MODEL ON TEST: 4xe THE NORTH FACE 1.2 eHYBRID – MILEAGE – 13,856

Size, apparently, matters. The countryside is the Jeep’s natural habitat, and as we’ve found during the past few months, it’s decidedly comfortable there – both on- and off- road.That’s partly because it’s compact, which means you don’t spend too long wincing when trucks and tractors pass on the sort of roads that make a catwalk model’s wrists look wide. But the diminutive dimensions come at a cost when you try fitting passengers in the back seats.

My acid test of any four- or five-seat car is whether I can sit behind my own driving position. At 6ft 2in, I’m tall without being enormous, and I work on the principle that if four of me can fit, there’s enough space for your average family. In the Avenger, headroom is okay, but legroom is a bit of an issue. I can barely fit my knees behind the driving seat when it’s in my ideal position, and carting four tall people – as I had to the other day – from pillar to post is not especially comfortable. Fortunately, we weren’t going very far and the space on offer was just about acceptable, but no better than that.

It isn’t even as though the rear space has been sacrificed on the altar of luggage capacity.The Avenger’s boot space is just about acceptable for the odd weekend away, but for a family’s holiday baggage, it’ll be a bit tight – particularly with the bulky, brightly coloured North Face storage box in there.

But while boot space and rear legroom are the metrics by which we like to define practicality, there’s much more to it than that. Take the Avenger’s rubber floor mats, which are neatly designed but look decidedly utilitarian.They aren’t very soft and absorbent, but when you’re getting in wearing muddy boots, it’s lovely to know you can just hose them down and they’ll look as good as new. You can’t do that with the lambswool in your Rolls-Royce Cullinan, can you? And after your lovely walk in the countryside, it’s imperative to stop by a nice country pub for a pie and a pint (non-alcoholic for the driver, obviously). But country pubs tend to have little to no parking, and that means wedging the car into a tiny car park or an on-street space in a village that predates the Magna Carta. Suddenly, the ultra-spacious BMW X7 doesn’t look so useful anymore, does it?

Better still, the aforementioned and ultra-vibrant storage box in the Avenger is perfect for keeping muddy boots or wet coats separate from your nice dry luggage. It’s such a good idea that I’m planning to buy one for my next car.

The box also stows a tent, which means skinflint northerners like me don’t have to shell out for a Campanile when we stop for the night. Obviously, I haven’t done that – I’ve stayed in the Ritz-Carlton where I don’t need to build my own room – but it’s nice to know it’s an option.

Long story short, the Avenger might not sound all that practical on paper, but it has hidden depths that have made it an absolute joy to live with. And as the time of its departure draws ever closer, I’m starting to suspect I’ll miss it when it’s gone.

JAMES FOSSDYKE

WHAT’S HOT: The Avenger has lots of practical little features that make it easy to live with.

WHAT’S NOT: A cramped rear cabin makes the Jeep less comfortable for passengers.

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FACTS & FIGURES

ARRIVED: 6th November 2025

PRICE WHEN NEW: £35,219

PRICE AS TESTED: £35,219

ECONOMY: 52.3mpg (official WLTP) 47.5mpg (on test)

COSTS: None

FAULTS: None