2019 Jaguar i-Pace Review Review

Looks amazing! What’s the tech?

The body is 94 per cent aluminium, and has a distinctive ‘cab-forward’ look with a low front end like a mid-engined supercar because there’s no need to tuck an engine under the bonnet. More familiar is the double-wishbone front and Integral Link rear suspension adapted from the XE, XF and F-Pace models, with a choice of standard coil springs or air suspension. The wheelbase is much longer, however – the i-Pace is 50mm shorter than the F-Pace SUV, but has a 130mm greater wheelbase. A 90kWH lithium-ion battery sits between those front and rear axles, which provides power to an electric motor at each axle for permanent all-wheel drive.

Jaguar claims 395bhp and 513lb ft torque, with the 0-62mph sprint done in 4.8sec. Perhaps of more interest to buyers is the claimed range of 292 miles, and that you can charge it from 0-80% in 40 minutes at a rapid 100kW DC public charger, if you can actually find one. Plug it in to a 7kW AC wallbox at home and you’ll do the same in ten hours.

What’s the i-Pace like inside?

Modern Jaguars have often been let down by their interiors, but the i-Pace is impressive, with mostly high quality fit and finish and materials, even if some plastics lower down in the cabin let the side down. Your first instinct might be to lower the seats a little (there’s a big battery beneath the floor remember, which cranks up the driving position slightly), but both the comfort-focussed standard seats or sportier upgrades from the F-type sports car are good. We preferred the latter.

The centre console is angled sportily towards the windscreen and incorporates the twin touchscreens first seen in the Range Rover Velar. The upper screen is for infotainment functions including sat-nav, music and telephone; the lower screen controls climate functions, and incorporates rotary dials that are easier to find when driving than prodding at a touchscreen. The system’s quick to respond and mostly intuitive.

The long wheelbase and low-set electric powertrain allows the i-Pace to go full Tardis inside – even those over six-feet tall have over an inch of knee- and headroom when sitting behind similar-sized front-seat passengers. There’s also a small front boot and a huge boot at the rear with 656 litres of stowage.

What’s the Jaguar i-Pace like to drive?

Drive gently and the i-Pace is defined by its chunky – if not excessively heavy – steering, the lush comfort offered by our car’s optional air suspension and 20-inch alloys, and the need to adapt to ‘one-pedal’ driving, where simply easing off the accelerator pedal is like braking. It feels odd at first and you can select a less aggressive setting, but it helps re-charge the battery and you soon acclimatise.

On the motorway, there’s impressively little wind- and tyre-noise, especially since there’s no engine noise to mask what noise there is. More impressive than that, though, is mid-range performance that’s so much stronger than the 0-62mph time suggests – flatten the accelerator and the i-Pace instantly lunges at the horizon and leaves following traffic as breathless specs in the mirror. The top speed is low by modern standards at 130mph, but you’ll lose your licence for that anyway. It’s plenty.

Happily, the i-Pace entertains in more than just a straight line too. Partly that’s because so much of its admittedly huge weight is in the battery, which is mounted low down between the axles. The steering is fast and precise, body motions are nicely controlled, and there’s both high grip and huge traction, with just the occasional sense of the front tyres scrabbling when you really push on. You’d expect most Jaguars to entertain on a great road, but perhaps not an electric Jaguar SUV weighing over two tonnes.

In a nutshell

Jaguar has taken a bold leap into the future with the i-Pace, and with spectacular results. Not only is the futuristic design stunning, but the i-Pace has a spacious, nicely finished interior, and a drive that’s both luxuriously refined when you’re feeling sensible and mischievously good fun when you’re not. You can view used Jaguar i-Pace cars for sale on finance as well as the whole range of used Jaguar cars.

Similar Car Reviews

If you’re not quite ready, or not completely convinced yet on an electric car, then we’ve plenty of alternative car reviews for you to consider.

There is the stylish Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce, a rear-wheel-drive saloon car that offers power and performance with a 1995cc four-cylinder 16v turbocharged petrol engine. Or the immensely stylish, upmarket Mercedes A Class is possibly the ultimate family hatchback and comes in Petrol, Diesel, and Hybrid options.

If you’re looking for class over style, then few cars quite define their class quite like the BMW 3-series, it truly defines the mid-sized engine executive car range, and BMW really maintains this with their BMW 330i model.

Then there is the Lexus ES. Not well known in the UK, the Lexus ES has actually been around for seven generations. If you’re looking for a more spacious kind of premium car, the Lexus ES300h f Sport makes a strong case for itself.

Finally, if you’re looking for something a little different, then a family estate car might be something to consider. The Volvo V60 is spacious, has smart interiors and fantastic seats, as well as it’s city safety autonomous braking as standard, it’s a serious choice for any family car.