Jeep Avenger vs Kia Niro

What's the difference?

The Jeep Avenger is a strong move for the brand as a city-focused offering, and particularly as its first EV.

The styling and easy driving experience should be a draw, but its price in an increasingly competitive small SUV (and electric car) market could be a turn-off for some - even if it is only few thousand dollars more expensive than the slightly larger Compass.

Despite a couple of small flaws and a lacklustre safety rating overseas, the Avenger is ultimately one of the best-driving cars the brand has put out in years, and deserves a look if you’re keen on a practical but stylish EV.

The Kia Niro S Electric is a solid little SUV that has decent space inside and some nice specs, but it's more expensive than its nearest rivals. The EV powertrain can take a little getting used to and I would have liked a smoother ride, but the 460km driving range is good.

For first-time EV owners, this wouldn’t be a bad option if you wanted to dip your toes in the water but it will suit urban dwellers and smaller families, like mine, best. This gets a 7.5/10 from me.

My son wasn’t in love with this one. Not enough buttons for him to press and he did comment on how bumpy the ride was in the back. He gives it a 6.0/10.

One of the Avenger's biggest draws for me is its style.

Those who like the Jeep brand for its rugged off-road vibes, but don’t actually want or need to go off-road might enjoy that it still looks very Jeep.

We’re told that the decisions made in this car’s design are all for a purpose, and some of them are very clear.

For a start there’s a deliberate plastic barrier wrapped around the full 360 degrees of Avenger to protect the paintwork and body panels in low-speed collisions that can be just as likely off-road as in a carpark.

There’s also the sunken headlights, which sit far enough back that they’re less likely to be damaged in an impact, being one of the most expensive and breakable parts at the front of a car.

But there’s also a series of little hidden ‘easter eggs’ that the Avenger’s head designer Daniele Calonaci left up to us to find for ourselves.

For a start, the tail-lights feature an ‘X’ shape that’s inspired by the jerry cans used to carry spare fuel and liquids in World War 2.

The ‘X’ theme continues in other places on the Avenger,  though there are some more cutesy design features like a series of seven-slot grille motifs around the car in places like the wheels, tail-light, and even a small one under the front grille.

There’s a 3D ladybug in the roof rail up top, too. But perhaps the most ‘aww’-inspiring is the silhouette of a child looking through a telescope in the lower passenger side of the windshield, up at some stars in the upper driver’s side. The child? That’s Calonaci’s son.

It’s a compact SUV with a footprint that's 4420mm long, 1825mm wide and 1570mm tall. But while small, I wouldn’t call it cute. It’s boxier than its sibling and without any of the swoopy design elements that make the EV6 look cool. 

I do like the way the two-tone body panelling, which is seen most prominently on the C-pillar, breaks up the ‘blocky-ness’ and creates areas of interest. As do the high-mounted rear LED lights. 

Speaking of lights, the base model makes do with halogen headlights, which unfortunately stand out against the LED daytime-running lights. You’ll notice the dimmer light at night, too.

The 17-inch alloy wheels are thick for better aerodynamics but the clever two-tone colouring stops them from looking unfashionable.

The interior has a lot style cred with the curvature of the door panelling blending in almost seamlessly with the dashboard.

The gently sloping panelling that houses the multimedia systems and switchable touchscreen interface for the controls creates a very pleasing cabin space.

There are some harder plastics mixed in here but enough soft touchpoints that you won’t be bothered by them. 

The outside of the Avenger is plenty of fun, but the inside is a fairly sensible place.

That’s not to say it’s boring, but the use of space for a car of this size is impressive, and there are plenty of places to store things.

There’s a well thought out phone charging pad in a relatively deep storage compartment in the centre of the Avenger, as well as the cupholders in front of the centre armrest and another storage bin underneath, plus a ‘shelf’ along the dash.

The amount of storage is impressive given the Avenger’s interior is a nice, tidy design that still manages to incorporate some useful elements some cars forgo - buttons for the climate controls, for example, are something that are increasingly (and frustratingly) rare.

Anyone who has used a Uconnect system in a Jeep or Fiat in the past might like to know that this one (accessible via a 10.25-inch touchscreen) is a step-up from predecessors.

It’s not perfect, some elements of the menu and feature placement seem a little random at first, but it doesn’t lag, is easy to connect to wirelessly, and has a fairly helpful voice control system.

Functionality is most of the way there generally, but a few missing things like dual-zone climate control or electric adjustment for the passenger seat feel like let-downs, plus the heating on the front seats seemed to be quite weak for a long time before eventually warming.

Behind those seats, the second row is lacking just about any amenities besides a USB port, but it’s not too cramped for a light SUV. Adults might find it suitable for relatively short trips, but kids should be fine for a while.

The sunroof (when featured) doesn’t extend very far back, so the second row also feels a little dark.

Behind that, an impressive 355 litres of boot space expands to 1250 litres when the seats are folded down, plus a plastic lining on the boot lip means you don’t scratch the car when loading or unloading.

