The e-Hybrid’s engine appears rather measly on paper, and with a 0-62mph sprint of 10.9sec, it won’t be winning any sprint races. But it’s torquey off the line, bolstered by an E-Boost feature that adds 40lb ft of torque for an extra push in acceleration.
It also feels gutsier than the figures suggest in the mid-range. Indeed, Jeep says the e-Hybrid offers 30% faster acceleration between 30-60mph than the manual petrol Avenger.
You can feel the difference on faster B-roads and motorways. However, the gearbox can disappoint, because it doesn’t always shift up or down when you need it to.
The set-up can sound quite gruff when you put your foot down too, in marked contrast to the near-slient serenity offered by the Avenger Electric.
The e-Hybrid can drive for up to 1km (0.6 miles) on electric power alone, which is more than most mild hybrids but a long way short of a good full hybrid system like Toyota’s.
Still, it comes in useful when you’re manoeuvring or driving around town, and it’s here where the e-Hybrid excels, offering a refined and quiet driving experience when taking off from a set of lights or trundling through traffic.
In the 4xe, even with the assistance of a couple of EV motors, the petrol engine remains a thrashy and strained powerplant when pushing on, and the addition of a bit of extra power doesn’t translate to any great boost in pep: you feel every one of those 9.5 seconds on the way to 62mph. But at lower speeds, it’s a more refined system that manages gearshifts sensibly and transitions between electric and petrol power smoothly and quietly when you’re under way.
In keeping with its off-road aspirations, the 4xe is equipped with Snow and Sand & Mud drive modes with their own gearbox calibrations and traction control settings, while Sport mode liberates the full output from all power sources.
Pair this with manual shifts and the most powerful Avenger does a passable impression of a warm hatch on the twistier bits, although it still needs to be worked hard and the more outdoorsy rubber gets a bit scrabbly and screechy if you’re particularly boisterous.
We’ve yet to sample the manual petrol, but this review will be updated as soon as we get our hands on one.
