The future of motoring, here today. From $119k, too.
Hallowed British luxury marque Jaguar has finally spilled details on its hotly-anticipated I-Pace all-electric SUV, which was launched earlier this year. Exactly 12-months to the day, the I-Pace will make its showroom debut on our shores, sporting three full-time variants and one limited-run edition, with prices starting from a (relatively) reasonable $119,000 (before ORCs).
“Where other companies talk about the future, we build it. We have torn up the rule book to create the newest member of the PACE family, the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE. With zero tailpipe emissions, no CO2 and no particulates, it moves us dramatically closer to our vision of a clean, safe and sustainable future.” — Dr. Ralf Speth, CEO Jaguar Land Rover
As expected of a modern-day SUV, the I-Pace’s silhouette cuts a dynamic, coupe-like shape with a sleek roofline, low bonnet, and ‘abrupt’ rear end. Interestingly, the glasshouse appears almost separate from the bodywork, like everything up to the shoulder line is one piece, and the glasshouse above it is some kind of interchangeable part.
We invite you to draw your own conclusions and opinions of the I-Pace’s design, but we adore it.
Under that sleek, contemporary design lies two electric motors, one on either axle. Together, they make a whopping 294kW and 696Nm, with juice coming from a 90kWh battery pack mounted in the floor. Together, the I-Pace can rocket from rest to 100km/h in just 4.8-seconds… though if you floor it repeatedly, we doubt you’ll be able to hit the I-Pace’s claimed 480km range (based on new WLTP testing standards).
Perhaps more importantly than the century sprint time are the charge times for the I-Pace. Impressively, the I-Pace claims that it can charge from 0-80% in just 40-minutes if you utilise a 100kW DC rapid charger, with 100km of range added for every 15-minutes. But if you intend to charge your I-Pace at home, don’t worry: It’ll charge from flat via the 7kW AC wall box in 10-hours, which Jaguar says is ideal for overnight charging.
The placement of key components like the battery and the motors have helped the I-Pace maintain a perfect 50:50 weight distribution over the two axles, as well as a very low centre of gravity, which should give this car typically-Jaguar driving dynamics. Furthering this endeavour is the structure of the I-Pace itself, which is said to be the stiffest and most rigid of any Jaguar in history.
And if that’s still not enough for you, you can option on air suspension with a configurable ‘Adaptive Dynamics’ system that promises to deliver an even more polished ride with unrivalled handling.
While the exterior of the I-Pace has remained largely through the transition from concept to production, the interior has been revised pretty thoroughly, but thankfully, to positive effect. Jaguar has reiterated time and time again that they have pushed the design of the I-Pace to make full use of its electric architecture, and this is perhaps most evident inside. Gone is the rotary gear selector of older Jaguar, instead mounting the gear selector buttons (actually, are they even gears anymore? It’s more like direction of travel at this point, right?) on the drivers’ side spoke of the ‘floating’ centre console.
Above it lies Jaguar’s very latest iteration of its TouchPro Duo infotainment system that utilises two screens for all infotainment, vehicle, climate control settings and what have you. The InControl touch system is complimented by a fully-digital instrument display ahead of the driver, that displays the various vehicular information statistics and data as required.
What is perhaps more interesting is what lies behind the screens. Jaguar says that there is now a new system called ‘Smart Settings’ that utilises artificial intelligence to better understand the driver, and then tailor the car up in a way that would suit them best. This means that it will change things like throttle mapping, steering weight, suspension firmness and so on depending on the conditions, the topography, and individual driving style.
All that topographical information, which the car accesses online as needed, also provides the I-Pace with the ability to provide very accurate EV range estimations, something that’s always been a bug bear for those running EVs daily. Further enhancing that prediction is the use of historical data (your driving habits, your usual routes, the usual conditions you encounter on that route) to dial the range up or down depending on how efficient (or inefficient) the route is.
And if all that isn’t futuristic enough, the I-Pace is also built with an Amazon Alexa Skill, which will permit owners to ask questions about their car via the Amazon app, which then accesses the Jaguar InControl Remote app to get its data. So now, you can ask your phone how much charge you’ve got left, if your car is locked, or if it’s charging, through the Amazon Alexa application.
“We set out with a clean sheet approach to harness new battery electric technology with an architecture engineered from the outset to optimise performance, aerodynamics and interior space. The result is the I-Pace – a true Jaguar and a truly driver-focused EV.” — Ian Hoban, Vehicle Line Director (I-Pace Project), Jaguar
The 2018 Jaguar I-Pace is available to book today from your nearest Jaguar dealership, and will be offered in S, SE, and HSE trims, along with a limited-run First Edition model. Prices start at $119,000 in Australia before various on-road costs. The batteries will be protected by an eight-year warranty, while the car will make use of over-the-air software updates to keep it up to scratch throughout its life. Deliveries will begin in March 2019.
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