PLUG-IN JAGUAR A WINNER
COMPACT electric SUV gives Tesla A run for its money with stylish looks, long range
Tesla, Tesla, Tesla; that’s all you really hear about in this dawning age of electric cars.
Tesla chief executive Elon Musk can certainly be credited with pushing EVs into the mainstream, so much so that the premium automakers with luxury offerings now want a piece of the potentially lucrative pie — really the bread and butter of Tesla. And now there’s finally some serious competition in the market. This is the new Jaguar I-Pace, the first compact luxury SUV from an established automaker designed from the ground up for electric power only. Starting at $86,500 in Canada, it undercuts the Model X by tens of thousands of dollars.
First, the tech: The I-Pace boasts an impressive North American range of 386 kilometres (under ideal conditions, of course). All the electrons needed for that come from a 90 kWh battery that was designed to be integrated into the floor of the almost all-aluminum chassis (94 per cent), helping make it the most rigid chassis in Jaguar’s lineup. Unfortunately, all that aluminum can’t offset the big battery’s weight; the car tips the scales at a hefty 2,170 kilograms. Jaguar claims the battery can take an 80 per cent fill-up in about 40 minutes on a 100-kW rapid charger, though that’s going to take about 10 hours with a home-based 7-kW wall box. Two compact motors with single-speed transmissions — one in front and one in back — power the I-Pace, adding up to 394 horsepower. That might be a fairly sizable number, but the big news is the 512 pound-feet of torque, which is, of course, fully available from the start, being an EV. That’s stump-pulling power, folks. Only you won’t be doing that, because Jaguar isn’t offering a tow package with the I-Pace. What that torque does is get the heavy SUV to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, and it feels much quicker than that.
Inside, it offers wild technology not yet found on any other car. Besides all the navigation, multiple cameras, Bluetooth and 4G Wi-Fi hot spot features, you can also adjust the car’s “engine noise” to hear more of the whine or less. Sorry, no glorious V8 sound here. Or, you can control your own home’s heating, lighting and other features via the car’s 10-inch touch screen. It’ll also remind you if you forget your phone in the car. There are even features pertaining to driving, too. Imagine that.
For those of you who have yet to feel the creep of Big Brother into your life, some features of the car are controlled by artificial intelligence, which continues to “learn” the habits of the driver. Displaying range for either the battery or navigation, for example, will be partially based on driving style, like discerning if you’re a hotfoot or a hypermiler. And when approaching the car with the fob, it will adjust climate and seat positions based on what it has learned in the past. If that’s not creepy enough for you, all this can be tied into Alexa, where you can ask about the car’s status and information right from your couch at home.
And yet, even with the unusual powertrain and MIT-inspired features, the I-Pace does not — thankfully — look anything like your typical nerd EV. It’s a beautiful design, especially in person, and one of the most distinctive SUVs on the market, most definitely in a good way. With the battery in the floor and the motors at either end of the car, Jaguar designers were able to do different things with the car’s design. The cabin is more forward for more room inside, while the wheels are stretched right to the four corners for better handling. There’s the typical Jaguar grille, only it’s just for show. A sloping rear roof and hulking haunches give this SUV a more sporting look.
The interior is also gorgeous; the large touch screen is centred on top of a smaller touch screen for the climate controls, a la the Range Rover Velar. It’s a clean but stylish design, and feels very upscale, though the Touch Pro Duo infotainment system itself can be a little difficult to find the controls you want, having to search through reams of submenus for things such as adjusting the regenerative braking. The rear seats are fairly roomy, and it can hold 656 litres of cargo in the back, or 1,453 L with the rear seats folded. Of course, leather covers much of the interior (unless you opt for the Scandinavian-style fabric option), with accents of wood or carbon fibre, depending on your options. The roof is almost completely glass, with a coating that blocks UV light, so there’s no need for a blind. It really does work to keep the cabin cool, though I wouldn’t want to have a rollover in this car. A touch of the start button does nothing but create a low hum from the front, an indication for anyone outside that the car is on. A tap of the throttle can bring it creeping slowly ahead or push you back in your seat, depending on what you feel like. On the road, it’s firm but comfortable, and though handling is precise, it’s difficult to hide the heft of this SUV in the corners. No matter, though, because it’s incredibly smooth, and with a heavy regen-brake setting, it’s possible to not even touch the brake until you need to come to a full stop.
It’s kind of like driving in first gear with a manual transmission, and I’ll be honest, it’s a little weird until you get used to it. But I did get used to it. In fact, there are a lot of things I could get used to with the I-Pace. Its combination of sexy looks, futuristic interior and advanced technology sets it apart from other SUVs, even without counting the electric powertrain. Admittedly, electric cars are still very much a niche product, so the I-Pace isn’t going to be a volume seller for Jaguar. But what it represents is a shot across the bow to Tesla. This SUV is the first luxury EV to debut — a wave of others are coming in the near future from high-end automakers such as Porsche, Mercedes and Audi — and give more choice to what was once a one-pony show. The only question is, will an EV with a premium automaker’s badge and the option of leasing be enough to attract the almost religious followers of Tesla’s Musk? I’d say the Jaguar I-Pace has a pretty good chance. The Jaguar I-Pace will be in Canadian showrooms in late summer or early fall.