Jeep Made – NRC

Jeep had called him Avenger, Avenger, or more accurately Avenger. With Wreker you think Hummer and therefore the yellow gold candy box should be a meter long and a half meter wide. This one calls the Chihuahua Brutus. It can’t be ironic, car manufacturers don’t know the weapon.

We are meeting a little late, but this sweet plug-in SUV was the Car of the Year 2023. The small catch of such a deferred test reserve is the ongoing knowledge. A year after its introduction, it is clear what its selection has meant for its market position. There is nothing. This year, Jeep managed to sell 912 here, a small shipment compared to 2,384 MG4 copies or 4,266 Model 3s from Tesla. Cars in second and third place in the Car of the Year rankings also did not make any difference: the VW ID. Buzz (369 cars) and the unsold model Nissan Ariya (568). Three hopeless people were awarded here, which is unfortunate for an institution that strives for excellence in all areas: design, technology, safety and price quality.

What can be unique about a car with a drivetrain that the Stellantis parent company also offers in the Peugeot 208, 2008 and 308, Opel Astra, Corsa and Mokka-e, Citroën ë-C4, Fiat e-600 and DS 3 ? The Avenger doesn’t even have four-wheel drive, as befits Jeeps. Avenger is a Jeep that was developed into a Jeep by the colonist Stellantis. cultural appropriation and a wasted American heritage that has nothing to do with them because of its complete lack of functionality. It cannot go to the desert and drown in mud baths. The difficulty is the shoulder pad in your cowboy jacket.

Zoom in for all the Jeep Avenger detailsClick on the points for detailed informationPhotos by Merlijn Doomernik

No big deal, you think, if it’s lightning. In this case, the manufacturer can jump out of line without meaning, but he can not do any harm. Moreover, Avenger does not disappoint. Although the original entry-level version costing 37,000 euros sold out quickly, the 2,950 euro cut in government subsidies reduces the price increase for private purchases. And the battery technology is enough for a return trip from Amsterdam to Groningen under good weather. This means that Stellantis’ new primary battery performs better than the smaller 50 kWh pack from previous group members in its price range.

Do not take any rear passengers with you, they will never get out because of the narrowness of the wheel clamp between the back seat and the front seat. And know: you can ride a lot in the lotto of Stellantis parts. As the gaze drifts from the Jeep logo on the steering wheel hub to the control buttons from Peugeots and Opels, the originality-thirsty soul grumbles for a moment.

Bar code

Everything else kits. Comments in my personal style panel range from ‘stupid’ to ‘nice’. The yellow jacket is beautiful. Dumb is included Easter eggs, surprises hidden in unexpected places. On the wheel I see what looks like a barcode. It is not correct. A retrogenetic reference to Willy’s Jeep, the hybrid’s predecessor; it had a grille with seven vertical sections. In the lower left corner of the windshield, a man looks at the stars in the upper right with a telescope. On the back window is a view of the Alpine peaks that designers in Italy seem to see from their studios.

On the outside, it’s been refined with dimmed lights that make it look like it’s wearing sunglasses. A challenging tubular element in body color dominates the dashboard, under which an open storage area, according to Italian Rembrandts, with their mountain-inspired scope, certainly evokes the dimensions of the Wild West. A canvas storage compartment in the middle of the tunnel, described as an iPad case, will create a camping environment. A large Jeep logo appears on the backs of the front seats. The tweeters in the A pillar, pure luxury, have been deliberately replaced by dirty mesh grilles. Then the play money was lost. The door panels are black as in any Toyota and the seats are not Americanized, the finish is black enough to be dull. When the sympathetic photographer asks if I shouldn’t cry, I just say that I’m out of emotions.

Photos by Merlijn Doomernik

It’s not news that it runs well, I’ve already run it ten times in other ways. The only thing to hate is the impossible button bar for the machine. That should be an old-fashioned steering wheel lever and it was not in stock in Stellantis warehouses. Welcome, brothers of Peugeot 208, 2008 and 308, Opel Astra, Corsa and Mokka-e, Citroën ë-C4, Fiat e-600 and DS 3 e-tense! You are the kindest. But goodness, Car of the Year, do it normally.

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