The Jeep Avenger Stargazer Will Leave You With Stars In Your Eyes

Motoring editor Jeremy Taylor and Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby get starry-eyed in Professor Brian Cox’s dream car: the Jeep Avenger Stargazer.

Road Test: Jeep Avenger Stargazer

Jeremy: Some of the best April Fools’ pranks have gone down in history. There was the BBC’s bumper Swiss spaghetti harvest in 1957, a move to change Big Ben’s legendary ‘bong’ to a digital bleep, plus the Guardian’s travel guide to the mysterious island of San Serriffe, which doesn’t exist at all.

Headlines surrounded all three stories – followed by red-faced embarrassment. However, the Jeep Avenger Stargazer is no April Fool’s Day joke. A one-off concept to encourage people to embrace astronomy, this special SUV is something of a phenomenon itself.

A collaboration with DarkSky UK – a body dedicated to reducing light pollution – the Jeep is aimed at promoting astronomy and the preservation of Britan’s dark skies.

And while you cannot buy a Stargazer model, Jeep has launched a new production trim for the Avenger called Summit SkyView, which brings many of its celestial themes to the forecourt.

The Stargazer is essentially a high-tech observatory on wheels and the most obvious piece of equipment is the roof-mounted telescope! The Vaonis Vespera Pro Smart telescope is £2,000 of high-tech kit that can be controlled by a smart device from inside the Avenger’s warm and cosy cabin.

In addition to making the stars clearer to view, the telescope captures high-definition images – while movement across the heavens is through a tablet or smart phone app.

DarkSky spokesman, Professor Nick Dunn, said, ‘This is a great way to encourage more people to explore the world around them and reconnect with the night sky. Our relationship with the stars is vital to human history and so we need to tackle light pollution so that everyone, wherever they are, can enjoy the wonder of the cosmos.’

Stargazer’s exterior is finished with a unique wrap depicting planets and constellations, while inside, interior lighting and head torches have been modified to emit red light, which helps preserve human night vision while observing the stars.

Open to boot to discover a custom cabinet that stores binoculars, weather-proof clothing and plenty of other stargazing essentials.

Jeep MD, Kris Cholmondeley, said, ‘We hope to encourage people to get outside and to look up at the night sky, as well as take measures to reduce their light pollution. Moreover, working alongside DarkSky UK allows us to draw attention to Dark Sky Reserves, helping Brits to find their nearest designated stargazing location.’

Meanwhile, anyone looking for the version available to order, the Jeep Summit SkyView builds on the Avenger’s range-topping Summit trim, with plenty of features meant for outdoor exploration, including a panoramic sunroof. Choose from petrol or hybrid models.

The launch of SkyView coincides with a Jeep survey that found almost two-thirds of those questioned admitted their knowledge of the night sky was lacking – most would even struggle to recognise Orion’s Belt.

Top tips for reducing light pollution include using motion sensors or timers instead of leaving outdoor lights on at night, close blinds or curtains after dark, and shield your outdoor lights, or angle them downwards.

Jessica: Unless you live near a house or shop that leaves security lights on all night – I do – you probably haven’t experienced the annoyance of light pollution!

The Stargazer highlights the issue and just as importantly, is a lot of fun. Even those of us without great knowledge of the stars will enjoy peering through the telescope, taking pictures and identifying what’s up there.

Discover more about the Jeep Avenger Stargazer at jeep.co.uk