It’s surprisingly roomy inside and all passengers will enjoy decent leg and headroom, but taller passengers will find the backseat cosier than the front.

As such, two child seats will fit best but you do have ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard positions and three top-tether points, if you need them.

The synthetic leather/cloth seat trim cleans well and is nice to touch. The seats themselves, front and rear, are well-padded and super comfortable.

The backs of the front seats can double as coat hangers and have hardened kickplates, which are always practical for little feet.

The front row gets the most amenities and tech. The 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system has clear graphics but is different to other Kia’s I’ve sampled recently. It seems to have been simplified but you’ll get used to it quickly.

There are plenty of charging options available, too, with a USB-A and C port, plus a 12-volt socket. Not needing a cable for the wireless Apple CarPlay is a bonus, too!

The front row also has the most storage space with two retractable cupholders, dedicated phone tray, glove box, middle console and skinny drink bottle holders in each door.

Back seat passengers enjoy two USB-C ports, reading lights, drink bottle holders in each door plus an armrest with two cupholders. As well as, a standard three-pin socket in case you need to run electrical gear or charge anything up on the go.

The windows are wide and offer good visibility but I really like the 150mm ground clearance. It was super easy for my six-year old to climb in and out, plus he got a good view this week!

The boot is good for this size SUV with 475L of capacity available. It does look more like a hatchback, because while you can readjust the floor to sit lower, the back still slopes up.

However, it was fine for my weekly grocery and school run. The 'frunk' storage is small at 20L, which is just big enough for a charging cable.

You don’t get a spare wheel but you do get a puncture repair kit. And being the base model, it’s not a powered tailgate but it’s not heavy to close.

There are two variants for the Niro, our base model, the S, and the range-topper GT-Line.

Despite being the base model, the Niro S will still set you back $65,300, before on-road costs. Which makes it about $5K dearer than the equivalent Kona Electric, and $20K more expensive than the ZS EV.

There is a hybrid Niro (also available in two grades), if you’re not quite ready to commit to a full EV life. The price isn’t as eye-watering, either, being just $44,380, before on-road costs.

The Niro is well-specified, though, and the driver will enjoy an electric seat with adjustable lumbar support while the passenger side remains manual.

The regenerative braking is customisable (levels 0-3), there’s an 'iPedal' function, a dual-zone climate system, reversing camera and the backs of the front seats even double as coat hangers.

The tech is also good, with an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system, 10.25-inch digital instrument panel plus wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto all coming as standard equipment. More on the tech below.

The Avenger has one drivetrain for now, a front-wheel drive electric motor, though it sounds like we shouldn’t rule out the possibility of other petrol hybrid drivetrains in the future.

The EV Avenger we’ve got is built on a 400-volt electric architecture, with a single motor delivering 115kW of power and 260Nm of torque.

It’s got a a mode that increases the regenerative braking, though isn’t quite a one-pedal driving experience.

Jeep says it’ll hit 100km/h in 9.0-seconds, but apparently tops out at 150km/h.

The Niro is a full EV and has a front-wheel drive drivetrain with a maximum output of 150kW/255Nm. It’s not as powerful as its stablemate and only has the single-motor which is powered by a 64.8kWh lithium-ion battery but going from 0-100km/h can still be achieved in 7.8 seconds. With specs like those, this is most suited for an urban setting.

The Avenger has a reasonably sized 54kWh lithium-ion battery for a light SUV, which it says allows for a driving range of up to 396km, or 390km in the top-of-the-range Summit, due to the specification.

Under WLTP testing, Jeep says the Avenger is rated at 15.4kWh/100km (15.8kWh/100km for the Summit) for efficiency, and it comes with a Type 2 CCS combo charging socket for either DC fast charging up to 100kW, or AC charging up to 7kW in base Longitude and 11kW in higher variants.

On DC charging at its max 100kW rate, the Avenger should take about 24 minutes to charge from 20 to 80 per cent, while slower AC charging at 11kW takes five hours and 34 minutes.

On the launch drive route, we were seeing between 14.8 and 16.4kWh/100km on the trip computer, so Jeep’s claims seem accurate.

Such is the EV life but you can’t escape the charging.

The onboard DC charger has up to 85kW of capacity and that means on a 50kW fast charger station, you can get from 10 to 80 per cent in 65 minutes.

However, if plugged into a 350kW ultra-fast charger, you’ll only save 22 minutes because it can’t accept that faster speed.

On a 7.5kW system, you’ll go from 10 to 80 per cent in approximately nine hours, 25 minutes. On an 11kW, you’ll see that figure drop to six hours, 20 minutes.

The charging port is a Type 2 (CCS Combo2) and the car comes with an emergency charging cable that can plug into a standard three-pin domestic socket, if needed.

However, it’s slow going and you’re looking at a wait time of up to 27 hours, 30 minutes to get to a full charge. All other cables cost extra.

The official kWh/100km consumption is 16.2kWh and my average on-test figure was 14.3kWh after a mix of urban and open-road driving.

