When it comes to presentations of brand-new vehicles for the European market and interesting drag races, Carwow is one of YouTube's automotive content creator platforms that knows how to make them fun, relatable, and exciting. But one of their latest reviews was taken down. The 2024 Jeep Avenger EV video is private at the time of writing. Here's a breakdown of what was said.
Carwow recently uploaded an in-depth presentation of the Jeep Avenger EV, an all-electric crossover SUV that shares most of its components with the Peugeot e-2008 and Citroen e-C4. That makes sense for lowered production costs because all three brands are parts of the Stellantis group.
The video was taken off YouTube a couple of hours after thousands of people watched it. Carwow didn't publish any explanation yet and even continued adding other videos. But such decisions are not taken lightly. Something must have happened. Either Jeep got in touch, or the creators noticed something was not meeting their editorial requirements.
Whatever it was, it's worth noting that stuff like this can happen to anyone involved in the media. Sometimes, a simple correction just won't cut it. You either redo the entire thing or scrap it altogether.
But if you wanted to see that review and didn't have the chance to watch it, we've got you covered with a summary. However, keep in mind that the rugged zero-tailpipe emission unit isn't available in North America. It is a Europe-only model until next year. It should arrive in Australia in 2024.
Mat Watson analyzed the 2024 Jeep Avenger EV and concluded that the cute crossover SUV doesn't have the best build quality for the money it's asking from customers, the interior room isn't very generous, and the visibility isn't great. The host also made it clear that better alternatives are available in that £36,000 to £40,000 price range, including some coming from other Stellantis-owned brands.
Photo: Stellantis
He also took the time to point out that the indicator sound was awful and that the rear-view mirror was positioned too far down the windshield.
But Watson also pointed out another important thing – dependability. The test unit he received to make that video broke down several times during filming. The man had to stop four times because the car warned him of a fault with the braking system. He had to restart it to make it work again.
After getting out of the EV, a distinctive noise was heard coming from under the hood. That slight hissing might have indicated a brake booster leaking air or a leak in the vacuum line.
That was very weird for two reasons. One, EVs are technically capable of braking without needing any friction between the pad and the disc. The motors (motor for this Jeep because it only has one) can help decelerate until a complete stop when the battery's charge level isn't too high.
Two, automakers usually give reviewers test units boasting the highest trim level, which are properly taken care of because they want to avoid situations like this one.
That suggests reliability could be an issue since even a low-mileage press car presented with noticeable faults. But nobody should rush to judgement yet. Still, netizens were quick to say that the "R in Jeep stands for reliability."
Photo: Stellantis
Three, the made-in-Poland Avenger EV received the "European Car of the Year" prize. Over 60 automotive journalists from 22 European countries (including Turkey) voted in its favor. That happened despite its modest drivetrain – 154 hp, front-wheel drive, and a 54-kWh battery.
Still, when it came to a verdict, Mat Watson said he would advise watchers to "shortlist" and not "avoid" the Avenger EV.
Finally, it's worth noting that some cars may have faults or errors that can easily be fixed. We have seen it happen at Tesla, Rivian, and even Mercedes-Benz or Ford. Carmaking isn't easy. One unit throwing error codes at the driver doesn't necessarily reflect a fleet-wide problem. That might be why Watson didn't advise his watchers to ignore the little Jeep and look elsewhere for a new EV.
But it would have been nice to know what led to the decision to have the Avenger EV video pulled from the internet.
Maybe the Fiat 600e will do much better than its Jeep sibling when tests begin.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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