In 2018, Jaguar announced an all-electric SUV that instantly caught the world’s attention. They called it the I-pace, and with over 70 awards attached to the car’s nameplate (including a historic ‘treble’ in 2019), Jaguar is getting ready to unveil next year’s version.

While the new I-Pace still struggles to match the range of Tesla’s Model X, it makes up for it by being a sporty and joyous car to drive. With nearly 400 horsepower and an array of driving technology to make cornering smooth, the I-Pace could probably stack up better than you would expect against sportier Jags. But on the inside, it’s less racecar and more people carrier thanks to all the bells and whistles that you would expect of a 5-seater SUV.

Keep reading for more information about the 2021 I-Pace, where it excels, and where it falls short.

The I-Pace's Technology and Comfort

Via: Car Magazine

The I-Pace excels in all the ways that a typical luxury SUV should. It has heated seats, a trunk large enough to haul everything you need, wireless charging for your smartphone, and an app that can start your car remotely or bring it to the right temperature before you take off.

Jaguar is also excited about a revamped display on the console that is supposedly a serious upgrade in terms of UI. It also has buttons and knobs for some of the things that get commonly changed while you’re driving, such as the climate control system.

Outside of the car, the I-Pace has advanced collision warning and lane departure assist, as well as a number of cameras to help you reverse and be aware of your blind spots more easily. That’s cool, but we honestly don’t expect anything less for a 70,000 dollar luxury SUV.

That being said, the I-Pace does have some other technological features that are small, but really cool. One such thing is the matrix headlights that can detect something like a car in front of you and focus your headlights away from the other driver. In the past, Jaguar’s matrix headlights haven’t been great, so let’s hope for an improvement on that front.

RELATED: 10 New Technological Features That Might Come Standard In Your Future Car

Range and Charging

Via: Motor Authority

In terms of its capability as an electric vehicle, the I-Pace doesn’t fall short, but it isn’t spectacular either. Despite its advertised 80 MPGe in the city and 72 MPGe on the highway, Car and Driver found that the I-Pace fell short of both figures, and also was slightly less efficient than its closest competitor, the Audi e-tron. And compared to the Model X, both the E-Tron and the I-Pace were significantly less efficient.

Supposedly the I-Pace does have longer range than Audi’s Electric SUV thanks to its larger 90.0-kWh battery, but the drop in efficiency could make one wonder if the I-Pace’s larger battery really would translate into the advertised 253-mile range.

In terms of charging capability, the I-Pace is a vast improvement over models from previous years. The 2021 model charges from a common charger about four and half hours faster than the previous I-Pace, and can get close to 80 percent of a full charge in just 40 minutes with a super-fast charger. This is all down to the upgraded onboard charger that was added between the 2020 and 2021 I-Pace.

RELATED: The 10 EVs With The Highest Single-Charge Range

Driving Ability of The I-Pace

Via: Motor Authority

When it really comes down to it, how a car drives is the most important metric by which it can be evaluated. And thankfully for the I-Pace, it truly excels when it comes to how it drives.

Instead of one large engine, the I-Pace has two motors mounted on both axles that combine to produce just under 400 horsepower and more than 500 pounds of torque. And because it’s an electric vehicle, it has a single-speed transmission that makes accelerating a seamless experience.

When it comes to cornering, the I-Pace has it’s batteries on the floor to create a low center of gravity. That, paired with a well-tuned steering system and a torque vectoring system means that cornering can be done smoothly at nearly any speed. The only negative about driving the I-Pace is that the brakes have been noted to be uneven at times, which can take away some of the pleasure that comes from driving this otherwise smooth SUV.

Overall, the I-Pace is a great car that still has a little bit of room to grow.  But with all the work Jaguar has been doing on electric cars over the past 10 years, you can bet Jaguar will continuously improve the I-Pace and (based on the SUV's success) expand their lineup to include more electric cars in the future.

NEXT: 2021 Jaguar F-Type: Costs, Facts, And Figures