Aug 6, 2019, 13:12 PM by Mike Blake

Jaguar earned its rep for creating sleek, catlike, powerful race-worthy sportscars. For nearly a century (founded as Swallow Sidecar Company in 1922), Jaguar has produced luxury street vehicles and track-winning racers. With its new 2019 I-PACE Jaguar moved into a new arena … the electric car niche, as I-PACE is the company’s first all-electric vehicle, and an EV SUV/crossover to boot.  Oh, and it is also fun to drive.

With all-wheel-drive, two electric motors and Jag’s iconic sleekness outside and luxury inside I-PACE still shows off Jaguar muscle with 394 horsepower and 512 lb-ft of torque while attaining an EPA-rated driving range of 234 miles – the X trim can get up to 295 miles. The combination of style, performance and environmental friendliness has made I-PACE an award star, winning 55 awards globally since its launch. 

The first Jaguar to use the highly intuitive Touch Pro Duo infotainment system and artificial intelligence to identify driver preferences to tailor the driving experience, I-PACE uses technology to identify and automate some of the routine tasks that can distract or inconvenience the driver. Also onboard I-PACE are:

• New EV Navigation that factors in route topography, driving style and more to optimize range
• Pre-conditioning of I-PACE’s battery and cabin temperature while plugged in to maximize range 
• Settings for home charging times to match best electricity pricing  
• I-PACE continuous tech improvement with wireless over-the-air updates ensuring customers always have the latest software 
• Rapid public charging from 0-80 percent in less than 40-minutes, with 15-minutes charge giving a 60-mile range
• Zero tailpipe emissions
• Customer peace of mind from eight-year battery warranty and 21,000-mile / two-year servicing

And above all, I-PACE embodies the Jaguar legacy of luxury and performance.

Borrowing its outward demeanor from Jaguar’s innovative C-X75 concept car, which was featured in the James Bond flick “Spectre”, I-PACE is not the know-slung McLarensque coupe that appeared in the film, but as a Crossover, it displays a short, low bonnet (hood), low aero-dynamic roof, roof scoop and hatch-raked rear screen. This is NOT a boxy SUV, even with a squared-off rear, the front is enhanced by a prominent rectangular grille, hood vent and slim eyelike headlights … making it more sedan-like than Crossover-looking.

Weighing in at a robust 4784 lbs (curbweight), the sporty I-PACE fits its midsize crossover niche with dimensions of 184.3 inches long, 61.3 inches high and 74.6 inches wide on a 117.7-inch wheelbase. 

Inside, the luxurious and well-appointed cabin is advanced and trendy, accentuated by high-quality materials, three information displays and touch-capacitive controls. The floating-bridge design for the center console is bold, cockpit-like and not traditional SUV bland. With seating for 5, front headroom is a bit tight at 39.9 inches; legroom is 40.9 and shoulder room is 57.6. In row two, you get a tighter 38.1 inches of headroom, only 35 inches of legroom and 54.6 inches of shoulder room.

As is typical with an electric vehicle, the cabin is quiet, though you do get some tire and road noise on the highway, and the touchscreen takes a beat to respond. Sightlines are good up front and on the sides, but the small rear window and rear shoulders create a blind zone.

I-PACE introduces the Touch Pro Duo infotainment system to Jaguar. Utilizing an innovative combination of touchscreens, capacitive sensors and tactile physical controls, Touch Pro Duo is intuitive to use. A new EV navigation system assesses the topography of the route to destination and insights from previous journeys, including driving style, to calculate personalized range and charging status with exceptional accuracy for maximum driver confidence. And to ensure owners always have access to the latest infotainment, telematics and battery energy control software, I-PACE is the first Jaguar to provide software over-the-air -- providing seamless updates. 

I-PACE power come from its state-of-the-art 2-electric-motor powertrain and its vanguard 90kWh Lithium-ion battery using 432 pouch cells, to deliver an expected range of .234 miles on a full charge – though I would plan for less than that. Owners will be able to achieve a 0-80 per cent battery charge in less than 40 minutes using DC rapid charging (100kW). Home charging with an AC wall box (7kW) will achieve the same state of charge in just over 10 hours – ideal for overnight charging. The high torque density and high-energy efficiency characteristics of the motors deliver sports car performance, launching the I-PACE from a standing start to 60mph in just 4.6 seconds (hand-timed) in tests. My fun-to-test quarter-mile was accomplished in an un-crossover-like 13.2 seconds (hand-timed), accelerating easily and handling like a sedan.

The 2019 Jaguar E-PACE starts at $69,500 for the Base model and tops at the First Edition trim at $85,900. My I-PACE in SE trim based at $75,850. Firenze Red exterior paint added $575 and came with 20-inch 6-spoke wheels, Ebony grained leather sport seats with Ebony/Ebony interior, 10-way electric memory front seats, soft grain leather sport steering wheel and 11-speaker/12-amp channel Meridian sound system. A high-res Head-up information display added $970; a 360-degree surround camera and adaptive cruise control added $1300; four-zone climate control added $800; and delivery and destination charges added $1025 for a sticker-as-tested of $80,520.

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Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years. </I>