2023 Jeep Avenger EV for Europe Kicks Off Electric Model Blitz, Rugged Recon And Wagoneer S Come Later

Jeep is stepping up its electrification plans with the announcement of four new EVs, the first of which is the baby Avenger SUV that goes on sale in Europe next year.

The small electric off-roader is one of the first vehicles to benefit from Stellantis’s new STLA architecture and will be revealed in full at the Paris Motor Show in October. But while the Avenger won’t be offered in North America, three other electric Jeep products will, including a hardcore off-roader called the Recon, an all-electric Wagoneer S, and one other battery-powered SUV.

Jeep has committed to 50 percent of the cars it sells in America being electrified by 2030, but in Europe that figure rises to 100 percent and the Avenger is key to the company reaching that target. First seen at the Stellantis Dare Forward presentation of the groups’s long-term plan earlier this year, the Avenger will be built in Tychy, Poland, alongside still-secret Alfa Romeo and Fiat SUVs, and will slot into Jeep’s European range below the Renegade.

Related: 2023 Jeep Gladiator Makes An Impact With High Velocity Yellow Paint

https://youtu.be/bQNxyMYXHmY

Although positioned as an urban car rather than a boulder-crawler, the Avenger promises “impressive” ground clearance and break-over angles, plus a 249-mile (400 km) electric driving range. Jeep says its smallest SUV will deliver a modern interior, with all the technology buyers expect, and plenty of space for people and cargo.

Autocar reports that the Avenger will be available in two- or all-wheel drive forms depending on whether the customers choose one 94 hp (95 PS) electric motor or a pair of them, and says that a hybrid version will also be available. Although the hybrid version should look almost identical to the EV mode, it will actually be built on the older Stellantis CMP platform used by cars like the DS 3 Crossback.

“The all-new Avenger will offer Jeep brand capability that is rightsized for the European market,” said Antonella Bruno, head of Jeep Europe at Stellantis, “This modern, fun and emotional SUV will appeal to a growing set of customers who are looking for a capable, compact, modern and all-electric Jeep brand alternative to the current players.”

Jeep hasn’t revealed how much the Avenger will cost, but European buyers will be able to order one from October 17 when the car is revealed in full at Paris.