The 2019 Car of the Year was the Jaguar I-Pace: this car has a great shape, which is profoundly different from many traditional crossovers. It sprints like a sports car, has precise steering, and is comfortable, too. It is silent and you don't even notice the engine is working. Still, the car's beautiful 22'' wheels (which cost over $5,000) do make the bump absorption and road noise a bit worse than it should be.
The braking system is great and the car has got a discrete autonomy; on the other side, the trunk does not offer much space. The interiors offer a dashboard with elaborate shapes and you can enjoy a rich multimedia system. Now let's take stock of the pros and cons of this first electric car from Jaguar.
10 Not Enough Trunk Space
The trunk is underdeveloped in height. The plastic interior is a downfall of style. Inside it is quite wide but not very high, while the loading mouth has the threshold almost flush with the floor: it is easy to store luggage. The compartment has two bag hooks, four load retaining rings, and a 12V socket. There is not much space between the bottom and the hatbox (just 43 cm).
The I-Pace offers 505 liters of cargo space, which increases to 1163 by lowering the rear seats. Rivals such as the Audi e-Tron and Tesla Model X are far more capacious (especially when the seat are lowered) and can also boast a respectable front compartment. And while the Jaguar I-Pace's trunk is too small, it's nicely finished, and equipped with a storage net.
9 Missing Wireless Charging Plate
The wireless charging pad can't be had even by paying for it, whereas for many utility cars it's even standard. This Jaguar I-Pace can be refueled from a classic AC charging point, but the maximum power accepted by the I-Pace is only 7 kW: for a "full" of electricity you need more than 10 hours. It is much better to connect to the "fast" columns if you find them on the streets.
Charging the I-Pace's 100 KW capacity to full takes about 13 hours, and charging it to 80% at a public charging station will take about 8 hours.
8 Multimedia System Responsiveness Is Slow
There are three screens: the dashboard, which can be configured as you wish and is easy to read, and two others in the console. Many functions are managed from the 10.3'' display, which integrates some useful functions for an electric car: like the web-connected navigator (standard) that shows the nearby recharging stations. The infotainment graphics are cool and "showy" (but touch response is not always immediate) and you can view multiple functions side by side.
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, while the cell phone charging pad is not provided even by paying for it. Then there's the 5'' screen, located just below the main screen; from here you can manage the driving modes, and you can replicate two functions of your choice from the upper display (for example, the radio and the speakerphone). The problem with these systems is the delay with which it responds.
7 Scanty Basic Equipment
The equipment is not generous: on the "base" S you even pay for folding mirrors. In the Euro NCAP tests of 2018, the Jaguar I-Pace shone, deserving maximum points; in particular in the side-impact and the one against the pole.
The only flaw concerns the rear seat belts, which do not offer optimal protection against whiplash. The automatic braking system with detection of other vehicles (the only driving aid which is offered as standard) and the system that keeps the car in its lane are also convincing.
6 Comfort
Despite being a sports car, the Jaguar I-Pace is not an uncomfortable car. The absorption of potholes (thanks to the efficient air springs, which are paid separately) and the degree of soundproofing are convincing. However, the expensive 22'' wheels do reduce the comfort a bit.
The autonomy is not disappointing, but it depends a lot on the driving style, on the outside temperature (the colder it gets the less autonomy it has), and on the options mounted: it ranges from 257 to 292 miles.
5 Driveability
Below 15 mph, the Jaguar I-Pace emits a characteristic and subdued sound (inaudible to those inside) that warns pedestrians of its arrival. It's a convenient function that allows you to increase the level of energy recovery: basically, you can drive by pressing only the accelerator (the brake pedal is reserved for emergencies).
The engines are very silent and any kind of rustling is absent. The adaptive cruise control with automatic braking and restart system - which is included in the Drive package - work excellently to limit the stress of urban driving. Despite its weight and size, the car is agile when cornering.
4 Originality
It looks like an amazing sedan more than a crossover: it is impossible to confuse this car with other ones. It has small windows, a nearly horizontal rear window, and even retractable handles that pop out if needed. Like its two rivals Audi e-Tron and Tesla Model X, it has batteries in the floorplan and a motor for each axle: the 4x4 traction is shaftless.
3 Performance
This electric Jaguar is a comfortable crossover with a coupe feeling, which is powered by two current motors of 200 hp each: one pushes the front wheels, the other the rear ones. The total power output comes out to 400 horsepower, which is enough to push the I-Pace to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds.
Two lithium-ion batteries (guaranteed for eight years or 160,000 km) are mounted under the floor of the cabin. The batteries can be regenerated by connecting the cable to the connection in the front left fender: from a 220 V socket and with 7 kW they require 13 hours for complete regeneration. On the other hand, when a charging point of 100 kW is available, the batteries reach 80% efficiency in 40 minutes.
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1 Steering
When the car is equipped with air suspension, the Jaguar I-Pace shows surprising agility for a car, whose weight amounts to 2200 kg. To make the driving even more fun, the I-Pace boasts very direct and precise steering, which places it on a level of a sports car.
Soundproofing and absorption are excellent, as long as you don't overdo it with the size of the rims: with those of 22'' the most marked bumps are not filtered in the best way. Besides being direct, the steering is precise and responsive.
Source: Jaguar.com / caranddrivers.com / motor1.com / wikipedia.org