A muscle car for Mondeo money? It sounds great doesn’t it? Well it isn’t.
The Avenger is out to challenge in the upper medium market, the most competitive segment around, by attempting to attract large family car buyers with Ford Focus-sized pricing. It misses the mark. In top spec SXT trim it neither convinced with quality nor drove anywhere near the class best.
With a gruff 140PS 2.0-litre Volkswagen diesel under the bonnet the Avenger averages 45.6mpg on the combined cycle, but performance is weak, taking a lengthy 12 seconds to reach 60mph.
Cost per mile figures have yet to be published by Topcalc, but we wouldn’t expect them to worry more established rivals.
Dodge has worked hard to keep the P11D as cheap as possible – the problem is, however, it feels like they’ve done the same with the car.
Verdict: The Avenger is an appealing concept but the appeal falls away in reality
