(Almost) Everything done right
(Hey, this the «Car of the Year» 2023.)
In Tychy, Poland, not far from Katowice and Krakow, Fiat have been built since the 1970s. Recently, the 12.5 millionth model was delivered. And even if it sounds a bit strange to our ears: “Made in Poland” is definitely a seal of quality. There is probably no other factory in the world where employees and management are so motivated to do an excellent job. The jobs in Tychy are “inherited” from generation to generation, the pride is enormous. They don’t let anything go to waste, they try to do everything right on every shift.
Tychy is currently undergoing massive reconstruction. Fiat 500s and the like will continue to be assembled on the right, while three products on the Stellantis eCMP platform will come from the left in future. The big challenge is not to have to make a distinction between electric cars and combustion engines; this is probably quite unique in terms of car production. The Poles want to get a grip on this, they say, and you can believe them. Two of these three Stellantis vehicles are still a big secret, the third is already rolling off the production lines as a pre-series product: the Jeep Avenger.
In principle: all is well. A compact, very good-looking Jeep, the market has certainly been waiting for that. Also because a good, pretty, modern e-vehicle will be available for less than 30,000 euros. In the sequel, we write about the “little things” that put it all into perspective a bit, but that will most likely not detract from the future success of the Jeep Avenger.
Yes, of course we are not positively surprised now that the little Jeep is based on the eCMP platform, which in some respects is not really outstanding, that will not make it a great product, but life is a bitch, nobody knows that better than Carlos Tavarez, the great Zampano and even greater numbers king of Stellantis. That’s why, because the man can calculate so well, it’s all about economies of scale and synergies, and sometimes unpopular decisions have to be made. That was the case with the Alfa Romeo Tonale, and it is now the case with the Jeep Avenger.
But what do we have to complain about? It’s about the eCMP platform, on which various Citroëns, DS Automobiles, Peugeots and Opels also run. The second generation has just been introduced, with a few improvements, a new battery with 54 kWh (previously 50 kWh) capacity, more power (115 kW instead of 100 kW, i.e. 156 instead of 136 hp) with the same torque (260 Nm), still only front-wheel drive. Charging is possible with 11 kW at the wallbox or with 100 kW at the fast charger; a 400 V architecture takes over the control. The WLTP range for the Avenger is also 400 kilometres.
Of course that is sufficient. But it’s really just about average in current e-technology; Renault is more modern in the Megane, and the Fiat 500e from the Stellantis group also has a “fresher” platform. And Maserati, also from Stellantis, has just introduced an 800 V architecture. Of course, it’s all a question of price; besides, eCMP/CMP also allows the installation of pure combustion engines. In Italy and Spain, says Stellantis, the infrastructure and the willingness to buy are not yet in place, so the Avenger will be launched there exclusively with a 1-litre turbo three-cylinder. For the time being. The other markets will not get the combustion engine. For the time being.
And then there’s another interesting word above: front-wheel drive. The small Jeep is indeed not coming as a 4×4 (for now). That is a bit surprising for a Jeep, one could even call it sacrilege. Again, it’s a question of costs, but in the case of eCMP it’s also a question of technical possibilities, since a second e-motor on the rear axle is not yet planned (and not even possible with a pure combustion engine). But it’s not the end of the day yet, we will soon be able to announce news in this area.
But let’s take a closer look at the Jeep Avenger. Apart from the original Willys, it is probably the smallest Jeep of all times with a length of 4.08 metres. And yet the design team led by Ralph Gilles and Daniele Calonaci has managed to pack everything into a short space that makes a modern interpretation of a Jeep. It not only looks likeable, but also very stable, robust – and yet playful. From a purely visual point of view, the little one is an absolute hit, in our humble opinion. Inside, too, everything is fine, very practical, two large screens, but still buttons and knobs. In addition, there is plenty of storage space already in the cockpit, 580 ping-pong balls, as Calonaci calculates; according to him, 2443 rubber ducks fit in the boot.
There we have it again, the playfulness that suits the Avenger so well. And that should help to boost the brand, especially in Europe. As CEO of the brand, Christian Meunier is very satisfied with the SUV market shares in the USA (11 per cent) and Brazil (20 per cent), but in Europe (with the exception of Italy) the Americans are bobbing around at one per cent. So there is much, much room for improvement. But it is safe to assume that Jeep will ride the electric wave massively; after all, the electric vehicles are very suitable for off-road use thanks to their high and immediately available torque, so they have an excellent argument. And Ralph Gilles, the brand’s chief designer, brings a second one: silence. Driving silently through the Mojave Desert in a completely open Wrangler is a great experience. He’s probably not wrong.
After the all-electric Avenger will come the all-electric Recon, a kind of Wrangler. And then, by 2025 at the latest, the Wagoneer S, which we already know will be the most beautiful Jeep ever. The front-wheel-drive Avenger has what it takes to become the brand’s bestseller – also because it will be launched on the market in early 2023 as a pure electric vehicle for less than 30,000 euros (and leasing rates starting at 249 euros). So the small, pretty one doesn’t have much competition at the moment.
We have more electricity at: zero. And then there is the archive.
Be First to Comment