The camo wrap has come off the new 2019 Jaguar I-PACE, the British marque’s first all-electric SUV is due to arrive in Australia in late 2018 with a starting price of $119,000 plus on-roads for the I-PACE S.
The peculiarly named I-PACE (obviously should have been the E-PACE) will utilise a 90kWh Lithium-ion battery pack to power a pair of “Jaguar-designed” electric motors that produce 294kW of power and 696Nm of torque.
Jaguar’s performance claims are competitive, the I-PACE can accelerate from a standing start to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds.
Performance is also aided via an aerodynamically dictated design (providing a drag co-efficient of 0.29Cd) that remains true to the original concept. In fact, it’s difficult to determine any differences, if any.
The bespoke EV aluminium architecture delivers the most torsionally rigid body structure of any Jaguar according to the press release. There’s also a perfect 50:50 weight distribution.
When it comes to the important stats, Jaguar is claiming a driving range of up to 480km (WLTP cycle).
Owners will be able to achieve a 0-80 per cent battery charge in just 40 minutes using DC rapid charging (100kW), however, a 15-minute charge gives 100km of range.
Home charging with an AC wall box (7kW) will achieve the same state of charge in just over ten hours.
Strangely, Jaguar is yet to announce how long it takes to charge the battery to 100 per cent.
On the inside, the I-PACE incorporates the new Touch Pro Duo infotainment system that debuted on the Range Rover Velar.
Without the need to house a traditional drivetrain, the interior can offer more usable space. In the rear, legroom is 890mm, while storage numbers are impressive. There’s a 10.5-litre central storage compartment and a cargo capacity of 656-litres that increases to 1,453-litres with seats folded flat.
Jaguar will provide convenient over-the-air software updates for the I-PACE, the same process currently used by Tesla.
The I-PACE will be offered in the now familiar S, SE and HSE trim levels alongside a First Edition. If Jaguar stays true to form, expect an options list to rival War and Peace.
Jaguar Australia will support owners with a three year/100,000km warranty on the whole car, however, the battery will be covered for eight-years provided the mileage doesn’t go over 160,000km.
We can now kick off the comparisons with Tesla’s Model X, the starting price of the I-PACE is the same as the Model X in P75D guise, however, it’s probably best compared to the mid-range Tesla packing the 100kW battery pack which comes in at almost $24,000 more.
The Jaguar is a smidgen faster to 100km/h (4.8 seconds) when compared to the Model X 100D (4.9 seconds).
What the I-PACE does bring is some genuine competition that will start the process of making EV technology more affordable.
Full Australian specifications and pricing will be released closer to the local launch towards the end of 2018. Stay tuned.
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