The Jeep Avenger is an all-new EV specifically created for the European market. Some 50 auto journalists recently named it the 2023 European Car of the Year. However, this result now comes under scrutiny, as the Avenger broke down 4 separate times during what will arguably be its most controversial video about this car.
Carwow, one of the biggest automotive YouTube channels in the world, just released its test drive review of the Jeep Avenger. The Jeep Avenger developed issues from the beginning and essentially broke down 4 times, which almost never happens during a modern test drive video.
The baby Jeep didn’t develop serious or life-threatening issues. But the”braking system fault” warning that appeared on the dashboard forced Mat Watson to stop the car and reset it four separate times. It’s almost unprecedented on a new car, certainly one which is supposed to be the best in Europe.
The reason for the frequent breakdowns is unknown. However, a vibrating or buzzing sound can be heard from the engine bay after the car is stopped. It might be some kind of pump or relay causing problems with the regenerative braking system.
The YouTube comments are as savage as they are funny:
– The R in Jeep stands for reliability.
– As they say, that’s what Jeep stands for Just Empty Every Pocket
– That jeep breaking down all the time was an Easter Egg that Matt missed.
– It’s like Jeep said to their team “Look, I know we’re working on a Peugeot platform but our customers expect less of us”
The video was taken down
Mat also pointed out some built-quality issues and bad rear visibility. Given the frequent breakdowns, many have called into question the final verdict which was to “Shortlist” the Jeep Avenger when buying a car. It’s pretty rare Carwow tells its viewers to “Avoid” buying a certain model. But it has happened in the past with the Ford Mondeo Vignale due to it being overpriced and the Polestar 1, which Mat said is inferior to an Audi A5.
As of Sunday, September 17th, the Carwow Jeep Avenger video was removed from YouTube. This is pretty unusual and likely indicates a complaint from Jeep UK.
The Jeep Avenger is based on the eCMP platform of the Stellantis Group. Its closest relatives are the Peugeot e-2008 and the Opel/Vauxhall Mokka Electric. Both those cars are among the most popular in Europe but also have regular versions with combustion engines.
The Avenger was designed in Italy and manufactured in Poland. This model is unlikely to ever be offered in the United States because it’s too small, measuring just 160 inches long. That’s 6 inches less than the little Renegade, which is already too small for many Jeep customers.
The fun-sized Jeep EV was introduced at the 2022 Paris Motor Show with one available powertrain, consisting of a 154-horsepower motor at the front and a 54 kWh battery. However, Italy and Spain also received a version with a regular 1.2-liter gasoline engine making 100 hp.
Rumor has it that Jeep is re-thinking its EV push and wants to sell the 1.2-liter Avenger in more countries. There’s already one Italian version of the car, the 2024 Fiat 600e, with another set to join, the Alfa Romeo 966 crossover.
Looks like they took the video down.