TYCHY, Poland -- The new Jeep Avenger will help the iconic, off-road brand to double annual sales in Europe to 300,000, executives believe.
The Avenger, which had its public debut at the Paris auto show on Monday, is the brand's first full-electric model, although it will be sold with combustion engines in some European markets.
It will be Jeep's second entry in the small SUV category, Europe's biggest segment, alongside the Renegade.
Jeep last year sold 128,968 cars in Europe after industrywide supply problems partly reduced volumes from its record 168,652 in 2018, according to figures from industry association ACEA.
Jeep has also struggled to increase its European market share outside of Italy, which accounts for half its sales in the region.
"We have had a lot of issues with powertrains such as diesel not being adapted to the market, a lot of tax disadvantages and we ended up not getting the momentum we deserve," Jeep CEO Christian Meunier said.
Meunier was speaking at an event last week at the Stellantis factory here in Poland, where the Avenger will be built, alongside sibling models for the Alfa Romeo and Fiat brands.
The Avenger will go on sale in the spring, followed by the Fiat small crossover derived from the Centoventi concept shown at the 2019 Geneva auto show late next year and the Alfa Romeo version, reportedly to be called the Brennero, in 2024.