MODEL ON TEST: 4xe THE NORTH FACE 1.2 eHYBRID – MILEAGE – 15,627

When the Avenger arrived, I was intrigued. I love a good 4×4, and I was looking forward to half a year of playing with Jeep’s smallest SUV and putting it to the test in real-world conditions. Naturally, I was also wondering whether running a complicated hybrid car from a brand with a less-than-exceptional reliability record was asking for trouble. In a strange way, I was hoping it would be troublesome in a minor kind of way. Simply because that would give me more material for my monthly missive.

As it turns out, though, the Avenger has been no trouble at all. Sure, there’s been a small, intermittent rattle from the driver’s- side air vent, which has irritated at times, and every so often the ignition system would be a bit slow to recognise the existence of the key. The hybrid system is occasionally clunky, the heated seats are a bit weedy, and the heated windscreen is completely useless, but if you think I’m scratching around for faults, you’d be right. No issues of any great importance have materialised.

In fact, life with the Avenger has been remarkably uneventful. Everything I’ve tasked it with, it has taken in its stride, and though a couple of capacity issues were revealed at times, the argument for a compact 4×4 is more compelling than ever. For a kick-off, the big all-season tyres made the Jeep comfortable no matter what the surface,as well as supremely capable in the wet. And the compact dimensions might have made life a bit less comfortable for those in the rear seats, but they also meant the Jeep didn’t feel too unwieldy when venturing out in the countryside.

Even the off-road capability, which is admittedly adequate rather than amazing, meant there was no fear in inclement weather or about mounting a verge to avoid an oncoming tractor. Certainly, there’s enough about the Avenger 4xe to deal with whatever most customers can throw at it.

For all that, though, it’s a nice car to drive on the road. It’s comfy, it’s fairly efficient, and the handling is surprisingly pleasant for something with off-road pretensions. It’s hardly engaging, but it’s stable and secure enough to chuck about on a country road.

The concern, then, is simply the way it looks. There’s nothing wrong with the Avenger’s styling, but the 4xe models are a bit over-the-top with their anti-glare bonnet stickers and the like. And while you can avoid all this ‘The North Face’ branding by choosing the standard version, you don’t get the same level
of standard equipment if you do. So, if you want the kit, you’ll need to be okay with driving a four-wheeled billboard for puffer jackets. I copped a lot of stick from friends over that look, and it’s the one thing that would make me hesitate if I were in the market for such a thing.

All things considered, however, I think I’d get over it. The Avenger 4xe is imperfect, but it’s less imperfect than a Suzuki Vitara, and more polished than a Jimny.

I quite like the idea of the accessories, too, although the water bottle is a bit of a gimmick and the tent is only useful if you’re small. It’s hardly a spacious thing in which to spend the night.

So as the Avenger departs, I’m left to ask whether I’ll miss it. In a way, I will. Its character and capability are undoubtedly useful, and the desire to be different is commendable. I don’t think I’d ever buy one with all that branding on board, but I applaud the effort, and the proof that characterful, capable SUVs can be small and refined at the same time.

JAMES FOSSDYKE

WHAT’S HOT: Compact and capable, the Avenger has proven endearing and interesting.

WHAT ‘S NOT: It’s hard to get over the in-your-face and over-the-top ‘The North Face’ branding.

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FACTS & FIGURES

PRICE (NEW): £35,219

PRICE (NOW): £35,840

PRICE (AS TESTED): £35,219

PRICE (DEALER TRADE-IN): £19,500

PRICE (FORECOURT): £20,100

COLOUR: Storm

BUILT IN: Tychy, Poland

CODENAME: Type 516

GENERATION: 1

PLATFORM: CMP

BODYSTYLE: 5-door SUV, 5-seats

LAYOUT: Four-wheel drive

POWERPLANT: 1,199cc, 3-cylinder, 12-valve, turbocharged petrol with lithium-ion battery and twin electric motors

GEARBOX: 6-speed twin-clutch automatic

MAX POWER: (ENGINE) 100kW/134bhp/136ps @ 5,350rpm

MAX POWER: (ELECTRIC MOTORS) 42kW/56bhp/57ps

MAX TORQUE: (ENGINE) 125lb ft/170Nm

MAX TORQUE: (ELECTRIC MOTORS) 65lb ft/88Nm

TOP SPEED: 121mph

0-62mph: 9.5secs

CO2 EMISSIONS: 122g/km

ECONOMY (COMBINED): 52.3mpg

ECONOMY (ON TEST): 48.1mpg

FUEL TANK: 44 litres

RANGE: 506 miles

INSURANCE GROUP: 28

BIK RATE: (2026/2027 TAX YEAR) 31%

SIZE: (LENGTH/WIDTH WITH MIRRORS /HEIGHT/WHEELBASE) 4,088/1,981/1,541/2,563mm

BOOT SPACE: (MIN/MAX) 325/1218 litres

MAXIMUM KERB WEIGHT: 1,475kg

MAXIMUM TOWING WEIGHT: 920kg

EURO NCAP RATING: Three stars

SPARE WHEEL: (FULL-SIZE/SPACESAVER/RUN- FLAT/SELF-SEALING/REPAIR KIT) No/no/no/no/yes 

WARRANTY: 3 years/60,000 miles

BATTERY WARRANTY: 3 years/60,000 miles

DATE ARRIVED: 6th November 2025

COSTS: None

FAULTS: Intermittent rattle from air vent