The fully electric Jeep Avenger has been named the TopGear.com Electric Car of the Year for 2023.
The new compact SUV is a recent addition to the electric SUV scene aimed specifically at people looking for a car to align with their active lifestyle.
According to Jeep, the Avenger marks the beginning of the big push towards the car brand’s electrification, with four fully-electric vehicles set to hit the market by 2025.
The Avenger is the American automaker’s first fully-electric SUV and is expected to be the company’s best-selling model for its 2024 financial year.
It sports a 400-volt system, generating 115W of power and 250Nm of torque.
Top Autoat the reveal of the car in October last year, said that with a single charge, the Avenger could reach a maximum of 550km.
Speaking at the announcement of the reward, Jack Rix, the editor of Top Gear Magazine, said:
“The Avenger is one of those cars that seems to have been designed by people who enjoyed their job. It’s not tricksy or cute, and it’s not overwrought. It’s just that the shapes, textures, colours and graphics are modern and cohere really nicely.
“It is basically familiar technology, carefully improved and well wrapped, at a decent price. It’s accessible rather than exclusive. This is, for these times, a very good thing.”
Regarding vehicle availability in South Africa, it remains unclear. However, it arrived in European dealerships at the start of this year.
Currently, South Africa has quite a limited amount of available electric cars, and all seem to carry a hefty price tag – despite this, there is growing interested in other drivetrains.
The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, said that “In the first three months of 2022, South Africa sold over 1,400 electric vehicles. This is more than 2020 and 2021 combined.”
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