A Jeep without all-wheel drive just doesn't feel right, but the Stellantis brand is promising to fix the Avenger's lack of better traction with a 4x4 setup. It's being previewed at the Paris Motor Show where the electric crossover has a different livery with blue accents along with extra LED lighting. Other notable changes include the adoption of a roof rack and slightly wider wheel arches hosting different alloys with all-terrain tires.
Oddly enough, Jeep doesn't go into any details regarding the technical specifications. However, an Avenger with AWD can only mean the engineers have installed an electric motor at the back. The standard version comes with a front-mounted motor good for 154 horsepower (115 kilowatts) and 260 Newton-meters (191 pound-feet) of torque. It remains to be seen whether the e-motor installed at the rear is identical, but that’s usually the case.
It could translate to a combined output of around 300 hp and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) in an EV that’s only 4.08 meters (160.6 inches) long. Indeed, the new Avenger is 6 centimeters (6.3 inches) shorter than a Renegade. The all-paw Avenger could use the same 54-kWh battery as the front-wheel-drive configuration. The latter has been rated in the WLTP combined cycle at 249 miles (400 kilometers), but the 4x4 would not be able to match that due to being heavier. Using the same logic, the 342-mile (550-kilometer) range of the regular model in the city would drop a bit.
For the Avenger 4x4, Jeep has improved the approach angle to 21 degrees, departure angle to 34 degrees, and breakover angle to 20 degrees. In addition, ground clearance now exceeds 200 mm (7.9 inches).
As a refresher, Jeep says three minutes of charging at 100 kW translates to 19 miles (30 kilometers) of range while 24 minutes juice up the battery from 20 to 80 percent. It's unclear whether mounting an e-motor at the rear will have a negative impact on the cargo capacity, which stands at 13.4 cubic feet (380 liters) in the FWD-equipped Avenger where the front volume measures 1.2 cubic feet (34 liters).
Jeep fans from the United States will have to look elsewhere because the Avenger isn't coming to North America. Instead, the Wrangler-esque Recon and the larger and more luxurious Wagoneer S are US-bound and both will be manufactured locally from 2024.