How much space is there?

That depends where you’re sitting. Up front, there’s enough room for two adults to get comfortable, but space on the rear bench is rather limited. Legroom in the back is severely compromised if there’s anyone over five-foot eight sitting ahead of you, but we guess that’s to be expected in an SUV that’s about the same size as a supermini.

Like most of the cars in this class, the Avenger’s rear doors are quite narrow, which can make getting in and out a bit of a delicate operation. At least rear headroom isn’t too bad once you’re seated. The Avenger is basically a big box on wheels, so there’s little intrusion by the bodywork on the interior. Its roofline doesn’t plunge towards the tailgate like the Vauxhall Mokka’s, for example.

In any case, the Avenger is nowhere near as spacious inside as cars such as the Kia Niro EV or the Smart #1. Both these rivals offer more space in the front, extra legroom in the back and greater headroom everywhere, making them a far better choice if you’re buying for family-hauling duties.

20

Boot space and storage

The Avenger is average in this category, too. Its boot measures 355 litres with rear seats in place, meaning you get 45 litres of extra capacity over the mechanically similar Vauxhall Mokka Electric. However, the Kia Niro EV offers an extra 120 litres of luggage capacity over the Avenger.

The Avenger’s luggage space isn’t that much more impressive when you fold the rear seats flat, either. It has a maximum capacity of 1,053 litres which pales in comparison to the 1,392 litres you get in the Kia Niro EV or the 1,467 litres available in the Peugeot e-2008.

Jeep doesn’t seem worried, though. The brand is more concerned about style than boot space and, as an amusing side note, the Avenger’s head designer Daniele Calonaci told us he managed to cram 2,443 rubber ducks into the car’s boot with all the rear seats down. So, take that Kia.

At least interior storage is good. Jeep says there’s 34 litres-worth of oddment storage dotted around the cabin, thanks to some deep door pockets and a cavernous central cubby between the front seats. It covered by a rather natty magnetic flap, which works in the same way as an iPad screen cover.

Is it easy to park?

Absolutely. Because it isn’t that much bigger than a Vauxhall Corsa, the Avenger is a doddle to steer into tight parking spaces. The door mirrors and side windows are a reasonable size, too, although the rear screen is a little small which limits visibility.

Rear parking sensors are fitted as standard, but you’ll need to spend big on the range-topping Summit model if you want a parking camera – and even then, it’s just a 180-degree rear-view unit. Rivals such as the Smart #1 and Volvo XC40 Electric are available with 360-degree cameras.

Safety

• Not yet tested by Euro NCAP
• Plenty of standard safety tech
• Summit trim gains adaptive cruise

Euro NCAP hasn’t yet crash tested the Avenger, but the mechanically similar Peugeot 2008 achieved a four-star safety rating when it was tested back in 2019. The car’s optional safety pack bumped that score up to five stars. We’re expecting similar results for the Avenger.

Standard safety equipment includes traffic sign recognition, lane-keeping assist and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist recognition. Mid-range Altitude cars receive adaptive cruise control, while the range-topping Summit model features lane centring assist and traffic jam assist. Buyers also get six airbags as standard and three sets of Isofix mounts (including one for the front passenger seat).