Note: This article was written as part of a commercial content partnership between CompleteCar.ie and Gowan Auto.
It's tempting to think of Jeep as being something of a newcomer in the Irish market, but that's not quite right. Actually, the great American 4x4 maker has been on sale in Ireland since 1993, when the classic 'XJ' version of the Jeep Cherokee first went on sale here. Even though that was quite an old design, it was an instant success on this side of the Atlantic, and a good XJ Cherokee is now something of an appreciating classic - have you seen the price good ones go for these days?
Nonetheless, Jeep is about to undergo a massive transformation as a brand as it moves to electric power, and that should make it ever more relevant to Irish buyers. After all, it's always been somewhat hard to justify buying a V8-engined Wrangler on these shores, what with our fuel prices and motor tax...
The arrival of the car that will kick off that transformation is imminent - the all-new Jeep Avenger will go on sale in the later spring here, and it will be Jeep's first fully-electric model.
The versions of the Avenger that get here first will be front-wheel drive, but models with two electric motors and four-wheel drive - to properly live up to the Jeep image - will arrive later. Those front-wheel-drive versions will have some impressive performance stats, too. The single electric motor develops 154hp and 260Nm of torque, and the 54kWh battery promises a one-charge range of up to 400km.
It's a cool-looking car as well. Check out the subtle shaping of the wheelarches, which give it a chunkier, squarer look than most crossovers of this size, and check out also the very short front and rear overhangs, which will give it some impressive off-roading ability when the four-wheel-drive versions arrive. Don't forget - every Jeep, even this compact Avenger, has to be 'Trail Rated' on the fearsome Rubicon Trail mountain pass in Utah in America before it can be given its coveted Jeep badge. Not only will it be capable of climbing mountains, but the Avenger has already pulled off something of a coup, taking home the 2023 European Car Of The Year award - the first time Jeep has won the big prize.
And yes, it looks as if you'll actually be able to get your hands on one. Jeep Ireland is promising solid levels of stocks once the Avenger hits these shores for the second half of 2023, so hopefully we won't be seeing the long waiting times of some rivals.
The Avenger really is just the start, though. Next year we'll also get the new Jeep Grand Cherokee, which will arrive with '4xe' plug-in hybrid power. That promises a combination of up to 40km of electric-only range or up to 50mpg when running in hybrid mode with the petrol engine going. It'll be a rival to the likes of the new Range Rover Sport and the just-updated Mercedes-Benz GLE.
Towards the end of this year and the start of 2024, there will be major updates and upgrades for existing Jeep models - the mid-sized Compass and the compact Renegade.
Then comes the big one, the Wagoneer S. This will be Jeep's slick and sleek-looking rival to the likes of the BMW iX and Audi Q8 e-tron and it will be Jeep's first model to use the all-new Stellantis Group STLA electric car platform. This high-tech EV setup means that it'll get two electric motors for four-wheel drive, plus the option of a big battery that can offer a one-charge range of up to 700km. Oh, and it'll have power. Lots of power. Like, up to 600hp depending on the model.
The Wagoneer S is expected to arrive in 2025, and it'll be joined by another all-electric model, the more upright and 'off-roady' Jeep Recon, which will be a more traditional Jeep, with lift-off roof panels and even removable doors, but with the cutting-edge battery and motor tech of the Wagoneer S.
There are other Jeep treats in store, such as promises that these cars will be environmentally friendly in more ways than merely being electric - for example, the Avenger and Recon come with bumpers that are not painted, but dyed at the point of construction, minimising the use of paint and making them last longer, thanks to being less susceptible to knocks and grazes. Then there is the clever programme just being rolled out in the US, which will see Jeep-branded electric charging points installed at national parks and at the ends of hiking trails - wouldn't it be great to see something similar here, on the Wild Atlantic Way or in the Wicklow mountains?
The plans for Ireland are part of a broader global strategy for the Jeep brand, which is already starting to pay off in a big way. The Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid is already the best-selling plug-in hybrid model in the US market. It will be produced in right-hand drive from 2025, too, so may well make it back to Irish shores. By the same year, the plan is that every Jeep model will have at least one electric or plug-in hybrid version, and by 2030 all of its European models will be fully-electric, with electric models making up more than half of all sales worldwide.
"Driven by the success of our electrified 4xe portfolio in North America and Europe, we are designing and developing the most capable and sustainable Jeep SUVs to date, on our path to becoming the leading zero-emission SUV brand in the world," said Christian Meunier, Jeep brand CEO. "This is a forward-thinking strategy to help ensure millions of Jeep fans around the world continue to have a planet to explore, embrace and protect. Electrification is great for our brand, making it even more capable, exciting, sustainable and fun."