Jeep on Wednesday will reveal the Avenger 4xe as the first all-wheel-drive version of the Avenger subcompact crossover sold overseas.
The 4xe designation, pronounced “four by e,” is what Jeep uses for electrified models with all-wheel drive. There are currently 4xe versions of the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, both of them equipped with plug-in hybrid powertrains.
The Avenger debuted in late 2022 as Jeep's first electric vehicle. Gas and mild-hybrid powertrains were later added, and all powertrains so far have only been paired with front-wheel drive.
Although Jeep previewed an Avenger with a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive electric powertrain with 2022's Avenger 4x4 concept, the upcoming Avenger 4xe will likely be a hybrid. Prototypes have been spotted testing with a gas engine onboard.
Jeep Avenger 4x4 concept
The powertrain will likely consist of an electric motor powering the rear wheels and the Avenger's currently available gas engine, a turbocharged 1.2-liter inline-3, driving the front pair. The gas engine delivers 100 hp on its own, and the addition of an electric motor should boost the vehicle's total output to a more respectable number.
The prototypes also featured the roof rack previewed on the Avenger 4x4 concept, and it's possible some styling cues from the concept are also planned for production.
The Avenger rides on the CMP modular platform of Jeep parent company Stellantis. The platform is designed for subcompact and compact vehicles, and is also found in the related Alfa Romeo Junior and Fiat 600. Production of all three vehicles is handled at a plant in Tychy, Poland.
With most of the CMP-based crossovers measuring only about 160 inches in length, or roughly six inches shorter than the already tiny Renegade, don't expect any of them to reach the U.S.
