Jeep Avenger 4XE is truly impressive rugged 4×4 capable of going properly off-grid… just make sure to add vital extra

NORTH Face catalogue photos. You know the ones I mean. 

Some cool dude pitching a tent on the side of a mountain, top to toe in the latest gear. 

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This Jeep Avenger is an impressive rugged 4×4 capable of going properly off-grid[/caption]

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It was only a matter of time before Jeep and North Face did a collab[/caption]

With a kayak somewhere in the background. 

I have a question. 

How did they get all that stuff there? 

Not only what’s pictured — everything we don’t see. 

The camera kit, lighting, wardrobe options, catering for the crew. 

My guess is in a Jeep. 

The OG 4×4. Built for going properly off-grid. 

I suppose it was only a matter of time before Jeep and North Face hooked up for a collab. 

So this four-wheel-drive Avenger 4XE comes with a North Face base tent and pop-up camping table in the boot. 

It really does. 

Plus lots of mountain contour detailing in “summit gold”. 

Actually, there’s a bit more to it than that. 

This special edition, limited to 4,806 cars (that’s the height of Mont Blanc in metres), has rucksack-inspired seat backs complete with elastic straps and pouches.

This special edition, limited to 4,806 cars (that’s the height of Mont Blanc in metres), has rucksack-inspired seat backs complete with elastic straps and pouches

The front of the seats are trimmed in a durable, wipe-clean fabric. 

Thick rubber mats protect the floor from muddy boots and paws. 

You’ll find “4,806” and more mountain contours, like the red squiggles on an Ordnance Survey map, stamped across the dash. 

Every Avenger has a ­bucket-sized central storage bin with a flip-up lid, and a slick central touchscreen mixed with hard controls. 

Cracker. 

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The North Face logo on the back of the rucksack inspired seats[/caption]

But what impresses most is how capable this junior Jeep really is. 

We crossed that stream three, four, five, six times . . . just because we could.

We crawled up steep banks of wet grass in a farmer’s field with ease, then tip-toed back down again using hill descent control.

Truly impressive. 

It’s never going to be as heroic as a Wrangler but it is worthy of the seven-slot grille

Try that in some bigger family SUVs and you’ll be heading home on foot.

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What impresses most is how capable this junior Jeep really is[/caption]

The cheapest front-wheel drive Avenger costs £26k and is powered by a cheery ­1.2-litre petrol engine. That’s fine for townies. Or they might prefer an electric one from £30k. 

For those living in the green bits of Great Britainland, the 4XE starts at £31k. 

Hike in slippers 

That’s a 1.2-litre petrol mild hybrid paired with two 21kW e-motors on the front and rear axles and a six-speed auto. 

The car automatically sends torque wherever it senses wheel slip. 

Just point it in the right direction, gently squeeze the accelerator pedal and let it do the rest. 

One thing to note. Tyres. Massively important. Huge. Kenton Cool doesn’t hike in slippers. 

So our test car rolled on chunky Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tyres. They’re mint for biting through snotty surfaces — and worth the extra road noise on normal roads. 

Ask your dealer nicely and they’ll sort them for you. 

So, that’s the Jeep Avenger 4XE. 

It’s never going to be as heroic as a Wrangler but it is worthy of the seven-slot grille. 

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We crawled up steep banks of wet grass in a farmer’s field with ease[/caption]