• Pure petrol or mild-hybrid power
• Front-wheel or four-wheel drive
• Adequate if not sparkling performance

Petrol engines

The cheapest Jeep Avenger is powered by a 100hp turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine. It’s mated to a six-speed manual gearbox which takes the place of the electric car’s massive central storage bin. The engine is peppy enough for town, yet it doesn’t feel too out of its depth on the motorway. Mid-range grunt is decent, but the 0–62mph time takes a rather pedestrian 10.6 seconds.

Hybrid engines

There are two options here. They both use the same 1.2-litre petrol engine as their starting point and they both use mild hybrid technology. The front-wheel drive e-Hybrid has a single 48-volt electric motor mounted in its gearbox and a 0.9kWh battery pack.

What sets the Avenger apart from other mild hybrid SUVs is that it can putt around on electric power alone at low speeds. It still only produces 100hp but, because you get some instant toque from the electric motor, it’s a little 0.2 seconds quicker to 62mph.

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It isn’t that much heavier than the standard petrol Avenger, considering how much extra technology it has on board. The battery and electric motor bump the e-Hybrid’s kerb weight up to 1,288kg. That’s a difference of 108kg.

We reckon the e-Hybrid is the pick of the Avenger range because it combines the best of the petrol and EV models. In Normal and Eco drive modes, it can dither around on electric power. That means it’s pretty refined in slow-moving traffic, save for the occasional clunky switch between electric and hybrid running.

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It also often turns the engine off when going downhill or for the brief periods the tiny 0.9kWh battery and 21kW motor can power the car, which helps eke more miles from a gallon of fuel. In Sport mode, it’s a more engaging, keeping the engine on at all times.

The 4xe makes a little less sense because it doesn’t improve the Avenger’s off-road capability enough to make us champion it over the standard car. It is more powerful, though – the extra electric motor increases the Avenger’s output to 136hp, which trims its 0–62mph time down to 9.5 seconds.

If you’re more interested in the fully electric Jeep Avenger, that gets its own separate review.

What’s it like to drive?

• Decent enough on Tarmac
• 4xe is out of its depth off-road
• Manual gearbox is pleasant

As befits the badge, the Avenger hasn’t been set up to be particularly sporty – and its relatively small wheels and supple suspension means it’s one of the comfier small SUVs out there. It’s not a roly-poly mess in the corners, though. There is some body roll, but it’s not alarming and there’s plenty of grip.

The Avenger’s steering is light without being nervous – and it even gives you a bit of feedback from the front tyres. In the same way, the brakes are solid and dependable and feel connected, even on hybrid models with regenerative braking. The only downside? You can’t change the level of regen like you can in some other hybrids.

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We like the six-speed manual gearbox, too. It’s quite pleasant to use with its metal knob. The shift is longer than you’d find in a Volkswagen T-Roc, if still precise. The hybrid’s auto gearbox is generally smooth apart from the odd slightly unpolished shift.

Being a Jeep, all versions get hill descent control and Selec-Terrain variable traction control, while mud and snow tyres are available. We found the front-wheel drive model to be more capable off-road than you’d think. Jeep’s traction control system does a surprisingly good job of managing the engine’s power on slippery surfaces.

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If you want the most off-road ready Avenger, though, you’ll need to splash out on the 4xe. It has slightly taller suspension, a new steel engine guard and four-wheel drive courtesy of an extra electric motor on the rear axle. It can go further off the beaten track than the standard Avenger, but it’s nowhere near capable enough to keep up with a Dacia Duster 4x4.

Jeep’s upgrades simply haven’t gone far enough to turn it into a proper off-roader. The suspension is only a centimetre taller than the standard car’s so, when our tester tried it on a (rather easy) off-road track, he spent all day rattling the underside over rocks and logs that would have had ample clearance beneath a Duster.

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The electrified rear axle isn’t particularly clever, either. When we asked the Avenger 4xe to tackle the hill in the image above, we couldn’t approach it slowly and methodically – as is the recommended approach when driving off-road. It simply ground to a halt, as the front wheels couldn’t get a grip on the loose surface and the rear motor didn’t have enough torque to make up the difference. We had to thrash up the hill quickly, which increases the chance of breaking suspension components or stoving a rock into the engine.

Strangely, given how adamant Jeep was that the 4xe’s mechanical changes have improved its off-road performance, we thought the car made the best sense on the road. The extra traction afforded by the rear motor means it’s more planted in fast corners, while the extra electrical assistance means it can spend more time running in electric mode in town.