Jeep Australia has refused to rule out more price reductions for its first electric vehicle (EV), as it launches the 2025 Avenger into the fast-moving local EV market.
“I don’t think it’s something we can discuss today, but obviously we’re always looking at the market to see where it’s going and what we can do,” said Jeep Australia product manager Bridget Thomson at the launch of the Avenger last week.
“But I don’t think we want to promise anything either which way.”
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Jeep Australia first announced Avenger pricing in March this year, when a starting price of $53,990 before on-road costs was revealed.
Pricing was then cut by $4000 at base level in September, to $49,990 before on-roads, and by $3000 for the rest of the three-variant range.
At that price point the Avenger undercuts the larger Hyundai Kona Electric ($54,000 before on-roads) and the closely related Peugeot E-2008 ($59,990 before on-roads).
It also undercuts the equally new Mini Aceman (from $55,990 plus on-roads), which is officially classed by VFACTS as a light car, not a light SUV like the Avenger.
But it’s still a lot pricier than the soon-to-be-replaced MG ZS EV ($39,990 drive-away) and Chery Omoda E5 ($42,990 plus on-roads) small electric SUVs, and the larger-still Leapmotor C10 (from $45,888 plus on-roads) that is already being sold here via the Stellantis dealer network as part of a joint-venture distribution deal with the Chinese carmaker.
And while Ford Australia appears to have gone cold on the Puma EV, the four-seat Hyundai Inster will become Australia’s second electric light SUV in early 2025, priced from under $40,000.
Asked whether the Avenger was still too expensive alongside other compact electric SUVs, Ms Thomson said: “I think this car is a mainstream vehicle and in that mainstream space with those legacy carmakers it’s in the right spot.”
Jeep Australia said the September price cut was due to a reduction in manufacturing costs.
“We just had a reduction in production costs, so we’ve passed that on,” said Ms Thomson.
Jeep’s first EV is built exclusively at the Stellantis plant in Tychy, Poland, alongside the upcoming Alfa Romeo Junior and Fiat 600 compact SUVs with which it shares its STLA Small (e-CMP2) platform.
Ms Thomson wouldn’t reveal Jeep Australia’s sales forecasts for the Avenger, nor which competitors its first EV will be targeted at.
“We think there’s a lot of opportunity with this car. That’s the reason we brought this car, but I can’t be specific about our sales ambitions,” she said.
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