Jeep’s first electric SUV Avenger… “The most adorable baby lion” [Test drive review]

Perfect for off-road driving… 292km range with 54kWh battery from China’s CATL
First launch in Asia to Korea…”Important milestone for expanding Jeep’s market share”,
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Jeep Avenger
[Stellantis Korea provided. Redistribution and DB prohibited.],
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, “(Seoul·Namyangju=Yonhap News) Reporter Lim Seong-ho = The first pure electric SUV ‘Avenger’ from Jeep, a specialized SUV brand in the United States that runs through off-road trails, will land in Korea early next month.”,
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, “Ever since its launch in the European market at the end of 2022, the compact electric SUV Avenger has garnered over 100,000 contract records and received positive responses. Last year, it was selected as the ‘European Car of the Year’ for the first time for the Jeep brand and was also named ‘Best Family SUV’ in the ‘2023 Car of the Year’ selected by female automotive journalists worldwide.”,
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, ‘In Asia excluding the Middle East, Avenger, first launched in Korea, was previewed through a media test drive held at a cafe in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 28th.’,
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Jeep Avenger
[Photo by Lim Seong-ho],
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, ‘At the test drive, executives from Stellantis Korea and Stellantis Group, responsible for Jeep sales in Korea, attended and expressed their expectations for Avenger sales in the Korean market.’,
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, ‘Bang Sil, CEO of Stellantis Korea, described Avenger as “a rightful heir who inherits Jeep\’s authentic off-roading DNA and boasts the cutest appearance among Jeep\’s lineup, like a \’baby wildcat\'” and introduced it as “a result that reinterprets the direction of Jeep embracing the age of electrification and the spirit of freedom and adventure in line with the flow of the times.”‘,
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, ‘Nirmal Nayar, Senior Sales and Marketing Leader for India and the Asia-Pacific region at Stellantis Group, said, “We decided to launch it first in Korea because Korea is a very important market” and mentioned, “We expect Avenger to be an important milestone in expanding Jeep\’s market share in Korea.”‘,
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Stellantis officials introducing Jeep Avenger
From left, Kim Hyun-woo, Stellantis Korea Product Development Manager, Bang Sil, Stellantis Korea CEO, Nirmal Nayar, Stellantis India-Asia-Pacific Sales and Marketing Leader [Stellantis Korea provided. Redistribution and DB prohibited],
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, “The Avenger encountered in person did not have the rugged and rough image usually associated with ‘Jeep’. It simultaneously exuded a cute and sophisticated image created by rounded curves.”,
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, “It maintained the iconic ‘7-slot radiator grille’ design unique to Jeep even as an electric vehicle. The body appeared more agile with slim daytime running lights (DRL) and dark-painted bumpers extending thinly.”,
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, ‘Due to the black roof and lower part of the doors, the body appeared longer than it actually was. The overall length of the Avenger is 4,080mm, which is 160mm shorter than Jeep\’s flagship compact SUV, Renegade.’,
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Side view of Jeep Avenger
[Photo by Lim Seong-ho],
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, “The interior was simple, designed to suit a ‘city-style electric SUV’. Physical buttons for air conditioning, gear control, and more, located beneath the 10-inch touchscreen on the dashboard, were arranged in a linear theme.”,
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, ‘There were ample storage spaces throughout the interior. The total storage capacity when combined was 34L, equivalent to the size of a carry-on luggage.’,
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, ‘However, the ceiling was somewhat low, and sitting in the second row was not very spacious, with enough legroom for just one fist in front of the knees. The standard glass sunroof relieved some of the confinement.’,
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Interior of Jeep Avenger
[Photo by Lim Seong-ho],
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, ‘I drove about 36km from a cafe in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province.’,
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, “With a maximum output of 115kW (156hp) and a maximum torque of 270Nm, I didn’t have high expectations for the power of the electric motor, but I felt a refreshing sensation as it accelerated smoothly, perhaps due to the compact size of the vehicle. When I switched to ‘Sport’ mode, I could feel a significant increase in output.”,
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, ‘Being an electric vehicle, the ride quality was smooth, and even at high speeds, external noise was not too loud.’,
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, “I also experienced about a 1km off-road course through a mountain. Switching to the ‘Mud’ mode, which smoothly transmits torque to the wheels, helped tone down the rough off-road feel. The 200mm ground clearance and 615mm seat height of the Avenger made it easy to secure visibility during off-road driving.”,
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Jeep Avenger off-road driving
[Stellantis Korea provided. Redistribution and DB prohibited],
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, ‘The Avenger also features a shield mounted on the underside of the body to protect the battery from shocks while off-roading and is equipped with Hill Descent Control (HDC) for enhanced safety.’,
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, ‘After driving a round trip of about 60km, the observed energy consumption was 5.0km per kWh, which was similar to the certified combined energy consumption.’,
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, ‘The Avenger is equipped with a 54kWh lithium-ion NCM (Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese) battery from CATL in China. The certified driving range according to domestic standards is 292km. A Jeep official stated, “It has been certified to have a combined range of 400km and a city range of 550km based on European (WLTP) standards,” adding, “We expect the actual driving range to be higher than the domestic certification.”‘,
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, ‘[email protected]’,
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