Forget what it runs on – it’s just great to drive

A Jaguar first, an electric vehicle second. And that’s no coincidence, given the input of Jag chassis legend Mike Cross.

There’s 13 miles to St Albans, I’ve got a fully charged battery, half a packet of Polo mints, it’s dark out and so on. This is a rare chance to drive the i-Pace without worrying about battery preservation.

The roads out of Edgware after midnight are empty and national speed limit, so I accelerate hard. The Jag spins out 516lb ft of torque but it feels much punchier. The 0-62mph sprint takes less than 5.0sec – not quite hypercar-quick, but hypercars don’t seat five or emit zero tailpipe pollution.

The i-Pace’s dynamic prowess is even more notable: through some fast sweepers, it feels like there’s a giant, invisible hand on the roof, pressing the EV into the road, keeping the body level and the tyres stuck fast. But my favourite aspect of the electric Jag is the steering. The rack feels pretty heavy but the response is anything but leaden, turning in eagerly and positively.

It’s not just me. Editor Ben Miller, an EV sceptic, said this after borrowing the Jag for a weekend: ‘It handles beautifully. The way the i-Pace controls its weight and attitude as you turn is incredible. Love that the regenerative braking effectively makes you a left-footbraking master, your easing of the throttle enough to transfer weight onto the nose and help it do your bidding understeer-free.’ Editorat-large Chris Chilton says it’s his favourite current Jag by far.

All of this got me thinking: I wonder what Jaguar’s chief engineer Mike Cross makes of his handiwork a couple of years on? So we had a video call to discuss it.

‘I wanted the i-Pace to be a Jaguar first and foremost, just one that happened to have a different powertrain,’ says the head of vehicle integrity, whose team set the dynamic parameters for every Jag and Land Rover. ‘So we focused on steering, ride, handling, NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) – all the things that make a Jaguar.

‘I think the steering is the most important attribute of any car. It’s the one thing you use all the time. Even if you’re not a driving enthusiast, good steering imbues you with confidence. We worked hard at making the steering feel good, linear and intuitive.’

Was the battery weight a problem? ‘Apart from lowspeed ride, there aren’t any circumstances where weight would be a positive. But in the i-Pace the mass is well located because it’s low down and between the wheels, and it’s got motors at each end. The weight distribution is 50:50, which helped. As did four-wheel drive. You only really notice the mass when you decelerate.’

So is the i-Pace Mike’s finest hour? ‘It’s always about the next car,’ he replies. ‘I’ve been fortunate to have worked on the i-Pace and the new Defender, both of which are very significant cars. But of all the cars I’ve done, the [2009] XFR is probably still my favourite actually.

‘It was fast, effortless, refined, fun to drive – everything a Jaguar should be.’ And that ethos still guides Jaguar – as everyone who drives the i-Pace seems to agree.

It’s not quite hypercar-quick, but hypercars don’t seat five or emit zero pollution