Jeep Avenger - Interior, design and technology

The design team’s brief for the Avenger was to fit “100 per cent of the brand DNA into four metres”, and frankly they nailed it – even from 100 feet away, you know this is a Jeep. While other small SUVs feature curvaceous bodywork or a swooping roofline to look futuristic or help with aerodynamics, the Avenger has an unashamedly chunky and squared-off shape with a broad, planted-looking stance to give it more attitude.

At the front is an evolution of Jeep’s iconic seven-slot grille, and overall, the Avenger does have a slightly aggressive face. But because of just how small it is, it reminds us of a puppy that enjoys growling at the postman in the morning.

There’s extensive cladding along the side of the car and the wheelarches, which give it an essence of off-roader, and has the additional benefit of being more resistant to knocks and scuffs than painted bumpers and side skirts. The rear is simple, with more black plastic and tail lights with an X-shaped motif.

Jeep has also hidden lots of ‘easter eggs’ around the Avenger, including lots more seven-slot-grille motifs on the rims and front air intake, and a small illustration of the designer's son looking through a telescope at the stars in the corner of the windscreen.

Inside, the cabin is logically laid out, with big, chunky physical buttons on the dashboard, steering wheel and centre console, and everything feels solid. The one element we’re not too fond of is the interior light controls on the roof, because the unit looks like it came from the decade-old Fiat Panda.

There also seems to be more hard black plastic in the Avenger’s interior than soft-touch materials. To some, this will feel like a sign of cost-cutting, but to us, it gives the impression that the Avenger will be rugged, hard-wearing, and will hold up to anything you might throw at it. We also like that the Avenger we drove featured an off-white headliner, contributing to the cabin’s airy quality in the front. 

There are many paint colours for buyers to choose from, including two-tone schemes like our test car's Sun yellow and Volcano black roof. Opting for this particular combo also gives you the option of a yellow dashboard, which brightens up the cabin. However, you have to go for the yellow and black paint, and top-spec Summit trim, to unlock that as an option, which is a shame because we bet many customers would pay to inject a bit more colour into the already quite funky cabin.

Thankfully, Jeep offers plenty of other accessories to help distinguish your Avenger from the rest, including graphics for the bonnet and grille, 18-inch wheels with blue accents, and the usual assortment of roof racks and rubber mats for the boot and footwells for more outdoorsy owners.

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Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

The Avenger’s infotainment system is a significant improvement on older Jeep tech. The larger 10.25-inch screen we’ve tried so far is a good size, and it’s responsive. Standard-fit wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto ensure buyers can utilise apps from their phones. Thankfully, the climate controls sit on a row of piano-style buttons on the centre console, just above the large storage cubby, alongside a volume dial. There are also physical ‘home’ and ‘settings’ buttons located just below the touchscreen; however, they’re small and not illuminated, so it may take a while to develop the muscle memory required to find these at night.