Jaguar I-Pace reviews: can it rival the Tesla Model X?

Jaguar I-Pace: First drives of the all-electric SUV

27 March

Jaguar is ramping up its efforts of an electric future and revealed a production-spec version of its I-Pace at the Geneva Motor Show.

Company design chief Ian Callum claims the all-electric SUV is "a preview of a five-seat production car that will be on the road in 2018", blending "premium details" with "British craftsmanship" and featuring "authentic Jaguar DNA".

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The I-Pace, which made its first appearance in concept form a mere five months ago in Los Angeles, is the company's first all-electric vehicle. Jaguar says it will be powered by a 90kWh battery and have a range of more than 300 miles.

Power will be channelled to two electric motors on the front and rear axle, giving the I-Pace an all-wheel drive layout. The motors should produce 395bhp, adds the company, helping the SUV launch from zero to 60mph in four seconds.

Inside, the traditional instrument panel has been replaced by a 12ins display and a 5.5ins touchscreen infotainment system is housed in the centre console, says the Daily Express. Buyers can also expect a wi-fi hotspot and smartphone integration.

While the 530-litre boot is 120-litres smaller than Jaguar's F-Pace SUV, the I-Pace's electric drivetrain frees up an extra 28-litre boot space at the front, where a conventional combustion engine would sit, says AutoExpress.

It is also "marginally smaller" than the F-Pace, but has a 4.5ins-longer wheelbase which, the company told the magazine, means the I-Pace will have 0.4ins more legroom than a BMW 7-Series saloon.

First drives

The I-Pace's radical "chunky" and "wide" hatchback style is a departure from the rounded silhouettes of the company's current line-up, says AutoExpress.

Inside, the electric SUV is a "similar blend of the revolutionary and familiar", with three screens flanking the dashboard for the infotainment system and virtual cockpit. There's also haptic feedback for features controlled on the steering wheel.

There aren't any "Tesla Model X-style gimmicks", says Evo; instead, the I-Pace comprises a simple four-doors and a hatchback design which doesn't look "a million miles from production", while the cabin is a "considerably higher-quality than anything Tesla has produced".

The lack of a drivetrain through the cabin means the low roofline doesn't intrude on the interior space, adds the mag, which makes the cockpit feel more driver-focused.

Autocar says that like most electric vehicles, the I-Pace "responds instantly to the merest prod of accelerator" and drives in a similar fashion to a "supermini" and while Jaguar won't reveal how much it weighs, "it must be considerably less than a Tesla Model X".

The magazine's initial impressions are that it is a "noisy" and "firm" ride, while the steering is heavily weighted and the brake pedal feels as if it has "had no tuning at all".

However, it says, the I-Pace has yet to reach its final development stage, so it "isn't at all representative of what we might expect of the finished car".

Car hands the I-Pace concept a four out of five star rating, saying the all-electric SUV is "off to a compelling start" if the production model looks anything like the show car tested.

Inside, the short bonnet "disappears from view abruptly ahead", says the magazine, with the shallow rake of the windscreen making the concept feel like supercar. Details such as the outline of "posh-looking" driving gloves on the glove compartment are a "lovely tongue-cheek" touch, too, it adds.

Only a handful of changes are expected on the road-going version, as Car states the maximum wheel size will shrink an inch to produce a 22ins rims and the driving position will be slightly raised.

The London Evening Standard focusses on how a firm press of the accelerator launches the I-Pace with "impressive alacrity", making the zero to 62mph time of four seconds somewhat "conservative".

Concept cars rarely move under their own power, continues the paper, so it's quite impressive that Jaguar has delivered a prototype that can reach a maximum speed of 50mph and while it may be noisy in its pre-release spec, the I-Pace is a "promising" and a "big leap" over the company's current models.

Price and release

Prices have yet to be revealed, although Autocar claims it could cost "around £60,000" and hit UK roads in 2018. Another production-ready concept is set to appear later this year.

Jaguar revals the l-Pace - its first all-electric car

15 November

Jaguar has unveiled a radical, all-electric I-Pace concept car at the Los Angeles motor show - and it is expected to release a road-going version in 2018.

Powered by two electric motors attached to the front and rear axles, Jaguar claims that the I-Pace produces 395bhp and can accelerate from 0-60mph in around four seconds. The "electric motors provide immediate response with no lag, no gearshifts and no interruptions," says engineer Ian Hoban.

They are attached to a 90kWh battery, which Jaguar says can be fully charged in just over two hours and have a range of more than 300 miles. The long battery life of the vehicle should mean that the average owner will need to charge the car just once a week, the company says.

The firm plans to use its racing programme to boost the development of all of its future electric cars. Battery technology in Formula E, in which Jaguar has recently started competing, is similar to that used in production cars, The suspension set-up of the I-Pace is taken from Jaguar's current SUV, the F-Pace. It's a smart move, says Carbuyer: the company's big investment in its suspension system "has clearly paid off" on its first SUV.

This signals a new direction for the Jaguar Land Rover Group, as it claims the I-Pace will be both a sports car and a family SUV that can comfortably seat five people. That puts it in a similar territory to the Tesla Model X, which is expected to launch in Europe later this year.