Jeep Avenger review

The Jeep Avenger could be seen as the air fryer of Jeep's car range: it’s small, compact and far easier to live with than the traditional – perhaps conventional oven-like – Wrangler.

Indeed, with dinky dimensions and a platform shared with the Peugeot 2008 and Vauxhall Mokka, the Avenger is the most car-like Jeep you can get.

That might put off die-hard Jeep fans but it could tempt new buyers who like the look of one but don't plan to do any off-roading. Indeed, at launch all Avengers had front-wheel drive rather than the four-wheel drive you might expect – although you can now get the all-wheel-drive Avenger 4xe.

Here we're reviewing the petrol Avenger (there's also the Jeep Avenger Electric), which is available with a regular or mild-hybrid engine.

So is the Jeep Avenger up to competing with rivals ranging from the Ford Puma and Lexus LBX to the Nissan Juke and Skoda Kamiq? Read on to find out how it stacks up against the best small SUVs...

The entry-level Jeep Avenger's 1.2-litre petrol engine produces 99bhp, which doesn’t sound like much, but there’s plenty of grunt at low revs and it can whisk you up to motorway speeds with little stress. It has a six-speed manual gearbox that slots into gear smoothly and has a short throw, making the Avenger is an undemanding companion.

For a little more money, there’s the Avenger e-Hybrid, which has the same 1.2-litre engine but adds mild-hybrid technology and comes with a six-speed automatic gearbox. That gearbox is much snappier than the eight-speed one in the Citroën C4 and Peugeot 2008 and takes the effort out of driving in heavy traffic.

The petrol Avenger is not particularly quick, with 0-62mph taking just under 11 seconds. The Peugeot 2008 e-Hybrid produces 134bhp and takes 8.3 seconds to get from 0-62mph. A Ford Puma 125 with an auto gearbox takes 9.6 second.

The Avenger e-Hybrid's 0.9kWh battery allows it to cover short distances on electric power alone. Jeep reckons the electric-only range is more than half a mile at up to 20mph but you'll need a flat road and a light right foot to get close to that.

The Lexus LBX and Toyota Yaris Cross – with their regular hybrid systems – are more economical around town and can run on electric power for much longer periods.

Regardless, the Avenger feels most at home in urban environments, where its small dimensions and relatively tight turning circle make it a doddle to drive. And while switching into Sport drive mode makes very little difference to the light steering, its accurate response still inspires enough confidence when it’s time to thread the Avenger through a series of turns.

This is not a sporty SUV though. A Ford Puma grips harder, leans less and is much sharper to drive. Ultimately, the Avenger puts comfort ahead of dynamics, and the up side is a car that's far more comfortable than a Puma and much calmer than the taller-bodied Jeep Renegade. 

All Avengers come with Hill Descent Control, which uses the brakes to manage downhill speeds without the driver having to touch the pedals. There are also Sand, Snow and Mud drive modes available to maximise traction, and 200mm of ground clearance. It certainly had little trouble dealing with a small muddy track when we took it off-roading.

In terms of refinement, the petrol Avenger is good – with wind and road noise fairly well contained at speed – but not up there with the best small SUVs. In the entry-level car, the stop-start system doesn’t activate very quickly or smoothly, but that's not a problem in the e-Hybrid version thanks to the mild-hybrid tech.

If you want the fastest and smoothest Avenger, you'll need the 154bhp electric SUV version. To read more about that see our Jeep Avenger Electric review.

“The brakes in petrol Jeep Avengers are much smoother and easier to modulate than those in a Peugeot 2008. That’s impressive when you consider that the e-Hybrid has to blend a regenerative braking system with conventional friction brakes.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

The Jeep Avenger’s interior is a perfectly pleasant place to spend time, with a simple design that’s dressed with a big slab of trim finisher in higher-spec models to brighten the mood.

Despite being constructed of hard and scratchy plastics, it looks easier on the eye and more uplifting than many rivals, such as the rather plain and gloomy Ford Puma or Toyota Yaris Cross. That said, there are plusher alternatives around, including the Lexus LBX, the Peugeot 2008 and the VW T-Roc.

The Avenger e-Hybrid gains gearshift paddles mounted on the back of the steering wheel and a D/M logo on the gear selector (rather than D) over the Jeep Avenger Electric. 

A 7.0in digital driver's display is fitted to entry-level Longitude trim, while mid-spec Altitude trim and above has a larger 10.3in one that offers a wide range of layouts. On the e-Hybrid, the text of the speedometer read-out turns blue when you're running on electric power as a very simple visual indicator.

