetrain has more comprehensive cover of eight years or 100,000 miles.

Insurance groups are 24 for lower trims and 25 for the Summit. That puts the Jeep Avenger Electric broadly in the middle of the pack for a small EV SUV rather than making it especially cheap or especially expensive to insure.

Electric cars now pay the standard VED rate from year two onwards, and the Jeep Avenger Electric is no exception. That means £200 a year from the second year of registration.

The good news is that even the most expensive Jeep Avenger Electric versions sit well below the more than £50,000 threshold now used for the Expensive Car Supplement on zero-emission cars, so there is no extra charge to worry about there.