The Jeep Avenger 4xe The North Face Edition is equipped for bouldering and boulevard cruising

Peak automotive lifestyle is when your small crossover SUV perfectly matches your cagoule. A doff of the weatherproof cap is therefore awarded to Jeep, which has collaborated with The North Face to produce a special-edition Avenger. It looks redolent of something you might wish to take down whitewater rapids. Just make sure you have a glovebox filled with Kendal Mint Cake.

Wallpaper* is told no money changed hands on this deal: It’s free publicity for the American outdoor wear giant, it gives Jeep a cool and rugged marketing direction in the UK and Europe (where this car is being sold exclusively), and there’s synergy which should see customers of both brands cross-pollinate.

The North Face has been keeping climbers, hikers and campers warm and dry since 1968, and in the last 25 years it’s also made inroads in hip-hop, street culture and urban exploring. Jeep, meanwhile, has a claim to being genuinely iconic. Originating as one of the most significant pieces of Allied machinery during World War II, it’s evolved into the all-American version of Land Rover, equally at home on a ranch in Texas or cruising down PCH with surfboards slung in the back.

Since leaving military service, Jeep has built cars for civilians like Marylin Monroe, Steve McQueen, Ralph Lauren, David Beckham, LeBron James, Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé. It’s somehow managed to bridge the political divide. Ronald Reagan loved his GOP-red Jeep CJ, while Barack Obama owned a sleek black Grand Cherokee shortly before becoming president.

The Jeep Avenger x The North Face comes equipped with an all-wheel-drive 48v hybrid powertrain: A 1.2-litre turbocharged engine producing 136bhp, complimented by 21kW electric motors front and rear. The Selec-Terrain system means this B-segment car has impressive off-road capability and silky on-road ride at the flick of a switch. There’s 210mm of ground clearance and a wading depth of 400mm, so you’re sorted for fords and floods.

As for any unique The North Face touches, they’re attractive and in some cases practical. A big The North Face sticker on the bonnet is matte and designed to reduce glare. The 17” black wheels have yellow accents of the shade you might use to stand out in a blizzard, and there are topographical graphics denoting that this is a car born to explore. In fact, the seven horizontal slots in the grille, which is a trademarked Jeep signature, are a nod to the seven continents; reputedly, the Jeep was the first vehicle to traverse all seven.

Inside, as well as the logos and yellow accents, you get heated seats (which are washable and inspired by The North Face’s puffers and backpacks) and useful rubber mats as well as keyless entry and an electric boot, so you’ll have your hands free for all your outdoor swag, which includes a complimentary Jeep x The North Face tent, water bottle and bag. The North Face edition is £35,219, making it £2k more than the Overland spec and is limited to 4,806 units, because that’s the number of metres to Mont Blanc’s summit. The UK expects to take 1,000 of them, with just three colours available: Storm grey, Snow white and Volcano black.

The 4xe’s advanced multi-link suspension makes it comfortable on and off-road, and with 0-62mph in 9.5 seconds and a top speed of 121mph it has adequate performance for everyday scenarios. The hybrid tech means it’s smooth, quiet, green and economical in town. Space-wise it’s no bigger than a Mini, so don’t confuse this for a cut-price Land Rover Discovery Sport. Remember the Subaru Justy from 30-odd years ago? It was a 4x4 hatchback designed for farmer’s sons and daughters. This is the 2025 remix, and it’s an awful lot more capable and desirable.

Since Jeep joined the likes of Peugeot and Fiat under the Stellantis umbrella in 2021, there’s been a greater push on this side of the Atlantic to sell smaller-sized Jeeps to the under 40s who divide their time between city jobs and scaling mountains in the sticks, and who have both Kendrick Lamar and Whiskey Myers on their playlists.

Chances are, they’ve already got The North Face jacket - Jared Leto, Adam Sandler, Emily Ratajkowski, Kendell Jenner, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande are North Face devotees. That’s an era-defining Venn diagram right there, and The North Face tie-in potentially helps Jeep tap into a younger generation.

Jeep Avenger 4xe The North Face Edition, from £35,219, Jeep.co.uk, @Jeep_UK, @TheNorthFace