Jeep Finds Itself in Europe and Its EV is a Huge Hit Over There

Can you imagine what four metres looks like? How about in the context of a car? One of the last subcompact cars you can buy in Canada is the Nissan Versa, and it’s about four and a half metres long, yet halfway around the world, Jeep has a crossover that’s surprisingly smaller than that.

Called the Jeep Avenger, this little crossover has been a success in Europe, selling over 200,000 units there in just two years. While the Avenger isn’t coming to Canada, it has inspired the upcoming redesigned Compass in several key ways, helping the American brand cement itself as more than just the company that makes the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee.

The Avenger looks unmistakably like a Jeep. Even in EV guise, it features a seven-slot grille. (Fun fact: the original military-purpose Willys Jeeps had nine slots, but lost two when it became a civilian truck. Today, every Jeep has seven slots in its grille.) At first glance, it looks a bit squat, the way every subcompact vehicle looks compared to the relatively huge crossovers we get on North American roads, but after a walkaround, its obvious that its proportions are fairly well balanced.

Jeep’s Secret European Recipe

Daniele Calonaci, Head of Jeep Design Europe, explains the design brief for the Avenger and the goals of the design team when creating this small crossover.

“At first, the challenge wasn’t simple, and the goal was to capture 100 per cent of Jeep’s essence within just four metres,” he said.

By definition, the B-segment class in Europe tends to be smaller than 4.2 metres in length. As the third best-selling segment in Europe, it was important for Jeep to nail the design of its subcompact.

“We focused on the brand’s heritage and key pillars, identifying three essential elements: protection, capability, and interior storage,” Calonaci explained.

“Protection” led the team to incorporate body cladding that surrounds the whole vehicle and add moulded colour inserts, which protects the body from srcratches.

The pillar of “capability” is more complex to handle, and made the team consider the Avenger’s ground clearance, front and rear overhangs, as well as the approach, break-over, and departure angles.

Finally, when it comes to interior storage, the Avenger boasts almost 400 litres of storage in the trunk (depending on the powertrain, EV models have a bit less), putting it among the best in its class. The design chief points out that the Avenger “offers excellent space management, including 34 litres of front storage, ample headroom thanks to a carefully designed roofline, and a generous trunk.”

The result? A crossover that boasts better breakover, departure, and approach angles than the previously European-oriented Jeep Renegade and last-generation Compass. It’s also significantly lighter than those vehicles, which helps with handling and efficiency.

Hands On: Jeep Avenger EV

My take after spending about 10 days with the Avenger during a family vacation in Ireland is that it's surprisingly practical given its size. With smart packaging, I could stow a couple suitcases, a travel stroller, and a convertible car seat, along with my family. We definitely overpacked — such is the nature when travelling with toddlers — but the Avenger handled it.

The bright yellow paint was head-turning, and the little Jeep wore its design confidently and stood out without being too shouty. I particularly loved the wheels, which feature a seven-slot grille motif on their perimeter.

As is the case with other Jeeps, the design team included a few Easter eggs around the car, including a stargazer on the windshield border, a ladybug on the weatherstripping on the roof, and paint can-inspired Xs in the taillights.

The cabin doesn't scream premium, but it has some unique elements. For example, there’s a magnetized flap that covers the console storage area, something that’s usually dealt with via a roller shade.

The infotainment system was also decently responsive and included support for Android Auto, which was very helpful for navigation during our trip.

The electric powertrain of our tester consisted of a 54-kWh battery and a 154-hp electric motor that drives the front wheels. Fortunately, the road conditions we encountered on the Emerald Isle never got much worse than damp, so I didn’t really pine for all-wheel drive (AWD) like I would back home in Canada.

According to the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), the standardized test cited for European fuel mileage and emissions, the Avenger EV is good for about 400 km of range. In dense cities where my speeds were below 80 km/h and my routes were short, I could see how the little Jeep could claim such a decent range given its battery size, but whenever I had to hit the highway, the realistic overall range dropped to about 300 km. Something to keep in mind when road tripping.

Topping up the battery was done at public Level 2 and DC fast chargers. The car tops out at 100-kW charging speeds, and the relatively small battery meant that the Jeep wasn’t tethered to a cable for long.

Jeep's parent company, Stellantis, already sells a small EV called the Fiat 500e here in Canada, and while it boasts a small 227 km of range, it's also one of the most affordable EVs on the market, with a starting price of around $43,000 (not including incentives). If the Avenger EV were to come to Canada, it’d likely compete against the likes of the Hyundai Kona EV or Kia Niro EV, which both cost under $50,000 and feature larger batteries and more range.

