WORLD OF WHEELS
Jaguar’s new cub comes out to play
JAGUAR design director Ian Callum said that for years he resisted the call from management to design an SUV. He eventually agreed to let his design team loose on a Jag SUV and the first result was the F-Pace, which now dominates Jaguar’s global sales and scooped the 2017 World Car of the Year award. It’s all business of course. According to Finbar McFall, global product marketing director of Jaguar sales, the compact SUV segment rose 18% worldwide last year with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) predicting an increase of 23% between now and 2020.
Which is why things have really started to gather pace with Jaguar revealing its first battery-electric vehicle, the iPace crossover, due to launch later this year.
Sources say Jaguar is also working on a model above the F-Pace, the J-Pace, which is set to take on rivals such as the Audi Q7. But before all of that we have this, the E-Pace and we drove it in Corsica ahead of its launch in South Africa next month.
The design is meant to convey a sense of fun. “When we are designing our cars, we always want to put a bit of fun into them,” Callum said.
That is most apparent in the E-Pace which definitely looks cute.
The project team nicknamed it the “cub”. he floor by the puddle lamps.
Jaguar interior design, Jonathan Sandys, says the lights represent the big eyes of a cub while the wheels, available in sizes up to 21 inches, are its paws, large and pushed well out to the corners.
There is more fun inside too with an animal print moulded into the inside of the central storage area. Such attention to detail that will appeal to many, as will some of the more traditional elements.
Callum says the “idea of using rotary dials and tactile switches are very important”. Turn the climate control dial and the feeling at your fingertips is inspired by turning traditional camera lenses.
There is a touch-screen though, the latest Jaguar Touch Pro 10-inch screen which is standard across all models. A digital TFT instrument cluster is also an option and adds to plenty of tech that will appeal to those who want to have the latest.
This includes options like a multiple device 4G Wi-Fi hotspot in the car, an activity key for those who want to jump in the car straight from doing the Midmar Mile and USBs for every one of the five occupants – although only one can transmit data.
The E-Pace sits on the same platform as the Evoque, but with a slightly longer wheelbase which translates into more interior room.
The infotainment system is in other models too and the fog lights in the lower front valance seem identical to those on the new Discovery.
The lights might look like they come from the F-Type sports car, but Sandys insists they are very different, although he wants people to link the two models together to see a sporty character in the E-Pace.
And where better to test this sporty character than in Corsica, the island that plays host to the French round of the World Rally Championship?
We got to drive the R-Dynamic S P300 with its Ingenium four-cylinder petrol motor pushing out 220kW and 400Nm as well as the S D240 diesel offering 177kW and 500Nm. Both will be available in various trim levels from standard to HSE, but the range starts with the base 110kW diesel at R598 500 and rises to a heady R892 400.
Both versions we drove were comfortable with a good driving position, which felt familiar, a good thing when you are facing some of the most intense twisty roads on the planet. The steering is a little disappointing though, offering little communication with the driver in spite of being precise in its response to your inputs.
The ride was a bit too firm over some of Corsica’s more scarred sections of tarmac, probably due mostly to the large wheels with lower profile rubber. Heading into bends that have seen legendary rally drivers tap a rock and hit the mountain, or disappear down into deep ravines, makes you more aware of what the limits of the car and more importantly, the driver might be.
The vast blind spots caused by the A-pillars and mirrors were an issue on occasion, as was the occasional all-wheel drive understeer.
The E-Pace is heavier than its big brother, at just under two tons, around 200kg more than the F-Pace.
The weight was not an issue when it came to handling, but it was when braking, with the two models we drove featuring overheating brakes, not something you want on Corsican rally roads. I did have to wait for the brakes to cool before hitting the bends hard again.
The biggest surprise though was that it was not the petrol model with its 200kW and synthesised exhaust sound entering the cabin that was the best to drive.
The nine-speed gearbox was consistently unsure of itself as it tried to decide which gear, how much power and where it wanted to be.
The situation was improved by driving not in dynamic mode, but in comfort mode, but it was the diesel that suited not just the car but the twisty roads the best.
We could get the power down earlier and quicker, the gearbox responding more decisively making experiencing the incredible roads even more rewarding.
When the E-Pace arrives here next month, it will have to take on the latest Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes GLC and even its own Evoque sibling. In this world of compact SUVs, the E-Pace fails to really stand out, instead matching its rivals on style, quality and capability.