The Jeep Avenger has been given a “mediocre” three-star rating in the latest round of Euro NCAP safety test 

The small crossover was let down by poor scores for side-impact protection of 10-year-old rear occupants and the responsiveness of its autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system. Euro NCAP also criticised its lack of a child presence detection system.

Jeep’s baby SUV did however score well for overall adult and child occupant protection, with Euro NCAP awarding ratings of 79% and 70% in each respective area.

Nonetheless, the results show “a clear lack of ambition” from Jeep, according to Euro NCAP secretary general Michiel van Ratingen.

He said: "There is growing competition in the car industry, and [Jeep parent company] Stellantis has had to take several steps to secure the future of its brands. But safety should not be where a car manufacturer makes its savings.

"Euro NCAP will continue to highlight shortcomings in this area for the benefit of European car buyers.”

Stellantis said in a statement: “We remain dedicated to offering customers clean, safe and affordable mobility with products that fulfil the most stringent regulations across the world.

“We strive to enhance the safety features of each new generation of vehicles. As part of our ongoing product improvement efforts, we consider the new third-party assessments and integrate proven technological solutions into our engineering process where relevant. 

“Stellantis believes there is no single way to measure vehicle safety; third-party assessments are one of many inputs used when designing the safety of our vehicles.”

The Vauxhall Mokka, which is based on the same Stellantis CMP platform as the Avenger, scored four stars when it was tested in 2021. That score is now outdated, however, as Euro NCAP updated its testing regimen last year to include child presence detection systems, stricter standards for cars submerged in water and new technologies for recognition of vulnerable road users.

Also in its latest round of testing, Euro NCAP awarded four stars to the Renault Captur and Renault Symbioz and five stars to the Audi Q6 E-tron, Ford Explorer, Subaru Crosstrek, Subaru Impreza and Xpeng G6.