Jeep has recently put the new Jeep Avenger on sale in the UK and it is now available in limited numbers in pure petrol form, ahead of the vehicle arriving as a mild-hybrid later next year. Initially, Jeep was only going to sell the new Avenger as a pure electric car, sharing the same EV Stellantis platform as other Vauxhall, Citroën and Peugeot vehicles.

The new petrol Avenger is on sale now in the UK, priced from £27,000 and the mild-hybrid version is expected to be around £30,000. For comparison, the EV Avenger is priced from £35,000.

According to Jeep, the original plan was to have the petrol model available in markets such as Spain, Italy and Poland as these markets are behind when it comes to infrastructure for charging. However, UK Jeep dealers have been inundated with requests for a petrol Avenger.

The new model will use a common Stellantis engine, a turbochargerd 1.2-litre three cylinder which is seen in other models such as the Vauxhall Corsa and Peugeot 308. The hybrid model will have a 1.2-litre engine with 48V mild hybrid tech. It used a 28bhp electric motor and six speed dual clutch automatic system.

The new petrol model will only come in the Altitude Plus trim level, with the only option being the paint.

Our Take

This is disappointing. While we understand Jeep and Stellantis need to sell vehicles and some customers aren’t convinced by EVs yet, Jeep could have stuck with the decision and only sold the Avenger in EV trim and set an example for the industry. Instead, the company seems to have admitted defeat and is now selling it in pure combustion form.