Jaguar’s cub sport model
Jaguar makes cool-looking sports and performance cars, so you might be surprised to hear its design boss talk describe a new model as ‘‘adorable’’.
But that’s what Ian Callum says about the brand’s new E-Pace baby-SUV: ‘‘One of the things about young-adult wild cats is they have big eyes and big paws. We adore them for that reason because they’re disproportionate. So we call this car the cub of the Jaguar family.’’
It might go overboard on the cuteness, but the E-Pace’s New Zealand specification is intended to emphasise Jaguar’s claim that it’s the sportiest vehicle in its segment (rivals include the BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLA and Volvo XC40).
It’s powered by a choice of turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel engines, each in two states of tune, all with nine-speed automatic transmission and all with a fourwheel drive system that includes torque vectoring.
Prices range from $69,900 to $89,900. The two petrols are the P250 (184kW) and P300 (221kW), while the diesel line comprises D150 (110kW) and D180 (132kW) versions. The powertrains are spread across three different specifications: S, R-Dynamic S and R-Dynamic SE.
All models get LED lights, leather upholstery with front heating and power adjustment, Jaguar’s Pro navigation system with wi-fi hotspot capability, 360-degree parking cameras, rear traffic monitor and park assist.