Jeep assembles Avenger electric car to take on Hyundai Kona and Kia Niro EVs, but don't expect it to come cheap

Jeep Australia will finally get into the electric car game with its Avenger small SUV arriving next year as a competitor to EV versions of the Hyundai Kona and MG ZS.

Measuring 4084mm long, 1776mm wide, 1528mm tall and with a 2560mm wheelbase, the Avenger is Jeep's smallest model, even more petite than the discontinued-in-Australia Renegade.

And though Jeep Australia is yet to confirm exact details for its new electric vehicle (EV), the Avenger is offered with only one powertrain specification for European markets.

It utilises a single 115kW/260Nm electric motor that drives the front wheels, while its 54kWh battery allows for a driving range of up to 400 kilometres when tested on WLTP standards.

The 400-volt system also enables fast-charging capabilities to juice the battery from 20 to 80 per cent in around 24 minutes.

Pricing and specification are also unknown for Australia, at least for now, but the right-hand-drive UK market offers the Avenger in three flavours – Longitude, Altitude and Summit.

Equipment available includes a 10.25-inch multimedia touchscreen, all-terrain model selector and keyless entry, while up-spec variants gain a 10-inch driver display, wireless smartphone charger and heated seats.

Jeep Australia is promising a full suite of active safety equipment too, with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic parking, a 180-degree reversing camera and blind-spot monitoring on the table.

The Avenger is priced from £35,700 in the UK, which would convert to roughly $A71,043, but pricing rarely translates from market to market so cleanly.

As a reminder, the Avenger was revealed last October for European markets, and is built a Jeep facility in Tychy, Poland.

The Avenger rides on the STLA small platform, which shares commonality with Stellantis' CMP platform that underpins models like the Peugeot 2008 and Citroen C4 – the former's electric version also confirmed for an Australian arriving this year.

Jeep's Avenger will join the Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid as the brand's only electrified offerings for now, but making a tailpipe emissions-free model available Down Under is a big deal, according to Jeep Australia Managing Director (and former Holden Executive) Michael Filazzola.

"The Jeep Avenger represents a key milestone for the Jeep brand, our first zero exhaust emission SUV," he said.

"A compact SUV, the Avenger will provide a new entry point to the Jeep range while adding another level of electrification to our offering in Australia and represents a further step in the Jeep brand's evolution."

Of note, the Avenger is also offered with a mild-hybrid 1.3-litre petrol engine in select markets, while a more rugged 4x4 off-road version has been shown in concept form with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, which opens the door for Jeep Australia to bulk out its new small SUV line-up in the future.