Jeep Avenger is electric baby SUV bound for UK next year

Jeep will launch an electric entry-level SUV early next year – the smallest it has ever produced – and it will  be followed by a further three EVs bound for Europe by 2025.

Called the Avenger, the baby electric Jeep will look to draw new customers to the US brand – now part of the giant Stellantis group – in Europe, with a particular focus on younger, female buyers.

It will be joined on the continent by the range-topping Wagoneer S premium SUV and extreme, off-road-focused Recon (both electric, and will get US launches first), with a final, as yet unannounced electric model to come – which CEO Christian Meunier has described as a look into the future of the brand.

The Avenger itself has been built around the “right size” for Europe, head of Jeep’s European arm Antonella Bruno said.

“What makes it different is its capabilities,” said Bruno, confirming the car will be “equal or better than” the larger Jeep Renegade 4xe when used off road.

The Avenger will launch in the first half of next year (an exact date will be confirmed in October) and use a new version of Stellantis’s ECMP platform – the current version of the architecture is used for EV and combustion versions of the similarly sized Vauxhall Mokka and DS 3 Crossback. This will give it “impressive” ground clearance, Jeep said, with segment-topping breakover and approach angles. A large boot and modern interior will also look to attract a new customer base, Bruno added.

Power will come from the group’s 94bhp motors, with either two or four fitted depending on the variant’s configuration. Both two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive versions will be offered. Range is claimed to be 248 miles. Orders will open on 17 October.

The baby SUV will sit at the bottom of the range as part of a five-car line-up. It will also be offered in hybrid form, although further details for this variant will be revealed at the Paris motor show in October.

It will be built at the group’s advanced, high-efficiency plant in Tychy, Poland. The model will also be sold in Japan and South Korea, but it will not get a US release.

The Avenger will be joined by the Wagoneer S, which will top Jeep’s range and come with a raft of premium features, although none of these has yet been confirmed. It will pack 600bhp, have a 0-60mph time of 3.5sec and offer a range of 400 miles.

The Recon will also be offered and positioned as a raw take on off-road Jeeps of old, with options including removable doors and an open-top design – like the Wrangler. It will get similar power and range to the Wagoneer S. Both will hit the UK in 2025 and be among the first to sit on Stellantis’s STLA Large platform.

“The scale of Stellantis is absolutely fantastic and means we can really bring the best technology possible to a lot more people than we could before,” said head of design Ralph Giles.

Meunier added that the new line-up will reposition Jeep in the market as an electric brand, with a target of 100% of sales to be from EVs by 2030. Prices for all three new electric cars will be announced at the Paris motor show.