Quicker charging, more te
● Slight facelift, better tech ● New range starts at £65,195 BOOSTED Electric people carrier joins the Vauxhall fleet
THIS is the updated Jaguar I-Pace, refreshed for the 2021 model year and designed to help the award-winning electric crossover keep up with the rapid progress in the premium EV market.
The Austrian-built model – which was Auto Express’s Car of the Year in 2018 – gets no major changes to its core hardware, including its battery pack and electric motors – but Jaguar’s engineers have reworked some of its charging technology and introduced new styling features, as well as an overhauled infotainment system.
As such, the I-Pace’s power and performance figures remain unchanged. It has a twin-motor configuration producing 396bhp and 696Nm of torque – enough to deliver a 0-62mph time of less than five seconds. The 90kWh battery produces a predicted range, on the tougher WLTP test, of 292 miles – although following that evaluation, the company released an update late last year which promised to stretch the figure by up to 12 miles.
However, the I-Pace does now get threephase AC charging, which allows an 11kW home charger to add 33 miles of range every hour – a gain of a third over the maximum rate that was achievable using the old two-phase AC system.
The big changes in the 2021-model-year edition of the car come in the cabin, where the I-Pace is now fitted with much of the infotainment and connectivity technology introduced on the recently launched Land Rover Defender. The latest Pivi Pro system includes a 12.3-inch HD instrument display and uses the I-Pace’s existing pair of 10-inch and five-inch touchscreens, incorporating haptic technology.
The interface has a ‘flat menu structure’ that is designed to allow you to jump between regularly used functions more easily – and the software incorporates both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard. Pivi Pro also gets over-the-air updates to keep maps and software
Three-phase AC charging can top up battery pack a third more quickly than system in previous car
“The battery produces a predicted range of 292 miles, but an update promises to stretch that by up to 12 miles”
upgraded to the latest versions without needing a trip to the dealership.
The I-Pace is now offered with a wireless charging pad as an option, and the car gets an embedded SIM and complementary 4G data plan as standard, allowing music streaming over Spotify and similar services without the need to use your smartphone.
Jaguar has kept the exterior changes relatively minor, but there’s a new chrome finish on the front grille (a standard feature, and one probably aimed at Chinese buyers), the option of 19-inch wheels for the first time on the model, and a Bright Pack that accentuates the exterior design with chrome and Atlas Grey detailing.
Elsewhere, the I-Pace is available with the same ClearSight digital rear-view mirror that made its debut on the current Range Rover Evoque. Its roof-mounted camera gives a clearer image than you’d get through the I-Pace’s narrow hatchback glass.
The 2021 I-Pace is available to order now. Prices start at £65,195, a small increase over the current car’s entry point.
VAUXHALL has launched a new, all-electric version of its van-based people carrier, called the Vivaro-e Life (above). It comes with a 50kWh battery pack and a front-mounted electric motor, which has an output of 134bhp and 260Nm of torque.
The van’s maximum range is 143 miles, while top speed is electronically limited to 80mph. As standard, the Vivaro-e Life comes with a 7.4kW on-board charger, which can fully replenish the van’s battery pack in just under eight hours. Buyers have their choice of two body lengths and seating for five, six, seven or eight passengers.
THIS year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed has officially been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Organisers had hoped to hold it later in the summer after postponing it in March. The Goodwood Revival – due to take place in September – has also been cancelled for 2020.
Ticket holders for either event can claim a refund, or can keep their tickets for the 2021 events with no extra charge.
FROM: Richard Morris I’M glad Euro NCAP is finally strengthening the car safety test to protect small cars and their occupants (Issue 1,628). I’ve felt for some time that SUVs could disproportionately damage other cars and cause injury to their occupants. Seems like sense has at last prevailed.