Jeep’s Avenger is a European Car of the Year winner. But is it a proper Jeep, or just a Fiat in drag?

Jeeps used to be cool. They were big, brash, and brawny, with names like Wagoneer, Cherokee, and Wrangler. They were the sort of cars you’d drive across the desert with a shotgun on the passenger seat and a cigar in your mouth.

But then something went wrong. Jeeps became boring. They started making cars like the Compass and the Patriot, which looked like they’d been designed by a committee of accountants. And the Renegade, which was supposed to be funky and fun, but was really just a Fiat 500X with a Jeep badge.

So when I heard that Jeep had made a new car called the Avenger, I wasn’t very excited. And when I heard that it was an electric car, I was even less excited. And when I heard that it was based on a Fiat, built in Poland, and not even sold in America, I was ready to write it off as a complete waste of time.

But then something strange happened. The Avenger won the European Car of the Year award for 2023. That’s right, a Jeep beat all the fancy German and French cars to win the most prestigious prize in motoring. How did that happen?

The Avenger I’m driving today is the First Edition model, which you can’t buy anymore because they’ve all sold out. But don’t worry, because there’s another version called the Summit, which is exactly the same but with a different name.

It costs €45,000, which is a lot of money for a small SUV that’s about the same size as a Fiat 600e or a Vauxhall Mokka Electric. In fact, it’s based on the same platform as those cars, along with the Peugeot e-2008 and the Citroën ë-C4.

But unlike those cars, which are all pretty dull and sensible, the Avenger has some style and flair. It looks like a proper Jeep, with its round headlights, seven-slot grille, and chunky wheel arches. It’s got some nice details too, like the American flag on the front wings and the ‘Since 1941’ logo on the steering wheel.

The interior is cheerful too, with a big slab of body-coloured plastic across the dashboard that makes it feel more lively than its rivals. It also has a big touchscreen in the middle that controls most of the functions and a digital instrument cluster that shows you how much charge you have left and how far you can go. The seats are comfortable and supportive, and there’s plenty of room for four adults and their luggage. The Avenger is a practical car, as well as a stylish one.

But enough about the looks and the gadgets. How does it drive? Well, I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The Avenger feels beautifully balanced and really quite responsive. It has 154bhp, which isn’t a lot, but it’s enough to make it nippy around town and on the motorway. It can do 0-62mph in 9 seconds, which is faster than most of its rivals, and it has a top speed of 87mph, which is more than you’ll ever need.

The best thing about the Avenger, though, is the way it handles it. It has a low center of gravity, thanks to the battery pack under the floor, and it has a clever suspension system that keeps it flat and composed in the corners. It’s not a sports car, but it’s fun to drive, and it feels like a Jeep – not like a Fiat.

The only thing that lets it down is the lack of four-wheel drive. Jeep says it will offer a 4x4 version in the future, but for now, you have to make do with front-wheel-drive. That means you can’t take the Avenger off-road, which is a shame because that’s what Jeeps are supposed to do. But then again, how many people actually take their SUVs off-road? Not many, I’d wager.

So, is the Avenger worth buying? Well, it’s not cheap, and it’s not very efficient either – it uses more electricity than most of its rivals, which means higher running costs and more frequent charging. But it’s also more fun, more comfortable, and more characterful than most of its rivals. It’s a Jeep that makes you smile, and that’s something we haven’t seen for a long time.

The Avenger might not be the best electric car in the world, but it’s the best Jeep in years. And it might just make the brand cool again.

Pros

Drives like a dream

Looks like a million bucks

Spacious and comfy

'The Avenger feels beautifully balanced and really quite responsive'

Cons

Feels cheap in places

Costs an arm and a leg

No four-wheel-drive option yet