THE 60TH EDITIONS OF THE CAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS THE 2023 JEEP AVENGER

By Piero Facchin

For the first time ever, a Jeep model took top honours in the Car of the Year Awards, announced Jan. 13 at the Brussels International Motor Show. This year’s winner is the new Jeep Avenger electric SUV, which is available in Europe, Japan and South Korea. And it’s a real shame it’s not sold in North America.

The Avenger also happens to be Jeep’s first pure electric vehicle. Launched last October, it uses a single motor with 154 horsepower (115 kilowatts) and 181 lb-ft (260 Newton-metres) of torque. It drives the front wheels, although a two-motor Avenger is in the cards for a future all-wheel-drive model. A 54 kWh battery offers 400 kilometres of range in the WLTP cycle, though in slower-speed urban environments that range could approach 550 kilometres. It can charge quickly via a 100 kW connection, ranging from 20 to 80 percent charge in 24 minutes.

While Jeep has no plans to bring the Avenger subcompact to this side of the Atlantic, a larger EV will grace North America in the form of the Recon. Jeep stresses that it’s not a replacement for the Wrangler, although it will have considerable off-road capability with its electric powertrain. More information on the 2024 Recon is expected later this year.