Jeep Avenger 4Xe review: Small SUV gets 4x4 muscle and hybrid power

The hybrid 4x4 version adds off-road capability, sharper performance and impressive economy to Jeep’s popular European small SUV

Jeep Avenger 4Xe review: the popular small SUV gains hybrid power, 4x4 capability, improved handling and impressive fuel economy.

JEEP AVENGER 4XE
Rating	★★★★☆
Price	from €29.995 - €34,795 as tested
Engine	a 1.2ltr turbo petrol with a 48v motor and 143bhp
The Spec	quite impressive
Verdict	won’t be a bestseller, but a valuable addition to the line up – especially for lifestyle punters

AMERICAN brands don’t really cut it with European buyers, apart perhaps from a few US devotee petrolheads who love their Chevy Camaros or other big-block monsters out of Detroit.

Sure, Jeep has built a solid following in these parts with their everything-but-the-sinking-kitsch ethos in cars such as the Compass or the Grand Cherokee. Oddly, however, the car that has really been cutting it for the brand over here is its smallest car, the Avenger.

The Jeep Avenger won the European Car Of The Year title in 2023, and since then it has won the hearts of a considerable number of buying punters too. It has been a huge success for the American brand, which is kind of a bit weird because it is not even sold in America.

I don’t know why that is, because it is a rather good small crossover; perhaps it’s because it is small that they won’t even sell it to the Yanks. Maybe because in its initial guise it was only made as an EV, and one American citizen in particular — he lives in the White House — will have no truck whatsoever with electrics.

But whatever the reason they won’t sell it in the US, Jeep must nevertheless be very happy with its performance in sales numbers across Europe.

We drove it a few years back in its EV format and awarded it a rock-solid four-star rating, with the only problem being a lack of legroom for the rear-seat passengers. Otherwise, it ticked most boxes in terms of range, build quality, and excellent driving characteristics.

Even so, it has to be said that for a brand with such a rugged personality, it seemed somewhat out of kilter to only come as an EV. And, what’s more, it was only a front-wheel drive and, with Jeep’s reputation built on solid 4x4 foundations, the Avenger was something of an anomaly.

Well. All that has been rectified with the introduction of a new model, the 4xe, which we are testing this week. It has a hybrid petrol engine and 4x4 and will now appeal to an even broader audience than its simpler EV sibling.

The Jeep Avenger 4XE has a hybrid petrol engine and 4x4 and will now appeal to an even broader audience than its simpler EV sibling.

And it has genuine off-road chops too, for those who might want to take it a little further off-road than a supermarket car park. It might not quite be suitable for taking on the upper reaches of a modest Alp or wading around the Amazon basin but it is capable of some adventurous stuff and will, thus, broaden its overall audience.

Another advantage to this development is that Jeep now makes one of the very few 4x4s in this segment, so that’s going to be beneficial too.

Just for the record, the adjustments mean that the car is chunkier-looking than the EV version and now has a fording ability of 400mm and has 20-degree approach and breakover angles and a 34-degree departure angle, so off-roaders take note.

A new styling package sees the addition of decals to the bonnet and that beefier styling bows somewhat to Jeep’s heritage, perhaps even making it look more like one of their products should do.

Revised suspension and slightly improved power also add to the appeal of this model and make it a nicer overall drive than was the case with the early versions.

It might seem that a 10mm increase in height might make it have a tendency to lean into corners and, therefore a tad less stable, but the addition of a multilink rear suspension adds to overall stability and driving pleasure.

The Jeep Avenger 4XE has a hybrid petrol engine and 4x4 and will now appeal to an even broader audience than its simpler EV sibling.

Given that Jeep has placed a lot of emphasis on how good its EV is (and it is), you might have thought they’d simply add a second electric motor to the rear axle to make a 4x4 but, no, they’ve chosen instead to base the off-roader version on the hybrid engine.

So the 4xe utilises the same 1.2-turbo-charged petrol engine as the regular hybrid but has a 48-volt electric motor at the rear to make sure all wheels are driven. As there is no driveshaft between the front and rear axles, this gives the car some extra ground clearance.

It also has a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, and this powertrain now boasts an output of 143bhp (as against 134), while the 0-100km/h time has been trimmed to 9.5 seconds, from 10.9, and top speed improves to 194km/h, from 183.

These improvements are certainly not vast but do give the car some added pep to go with the improved handling and ride characteristics, all of which is good. It is a solid motorway driver but really comes into its own on B roads and, unlike other models, comes with 17in alloys (rather than the 18in employed elsewhere) and that adds to its relative comfort on poor surfaces.

We were taken too by its economy, and because of its judicious use of the electric motor, it was a very effective petrol consumer. We managed an average of 5.4 l/100km (51.8mpg) on one trip, and it was slightly alarming to notice that the range indicator was at 401km at one point and, when we looked again 10 minutes later, it was 420km. Go figure.

The Jeep Avenger 4XE is well equipped and the touchscreen is easy to use and the separate climate control buttons welcome.

Specification and interior décor are pretty much the same as on the EV, although you do get washable upholstery here, which is handy. Otherwise, it’s well-equipped, and the touchscreen is easy to use, and the separate climate control buttons are welcome.

The issue about rear space is still extant, though; a leggy passenger back there will not be comfortable on long journeys. The boot space also takes a hit because of the electric motor, and capacity is reduced to 262l as a result.

The truth is that this particular car is going to be something for the lifestyle buyer — people who like wearing outdoor gear as part of their urban wardrobe. This car will fit the bill exactly.

In any event, this is a key addition to the Jeep armoury, and while it might not be the company’s bestselling variant, it will certainly bolster the sales of the Avenger model overall.

It might have space and off-road limitations but that, I suspect, is not going to unduly deter fashionistas who like being that little bit different and for whom standing out from the crowd is every bit as important as the actual quality of their motoring choice.

The bottom line, however, is that anyone choosing this car would be making a solid choice — and at a very reasonable asking price too.