Remember the days when a Jaguar was either a gloriously fast roadster or an iconoclastic luxury saloon beloved of rather raffish company directors? Get real, sunshine: this is the 21st century and every landlord’s favourite car brand is now more likely to be an SUV or, even more on-trend, an all-electric SUV.
Enter the Jaguar I-Pace, a stunning-looking zero-emissions car that has taken its class by storm since 2018. In fact, Jaguar was the first established luxury car brand to design its own electric vehicle from scratch. It then charged into a marketplace seemingly dominated at that stage by Tesla and it has come out the other side triumphant: the I-Pace has won fans for its styling, SUV practicality and long-range capability.
Under its floor is a huge battery pack that drives all four wheels via two electric motors – one at the front and one at the back. That 90kWh battery gives the car exceptional performance and an official range of 292 miles, superior to most of its closest competitors.
Click here to buy your next used I-Pace from Autocar
As for trims, even the entry-level S spec features lots of luxuries, including keyless entry, dual-zone climate control and ambient interior lighting. Upgrading to SE gets you bigger wheels, adaptive cruise control and additional safety kit. Range-topping HSE cars also have heated rear seats and matrix LED headlights.
On the road, the I-Pace can, despite its svelte looks, feel a little heavy, which is no surprise because, at nearly 2.2 tonnes, it is actually a little heavy. However, it handles well and goes like an express train when you put your foot down. It is quiet, too, and even rides well, although sharp irregularities can catch out an I-Pace riding on the bigger, 20in wheels.
Inside, it’s even more impressive. The driving position is low for an SUV and the seats offer plenty of support. All I-Paces get a slick 12.3in digital display, which lets the driver decide exactly what information they want to see directly in front of them. They also get a partly touch-sensitive panel, lower on the centre console, which is used to control the secondary systems, including the climate control.
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Charging
I have not had any issues with my I-pace charging, but have had issues with the Rolec charger which failed and had to be replaced. I would certainly choose a higher quality charger if installing another and one with an integral charge cable, in order to avoid the need to remove and install the cable each time. I have not had to use a public charge point as partially due to lockdown, I have not yet completed any journeys exceeding 200 miles. As regards Lambo58 comments the Tesla 3 I tried had rattles coming from the dash area and also the from around the o/s/r door trim. Given the reports about the build issues with the early Tesla 3. I was not prepared to gamble on the build quality and much preferred the I-pace for its practicality, being a hatchback and having a far more attractive interior.
Personal experience
Having had my I-Pace since November last year, I can state that it is the most impressive car I have personally driven. The official range stated by all EV manufacturers is false and misleading. 220 miles is a more realistic figure from my own experience and so far in 8 months and 5,000 miles, I have not had to use a single public charge point, my low mileage requirement being one of the factors that steered me towards and EV. The other was the massive BIK tax and fuel saving of seven and half thousand pounds a year compared to my previous 2 litre diesel SUV. The build quality of the vehicle, which is assembled in Austria, is excellent and inspires confidence in the long-term reliability of the vehicle. I did look at the Tesla 3 but was underwhelmed by the design of the interior and the many rattles coming from the facia and door trims. The I-Pace has given me a vehicle with incredible performance and superb comfort and refinement. If you can live with the restricted range of an EV, then I would highly recommend an I-Pace
Harry P wrote:
I have owned my I-Pace since March 2019 and agree with Harry P about its overall quality and performance. In winter I was getting about 210-220 miles range, and now (July) the reliable range is about 230-250 depending on the mix of motorway and A-road used. So yes, range is not impressive but, so far, reliability does not seem to be an issue
slowlane wrote:
If you don't mind me asking. Have you had any issues with charging your car? As in receiving a message telling you the charge is initialising but then never going into recharge.
Charging on AC and DC (CCS)
Charging on AC and DC (CCS) has been faultless so far, except with Ecotricity motorway-located chargers. However, there have been charging software issues that had to be addressed by JLR and most I-Paces were updated through a succession of service campaigns. The main UK user forum (ipaceforums) has useful discussion on the topic.
slowlane wrote:
slowlane wrote:
Thanks. Just curious. A neighbour has an I Pace, he originally had a lot of issues, mainly around charging, to the point where the car was completely unusable, both the dealer and Jaguar were incredibly unhelpful. He eventually got the car replaced and the new one has been okay, so far.
Not too sure why my first reply disappeared, seems to be an issue when using it from a mobile device, this website is as bad as Autocars journalistic objectivity.
What rattles and squeaks? My
What rattles and squeaks? My wifes one year old car is perfectly sound in body and drivetrain. Too many journalists as in Car-wow and Harrys garage have testified to the increasingly solid build quality of the Teslas which is why I take what you say with an enormous pinch of salt.
As for charging, Why dont you do a long drive and find out how appaling they are to recharge.