However, I did see figures getting closer to 20kWh on longer trips. Still, I would consider my average to be efficient.

The Niro S has a driving range of up to 460km (WLTP).

The mix of a fun exterior and practical interior for the Jeep seem to blend into the Avenger’s driving experience. It doesn’t feel too much like an EV, but it is still playful and capable on the road.

Jeep wanted the Avenger to come across like a normal car that just happens to be electric, and the relatively calm take-off (rather than the usual immediate torque push electric cars are capable of) seems to prove that.

Though 115kW doesn’t sound like much on paper, it feels brisk enough for what the little Jeep is built for, and its delivery means even on a wet day like what we copped during the launch drive, wheelspin and torque steer were minimal.

Once up to speed, the Avenger feels pretty light for an EV, and it’s playful enough in corners without feeling like it’s becoming unstuck or hard to handle.

The suspension and steering are clearly aiming for comfortable driving more than sporty performance, and so while both feel well-sorted, neither are particularly communicative. But the steering is accurate and feels nice and light, making the Avenger easy to point into a corner and you can trust it to hold on.

Perhaps the biggest downside is the brake pedal, which is soft and doesn’t grab as quickly or progressively as you’d expect. It takes a few presses to work out how much pressure you need to stop the car.

But a drive mode that adds a bit of regenerative braking helps out there, even if it’s not proper single-pedal driving.

At higher speeds, the Avenger settles well over big bumps and undulations, feels comfy on most surfaces, and despite a bit of road noise and a small rattle in the dash on one of our test cars, it feels pretty easy and confidence-inspiring.

Jeep says the Avenger is built to handle some light off-road driving but I imagine its front-wheel-drive setup would be limiting in some circumstances, especially in the rainy, muddy weather we faced. Despite that, some unsealed mud and gravel driving proved the Avenger capable of gentle inclines at low speeds without risk of sliding.

For reference, ground clearance is 200mm, while the approach and departure angles are 20 and 32 degrees, respectively.

This is a pretty simple car to drive but it doesn’t feel as fun as some other EVs I’ve driven. It can even feel sluggish when you accelerate from a full stop and that makes it feel laggy in stop/start traffic.

Once you’re on your way, the acceleration is fairly responsive. You feel confident overtaking on the open road, too.

The car feels connected to the road with minimal shuddering through the steering wheel. The car responds in a timely manner when you have to make sudden moves, which I like.

Sometimes, the lane keeping aids make it feel jerky and I turned it off in some situations.

The regen braking delivers a big physical presence like the EV6 but isn’t as refined and can feel almost ‘bunny hoppy’ at times.

You can customise it up to four levels, zero being low regen and four being the iPedal. I’m not overly fond of the iPedal, so didn’t use it that much this week and kept it at level 3.

You do have to change up how you drive an EV, so this wasn’t that surprising and something I’m sure you’d get used to.

The ride comfort is pretty mixed. Around town, it’s good but there’s quite a bit of passenger movement in this. You kinda feel like you’re bobbing along sometimes, which is jolting.

You also feel the road but the seats are so comfortable, they stop it from feeling too rough. 

Surprisingly, the cabin gets very loud with wind and road noise. You can still chat but you won’t forget that it’s there, which is a shame.

I didn’t notice much difference between the drive modes, so it was kept on 'Normal', too. 

This is very easy to park! It’s a good size for even a tight car park with a 10.6m turning circle and the reversing camera is super clear, which is great. 

However, I would have liked to have seen front parking sensors, as well as the rear sensors. You can get them on the GT-line though.

The Niro EV S has a good list of safety features, with the following being standard: LED daytime running lights, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a reversing camera (with dynamic guidelines), rear parking sensors, driver fatigue alert, check rear occupant alert and adaptive cruise control (with stop/go function).

It has auto emergency braking with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection as well as junction turning assist, which is operational from 5.0-85km/h. 

The Niro was recently awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2022. It has eight airbags and that does include the newer front centre airbag.

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top tethers, but two seats will fit best. And while there will be room for a 0-4 rearward facing child seat, it will encroach on front passenger comfort.

Jeep offers a five-year/100,000km warranty, which is starting to be overtaken by other brands increasingly offering seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranties or longer.

The high-voltage battery system of the Avenger is, however, covered for eight years or 160,000km, whichever comes first.

Jeep also offers capped-price servicing for the five-year warranty, with scheduled visits costing just $250 and spaced out at 12,500km or 12-month intervals.

There’s also the brand’s lifetime roadside assist, but only when you service your car with Jeep.

The ongoing costs are great on the Niro. It comes with Kia’s ‘better-than-average-for-the-market’ seven-year/150,000km warranty, which also covers the battery.

You get a seven-year capped-price servicing plan and services average $250 per year, which is good.

Servicing intervals are more in line with a petrol car at every 12 months or 15,000km. It’s usual to see those intervals doubled on an EV but it’s still reasonable.