Jeep that can take family off-roading

Jeep has blazed the trail for tough and rugged family cars. Its smallest, the Avenger, is popular with young families, offering hybrid and electric powertrains. And now it's upped the ante with a new hybrid four-wheel-drive model, the Avenger 4xe.

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WHAT'S NEW?

It looks almost identical to the standard Avenger, but the changes lie beneath with power sent to all four wheels. There's also more underbody protection for off-road adventures. It comes standard with a fuel-saving mild-hybrid setup - the same you'll find in a Peugeot 2008 and Vauxhall Mokka, only with two electric motors on the front and rear axle to increase power output. There's multi-link rear suspension to help improve ride comfort too.

UNDER THE BONNET?

The car has a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine that boasts 48V mild-hybrid technology. In terms of performance, it can do 0-60mph in 9.3 seconds and has a 120mph top speed.

Jeep claims CO2 emissions as low as 122-123g/km and a combined fuel consumption figure of 52.3 mpg.

WHAT'S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?

To help on off-road tracks the 4xe has a bespoke 'snow and mud' driving mode allowing four-wheel-drive speeds up to 18mph.