Jeep Avenger 4xe review: Dumpy, cute and ready for off-road action

With its rugged off-road demeanour including wheels shod with chunky mud and snow tyres, Jeep 's latest compact 4x4 looks fabulous. Dumpy, cute and ready for action all at the same time.
But then you might say the same of the US 4x4 specialist's Renegade, yesterday's baby Jeep, which is still available as a hybrid and plug-in hybrid at higher prices. In these straitened times, Jeep's owner Stellantis – as with all other large car-producing conglomerates – dictates that everything has to use a Group platform, sharing engines, drivetrains and countless other widgets to reduce cost.
But why on earth would you want a small Jeep capable of crawling up the side of a mountain when it's likely the most extreme driving you'll ever do is mount a kerb outside Sainsbury's or ford a large puddle?
The market seems to think so too, for while these small B-segment SUVs occupy 21 per cent of the entire European new-car market, four-wheel drive examples account for only 15 per cent of that segment. Jeep owners, however, are different and 28 per cent of them specify their small SUVs with all-wheel drive.
And why wouldn't you want a cutesy off-roader which can also cut the mustard when snow falls or the road with grass growing in the middle turns into a track? So, while the 2023 Car of the Year-winning Avenger starts at £24,999 with front-wheel drive, a significant number will choose this all-wheel-drive 4xe version, which starts at £30,999.
And as well as stereotypical 4x4 looks, the all-wheel-drive versions gain roof bars, suspension raised by 10mm for improved off-roading ground clearance along with more day-to-day niceties such as car park-proof, grey anti-scratch panels around the bumpers, sills and door panels.
The oily bits
The engine is the Group's 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cyclinder petrol unit providing 134bhp and 169lb ft of torque, driving the front wheels via a six-speed twin-clutch gearbox. The 48-volt hybrid system consists of two 28bhp electric motors, one in the gearbox acting as a motor/generator and another aft driving the rear wheels. With a 0.9kWh lithium-ion battery under the passenger seat, the system's peak power is 143bhp, enough to give this 1,455kg off-roader a top speed of 120mph, with 0-62mph in 9.5sec.
The quoted fuel consumption is 52.2mpg, but in a mixed route, including some low-speed off-roading, I achieved 44mpg. CO2 emissions are 122g/km, which means the first year VED will be £440.
The 4xe has a ground clearance of 210mm and will ford up to 400mm of water. Off-roading aficionados will appreciate the approach/breakover/departure angles of 22/21/35 degrees respectively. The suspension is different to the front-drive models, sharing MacPherson struts at the front but with an independent multi-link set-up in place of the technically inferior twist-beam axle of lesser models.
It's 4,090mm long, 1,810mm wide, 1,540mm high and has a 2,560mm wheelbase. The boot is 325 litres with the rear seats up and 1,218mm with them folded which, thanks to the space-hungry suspension and rear electric motor, is 30 litres less than the fully electric Avenger and 45 litres less than the standard hybrid.
Inside job
The plastic interior panels, with textured surfaces, are easy to clean and well put together, but more military Jeep than sophisticated Audi – far from premium in feel. The seats are comfortable and supportive, featuring a variety of materials depending on which of the three trim levels you choose; at the top of the range, a tie-up with outdoor equipment specialist North Face provides a washable vinyl. The driving position feels high and a little cramped at first and it takes patience to adjust an accommodating seat and steering wheel position.
The rear seats are cramped – to get four adults aboard requires everyone to compromise on leg room. The rear seat backs fold onto their bases but the load bed isn't flat.
And if the interior design feels a bit dated, with its 10.25-inch screens and slightly slow-to-react software, the design has wit and charm. The fording depth indicator is a little duck etched into the front panel, while The North Face editions have a facia end plate etched with a silhouette of the new Compass C-segment Jeep.
On the road
The initial pull away can be a bit grinding as the wet clutches of the six-speed DCT gearbox take up the strain, after that, however, the unit is smooth and quiet. An extra clutch deploys the rear electric motor, but it's hard to detect its operation in the 'snow and mud', nor the 'auto', driving modes.
For the most part the Jeep is front-wheel drive and none the worse for it. There is a 'sport' mode, which sharpens the responses to the accelerator pedal and the steering, but as you might expect this is not a sporting car. Overtaking requires anticipation verging on astrology. However, you can make swift progress driving gently; jam the accelerator pedal to the floor and there's a lot of gear-changing and variable noise, but not a lot of haste.
The ride is good, too, better than the standard Avenger and much better than the electric version.
Off the road
Anxious to prove the 4xe's mettle, Jeep laid out a tricky off-road course set out on a Florentine hill on greasy track across olive groves. Even with its tyre treads full of sticky mud, the little car clambered up rock beds and down slippery slopes.
Electronic hill descent control covers a lot of sins, but the controllability of the electric drivetrain was not only confidence-inspiring but allowed a gentle approach to the long, challenging route. Smoothness beats speed when it comes to such terrain.
The Telegraph verdict
There really is nothing else like this car on the market. A small SUV with authentic off-road ability, it will scrabble up slippery rocks, ford standing water and negotiate greasy descents. Suzuki used to provide this sort of thing with the Jimny, but everything else, the Dacia Duster, Mini Countryman All4, Kia Niro and others, are more compromised in their off-road capabilities.
The big question, of course, is whether you will use any of those capabilities and are also prepared to pay for them. For while the Jeep Avenger 4xe is a pretty good drive, rides well and is reasonably practical, it's quite expensive.
The off-road pedigree inherent in the Jeep brand will sway it for many although the 4x4 Dacia Duster, more than £6,000 cheaper, presents an equally compelling case.
The facts
On test: Jeep Avenger 4xe
Body style: five-door B-segment SUV
On sale: now
How much? from £30,999
How fast? 120mph, 0-62mph in 9.5sec
How economical? 52.2mpg (WLTP Combined), 44mpg on test
Engine & gearbox: 1.2-litre 134bhp/169lb ft three-cylinder petrol turbo engine with twin 28bhp electric motors, 0.9kWh lithium-ion battery and a 48-volt hybrid 4x4 system, six-speed twin clutch automatic gearbox, four-wheel drive (rear wheels electric only)
Maximum power/torque: 144bhp
CO2 emissions: 122g/km (WLTP Combined)
VED: £440 first year, then £195
Warranty: 3 years/unlimited mileage
The rivals
Jeep Renegade plug-in hybrid, from £38,500
Based on the popular but rudimentary Fiat 500L, the Renegade was launched in 2014 and has done solid business, but it's tricky to justify the price for a four-wheel-drive supermini. The PHEV was launched in 2020, but will be slowly phased out as the Revenge 4x4 takes its place. Quite fun to drive, but you might be better with the e-Hybrid version at £32,699.
Dacia Duster TCe 130 4x4, from £23,550
Manual only, with a mild hybrid-enhanced three-cylinder engine, this combination of older Renault technology under a new body is hard to beat on price, although cheaper versions feel precisely that. Drives respectably, the interior is reasonably spacious and it's pretty good to drive. Some of the touchscreen graphics are a bit amateur, but it all works. Likely to be overshadowed by the new Dacia Bigster in the eyes of family buyers, but for off-road fun and lack of frippery the Duster has few peers.

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