The one thing that stood out to me while driving the Jeep was how enjoyable it was on the road. The Jeeps I’m used to in Canada are built to handle off-road terrain, and as a result can feel a bit lethargic in terms of steering feel or responsiveness. The Avenger, with its smaller size, feels more agile and its steering was nicely weighted.

The Buyers (and Automotive Critics) Have Voted: It’s Good

Not only did the Avenger sell well throughout Europe and the U.K., but it earned several awards in the process. It was named Urban Electric Car of the Year at the 2024 Electrifying.com Awards, the Best Small SUV Design award at the 2023 Auto Motor und Sport Magazine “autonis” awards, 2023 Electric Car of the Year and Electric City Car of the Year by Top Gear Magazine, and the 2023 European Car of the Year. The mantle at Jeep Europe might need some reinforcements to handle all those trophies. This many wins was a huge deal for Jeep's first electric vehicle.

“Predicting the success of a vehicle is never easy,” Calonaci said about the success of the Avenger. “Looking at it today, the features summarized in the 'Avenger formula' have proven to be winning ones, especially in markets like Europe, where there’s a strong demand for compact cars that still offer great capability.”

He added, “The Avenger is truly a concentration of Jeep’s DNA in a very compact size, a perfect blend of features for markets that need a car that’s easy to park in the city, yet fully ready for weekend adventures and off-road trips.”

Taking on the Next-Generation Jeep Compass

Clearly, the Avenger was imbued with the DNA and elements that made it more appealing and successful than the old Renegade and Compass, so Jeep decided to task its European team to tackle the new Compass, a global vehicle that will land on Canadian shores. Can lightning strike twice?

“Naturally, we are closely connected with the headquarters in Detroit,” Calonaci explained. “We have multiple alignment meetings every week, so there’s no real separation between the two teams. But yes, the project was followed from start to finish here in Europe.”

The Compass is bigger than the Avenger, and is usually one of Jeep's top sellers in Canada. The next-generation model is expected in North America sometime next year, but has already gone on sale in Europe. It’ll be offered with a variety of powertrains, including an all-electric version, a plug-in hybrid, and a gas-powered model.

It carries on the design philosophy inspired by the Avenger.

“In many ways, the Compass follows the same principles as the Avenger because the Avenger’s key traits are simply Jeep traits,” Calonaci said. “As mentioned earlier, some of Jeep’s main pillars are capability, protection, and space, and the Compass follows exactly the same path.”

However, the priorities change for this segment, with Jeep focusing first on the interior.

“We started from the inside out,” Calonaci explains. “Many customers, and even rejectors who hadn’t chosen the previous Compass, had asked for more interior space: more front storage, more rear legroom, and a larger trunk. So, as you can imagine, we began by meeting these interior demands and then shaped the exterior accordingly.”

This means the new Compass is slightly wider and longer than the outgoing one, which impacts the cabin; there’s a bigger trunk and front storage area, along with more leg room, head room, and shoulder room than before.

“There’s a strong link between the Avenger and the Compass, and that link is what we call Jeepness,” Calonaci said. “From an aesthetic perspective, a key element linking the Avenger and Compass is their well-balanced proportions. In my view, the sense of balance is one of the first things people notice in any object, be it a chair, a building, or a car. When the overall form feels harmonious, it naturally draws attention. Graphic details come later, but this underlying equilibrium remains the foundation for both models.”

First impressions of the new Compass are fairly positive, with a lot of praise for its spacious interior. Both Autocar and AutoExpress (U.K.-based publications) have tested the new Compass and noted its sizable trunk space. AutoExpressalso mentions the charm of this new Jeep in both the interior and exterior design. Furthermore, among the powertrains offered on the new Compass is a 370-hp AWD EV that's sure to feel plenty capable.

An Image to Save in Canada

It seems like the new Compass has the right ingredients to follow the trail forged by the successful Avenger in Europe, but in North America, there have been a few changes to the strategy.

The new Compass was originally set to be manufactured in Brampton, Ont., but has since been shifted to the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois. The move is said to increase the brand's U.S. vehicle production by 50 per cent and add over 5,000 jobs. The change is likely a byproduct of the U.S. trade war with Canada, and might impact the automaker's standing with Canadians. Federal and provincial leaders are looking into ways to maintain Stellantis’ business in the country, but nothing concrete has been announced beyond an additional shift at the Windsor Assembly Plant, where the Chrysler Pacifica and Grand Caravan are made. 

While the Compass may not be getting manufactured in Canada, it still represents a new and interesting approach by the automaker for its entry-level product. Charming, spacious, and capable, it follows the path of success set by the European-focused Avenger, and we can’t wait to see how it fares in North America.