SETTING THE PACE

With electric cars becoming more commonplace, Matt Allan gets a taste of the future of luxury motoring with Jaguar’s first EV

“Where other companies talk about the future, we build it.”

There’s a little American car company that might take issue with such bold words from Jaguar CEO Ralf Speth, but there’s no denying that with the I-pace the British brand has stolen a march on most of its premium rivals.

A year ahead of Audi and Mercedes, Jaguar has brought its all-electric SUV to market with promises of a driver-focused EV that doesn’t compromise on its environmental credentials or Jaguar heritage.

The basic facts are that this is an all-electric, five-seat SUV with four-wheel-drive built upon its own unique platform.

Two 147kw motors are fed by a 90kwh battery system sandwiched into the vehicle’s floor. It offers a WLTP range of 292 miles and will hit 60mph in 4.5 seconds. It costs from £63,495, but top-spec cars can cost north of £80,000.

But the I-pace is more than a collection of numbers. Jaguar see it as a game-changer – a chance to steal a march on its rivals and to offer a premium EV to buyers who set store in a brand’s longevity rather than its CEO’S Twitter profile. So is it up to the job? It certainly has that futuristic feeling that still comes with an electric vehicle.

The last Jaguar I drove made a noise like Godzilla being kicked in the danglies, whereas the I-pace is eerily quiet. It’s not silent – if you put your foot down there’s a hint of electric whine and whirr – but it is strangely subdued.

The car’s dynamic mode introduces a synthesised “electric” sound to emphasise the speed. It’s not unpleasant, but part of the charm of a quick electric car is making eye-opening progress without shouting about it.

And the i-pace does make eye opening progress. its395bhp is enough to move the 2.2-tonne vehicle to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds – just half a second slower than aV 8 F-type. Like all electric cars, all 513lb/ft of its torque is available from a standing start so you simply put your foot down and take off.

But then a Tesla can do that too. Jaguar’s aim with the I-pace was tobuild an EV that still drives like a Jaguar, and it has succeeded. It’s definitely more F-pace than F-type, but there’s still that alertness and directness, especially as speeds build.

The steering, electric though it is, has weight and feedback that befits a sporty car, and thanks to its relatively low height and broad track, it feels solid on twisting roads, although there’s still a little SUV lean.

The ride is not so well resolved. It is quite stiff and can feel harsh at low speeds. The adaptive air dampers are better than the standard passive springs but it’s not as calm as an XJ, for instance. It is as quiet as that luxury limo, though, and shames the Model X when it comes to noise suppression.

J ag has made a big deal about the interior, specifically, the amount of space freed up by the EV running gear. It’s the same overall length as a Porsche Macan, but the wheelbase is longer than a Cayenne, meaning more space inside. Legroom is certainly good and the I-pace would cope with that traditional band of four six-footers easily.

Anyone taller than that might feel the roof is a tad close, and I’m not convinced five adults would want to travel any long distances unless the three in the back were very, very good friends.

In many ways the I-pace shares the modern Jaguar aesthetic rather than being out-and-out futuristic. There are buttons instead of levers or knobs, a broad, deeply cowled digital instrument display and twin Incontrol infotainment screens. But there’s still plenty of leather and chrome wrapped around it all and proper physical controls.

The exterior is far more outthere, but remains unmistakably a Jaguar. The distinctive gaping grille is still there. It doesn’t feed the radiators to cool the batteries, but it does aid aerodynamics by diverting air up and through the scoop in the bonnet, reducing drag around the windscreen.

All around the car are similar design features that also function as aids to the car’s efficiency. From the angle of the spoiler to the unusually

“The steering, electric though it is, has weight and feedback that befits a sporty car”