Jeep Avenger EV — It Is A Jeep!

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The intense yellow Jeep Avenger electrical automobile actually attracts the attention as you drive down one of many fundamental arterial roads in Brisbane. He’s getting numerous publicity, and in accordance with the younger salesman who spent the morning with us, numerous enquiries. Not less than 5 per week. Although, he admitted not as a lot as the BYD Shark, additionally bought right here. It’s powertrain identification is delicate, however not it’s Jeep heritage.

Let’s get the negatives out of the way in which first up — this isn’t a household automobile. Loads of those that come to see it are disillusioned on the dimension, describing it as “cute.” You’ll be laborious pressed, actually, to suit 4 Aussie sized blokes or Shielas into it. Nevertheless, what I see in my thoughts’s eye when this spectacular European styled enjoyable automobile is echoes of the Mini Moke way of life — surfboard on the highest, beers within the again, and a protracted summer season of enjoyable in entrance of us. When requested my candid opinion, I commented — I believe it’s going to enchantment to the 18–25-year-olds, positively a distinct segment market. Metropolis and seaside!

My neighbours’ 19-year-old daughter would actually take pleasure in it. She is at the moment driving mum’s big SUV Jeep. Out of curiosity I checked the scale specs with the World Warfare II Jeep: the Willys MB. It was about 132 inches lengthy, 62 inches extensive, and 69¾ inches excessive. The Avenger’s specs are given in metres, so a direct comparability can be: Willy 3.35 m lengthy 1.57 m extensive, and 1.77 m tall. The Avenger is 4.084 m lengthy, 1.797 m extensive and 1.534 m tall. So, one might argue that the Avenger is larger than the unique Jeep by a small margin. It’s a retro dimension!

Nevertheless, in at this time’s size-conscious automobile market, the Polish made Jeep Avenger EV comes off worse when in comparison with the competitors. However does dimension actually matter in relation to an off-road centered automobile, or is it extra in regards to the enjoyable issue when evaluating Willys. The supplier’s lot had many Jeep fashions to select from. Hopefully Stellantis (who owns Jeep) will proceed to carry out bigger BEV Jeeps. One benefit of a dealership that gives a wide range of manufacturers is that purchasers can cross store in the identical location. One enquirer who discovered the Avenger too small went on to buy a BYD Sealion 06. The dealership is getting ready for the long run by putting in extra EV chargers.

The time we spent with the salesperson was informative and informal. Most likely that is essentially the most standout characteristic of the shopping for expertise now. The salespeople know their product. Our man will get to take vehicles dwelling for the weekend (this explicit dealership additionally sells BYD and the Fiat 500e), so he was very aware of all points of the Jeep — and a number of the competitors, as his mother and father have a Polestar 2 and a Tesla Mannequin 3. Thoughts you, I did inform him why we have been there and that we wouldn’t be shopping for the automobile, in order that took the stress off him a bit. However I additionally instructed him I’d be writing it up for CleanTechnica and hoped for hundreds of hits.

We had a wander across the automobile and took numerous images. Beloved the horny blue ‘e’ on the again. The console of the Jeep appeared to have a great stability between display and bodily buttons. The inside is much like the Fiat 500e’s. The Avenger has a variety of about 400 km and does 0–100 km/h in about 9 seconds. (And, sure, Majella needed to examine that out safely on the freeway!) It has a 54-kW battery. We didn’t have the chance to take the Avenger off street, however the salesman assured us that a number of of the employees on the dealership had executed so.

The Avenger comes with a charging cable and is ready to obtain over-the-air updates. One of many questions the salesperson will get ceaselessly is “Can I cost my automobile at a Tesla Supercharger?” Identical to most nations, some Superchargers you may and a few you may’t. Sitting within the again, I missed the backseat air-con in my Tesla. The Avenger comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. One nice characteristic is that the display comes with a house button, so in case you get misplaced within the menus, you may return to the start.

What in regards to the drive? The automobile was charged up and able to go! We’re used to one-pedal driving, however this Jeep didn’t have that — Majella needed to preserve making use of the brakes, which grew to become annoying. Regen slowed us down, however wouldn’t carry us to a whole cease. The suspension was laborious and “chunky,” as you’ll anticipate in an off-road succesful automobile. The Avenger weighs in at 1520 kg (3351 lb), simply barely lighter than our Tesla Mannequin 3 (3582 lb). I point out this as a result of Majella mentioned the automobile felt heavy to drive.

The out there colors embody pink. So, we have been completely happy. The names of the colors emphasise that that is an EV designed to go off street: Ruby, Snow Volcano, Solar, Granite, Lake, Stone. I can see the younger skilled telling his mates, “I’m off for the weekend to get some Solar by the Lake in my Granite Avenger!” Or some such nonsense. On the prime quality you may combine colors in a single mannequin. For instance, you may have a Ruby colored Jeep with a Volcano (black) roof. If we might mix the Solar with the Ruby, we might have an actual Avenger — Iron Man!

Extra technical particulars may be discovered within the Jeep brochure, and from this European assessment.

Australia is in the midst of a worth struggle triggered by an inflow of Chinese language-made automobiles. I’m undecided how Stellantis will cope with this. Nevertheless, a base-level Jeep is marketed as about the identical worth as a Hyundai Kona Electrical or a BYD Atto 3 at current. Jeep diminished the value of the bottom mannequin by AUD$4,000 previous to launch, making it lower than AUD$50,000. Nevertheless, the web site nonetheless lists the value as round AUD$54,000. Watch this area, there be dragons lurking!

The Jeep Avenger has already acquired many awards: European Automobile of the Yr for 2023, and Finest Small Automobile on the 2023 Autocar Awards. This Jeep gained’t be going to struggle and it actually gained’t tow your caravan round Australia, however as city-based enjoyable automobile, it’s going to fill a distinct segment within the EV product lineup, hopefully consuming into the market share of the RAV4 (HEV).