Forward visibility is mostly impressive, thanks to the relatively tall side windows and thin front window pillars. However, the view over your shoulder isn’t quite as impressive, due to wide rear window pillars. At least rear parking sensors come as standard on all versions to make parking a doddle, while all-round sensors and a rear-view camera is fitted to top-spec Summit.

With lots of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel, you’ll find it easy to get comfortable behind the wheel. The only disappointment is that adjustable lumbar support in the driver's seat is optional on all versions of the Avenger (you do get a massaging function with it though). 

A 10.3in infotainment touchscreen is standard and is positioned high on the dashboard to make it fairly easy to glance across at while driving. It’s easy to use, with an intuitive operating system and quick responses to prods.

You have to pay extra for built-in sat-nav on all Avengers, but we wouldn’t bother because you get wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. That means you can sync up your phone and run navigation apps through the screen.

Thankfully, there’s also a row of buttons for the climate controls, which makes it easy to adjust the temperature while driving. While the rotary dials in the Ford Puma and Nissan Juke are even easier to use, the Avenger’s lay-out is far less distracting to use while you're driving than the touchscreen-based system in the Peugeot 2008.

“It’s a shame there’s no adjustable lumbar support in the driver's seat of any version of the Avenger, especially when it is such an easy car to cover big distances in.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Even by small SUV standards, the Jeep Avenger is dinky, so it's not the most practical model in the class. Still, space in the front is impressive and there’s lots of head and leg room, so two six-footers will get comfortable easily.

There’s plenty of storage space in the front, including a big cubby (with a magnetic lid) at the bottom of the dashboard, a couple of cupholders and a cubby beneath the centre armrest. There’s also a long storage tray running across the dash below the air vents, but it can result in smaller items sliding around when cornering, so it’s not all that useful.

Where the Avenger comes up a little short is in the rear seats, where space is tight. Your 6ft friends will fit, with just enough head room and space to tuck their feet underneath the front seats. Their knees will be wedged up against the seats in front of them though. There’s also no storage space at all. The Skoda Kamiq and VW T-Roc are far more accommodating.

The Avenger has a 380-litre boot capacity, which trails the Ford Puma, the Peugeot 2008 and the Kamiq but should be enough for a weekend trip away for a family. The e-Hybrid comes with a height-adjustable boot floor in mid-level Altitude trim and above. In its highest setting, there is a useful storage area underneath and it reduces the height of the load lip at the entrance.

The rear seatbacks split and fold in a 60/40 format when you need to make extra room, which is par for the course in the small SUV class. However, you don’t get a sliding rear bench (as you do in a VW T-Cross) or a ski hatch to thread longer items through in between to rear occupants (like in a VW T-Roc).

“It’s a shame that you don’t get more space in the rear. I’m six foot one inch and while I have just enough headroom my knees have to be wedged up against the front seatbacks.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

The Jeep Avenger’s entry-level list price undercuts the Peugeot 2008, the Skoda Kamiq and the Vauxhall Mokka by a small amount, while a Ford Puma is significantly pricier.

You’ll have to pay slightly more for the e-Hybrid version and quite a bit more for the four-wheel-drive model (the 4xe). Upgrading to the e-Hybrid improves official fuel efficiency from 49.6mpg to 57.6mpg.

If you're looking for a company car, the Jeep Avenger Electric is by far the cheapest version to run because of the very low BIK tax rates that apply to electric cars.

The Avenger is predicted to lose its value more slowly than all its main rivals, which should lead to attractive monthly payments if you buy one on a PCP finance deal. You can check for the latest offers using our New Car Deals pages.

Entry-level Longitude trim comes with 16in alloy wheels, air conditioning, cruise control, automatic wipers and keyless entry. We think it's the best choice, and you can select option packs if there are other luxuries you want to add.

Upgrading to mid-spec Altitude will get you a smarter interior with silver trim finishers, a faux-leather steering wheel, 17in alloys, adaptive cruise control and climate control.

Range-topping Summit is limited to the e-Hybrid version and comes with 18in wheels, rear privacy glass, heated front seats, a wireless phone-charging pad and a powered tailgate.

The Avenger didn't feature in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey and the last time Jeep appeared in the survey was in 2022, when it finished bottom out of 32 brands.

Meanwhile, the model did quite badly in its Euro NCAP safety tests, scoring three stars out of five. Its scores for protecting vulnerable road users and safety assist were just 59% and 53%.

You do get plenty of safety aids on the Avenger as standard, including automatic emergency braking (AEB) with cyclist and pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, traffic-sign recognition and driver attention monitor.

“I think the e-Hybrid makes the most sense if you buy an Avenger. Even if you take the financial argument out of the equation, it’s powerful enough and more refined than the regular petrol.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here