The third SUV from the British brand, the I-Pace is the first to be designed from the start as an electric vehicle.
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The electro-themed camouflage has come off the new 2019 Jaguar I-Pace today, ahead of an Australian debut in October this year – with a $119,000 price tag to match its enviro-chic image. 394 horsepower is nothing to be sniffed at, but it’s the hefty 512 lb-ft. of torque – delivered instantaneously, as per all EVs – that’s probably going to be most noticeable. Torque split is 50-50 between front and rear, the engineering created to maximize efficiency. A separate deal for Canada is being negotiated. While Jaguar’s rear end designers are probably vacationing every year with their counterparts from Volvo, everywhere else, the vehicle looks fantastic. Since then Jaguar has been busy finalising the design of this all-electric SUV and testing it in some of the world’s harshest conditions. For starters, it offers one-pedal driving (via aggressive regeneration settings) for the best possible preservation of battery charge. It’s similarly sized to the F-Pace on the outside, but Jaguar says it’s much more spacious inside.
Jaguar promises an eight-year/100,000-mile battery warranted included as part of Jaguar’s EliteCar service.
Will it work in the Canadian winter? And, hooked up to a 100 kW DC fast charger, 80 percent of the 432 pouch-cell lithium-ion battery’s range can be recuperated in about 40 minutes. Customers will have the option to choose from S, SE and HSE specs, along with a First Edition model.
Canadian pricing will be announced later this month.
The I-Pace, expected to be in United Kingdom customers’ hands by the summer, combines grace, pace and space with battery electric power for Jaguar’s first dedicated EV.
Matching Tesla’s capability, Jaguar-developed software-over-the-air lets owners update vehicle systems wirelessly. An active air suspension is standard, while an “Adaptive Dynamics” feature allows drivers to change the responsiveness and “sportiness” of the ride.
It’s on these touchscreens that the driver can take advantage of new tech like the EV Navigation feature that will take topography, driving style and more to help optimize the vehicle’s range.
The I-Pace is on sale now priced from £63,495, including government incentives. The I-Pace fits in well with the rest of the Jag family, keeping a gaping grille at the front, and thin slotted head and tail lights. Jaguar design director Ian Callum said the auto is “the closest we’ve been in terms of a concept and a production car”.
Talking about the car’s cab-forward look, Callum said: “I wanted to capture the drama of a mid-engined sports auto”. However, life is quite uncomfortable for a central rear passenger, because their seat has a harder backrest than the others, while wide sills mean getting in and out of the I-Pace could be easier.
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Aerodynamics was a big focus in the design, with the squared-off rear helping to reduce the drag coefficient to 0.29.
