By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(February 1, 2020) Until recently, if you wanted a luxury electric crossover utility vehicle, your choice was limited to one: Tesla Model X. However, now both Porsche and Audi have introduced luxury EVs, and Jaguar has been selling its I-Pace, tested here, since the 2019 model year.

The 2020 I-Pace is a sleek, sharp-looking, five-passenger crossover that runs on a pair of electric motors, powered by a 90-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery.

All-wheel drive is standard. It delivers 394-horsepower with an estimated electric range of 253 miles on a single charge – 13 more than last year. However, we found it difficult to achieve that driving range. In just 40 minutes, it can recharge up to 80 percent via a fast charger, but there isn’t a Tesla-like charging network, either.

The Jaguar I-Pace is nothing short of spectacular. It has gorgeous sleek-as-a-sports-car styling, handles like a Jaguar F-Type, is powerfully quick (zero to 62 mph in around four seconds, zero to 100 mph in 10.99 seconds). It’s all-wheel drive with off-road capability, fords water almost 20 inches deep, deep sand, muddy ravines, and negotiates steep mountain trails, akin to a Land Rover. By contrast, Tesla can void your warranty if you take their vehicles off road.



Unlike the cold sober minimalism of the Tesla Model 3, the I-Pace interior is beautiful and stimulating; nothing about it screams EV and it isn’t all that different from the Jaguar E-Pace. Its extra-long 117.7-inch wheelbase allows for a very large interior in a small package. Seats are exceptionally comfortable and there’s 25.3 cubic ft. of cargo space, 51.0 with the rear seats folded. There’s a sizable number of switches, dials, and conventional buttons and knobs for its operational hardware.

That means you don’t always have to fumble around with menus on a languorous touch screen, but we found the automatic dual-zone climate system knobs difficult to use with icons so small and unlit it was nearly impossible to get what you wanted to accomplish. These knobs must be pushed and pulled to adjust things like the seat heater and fan speed and require more time than desired keeping your eyes off the road.

There are redundant steering wheel buttons meant as shortcuts for these functions but are more frustrating than beneficial. Bottom line is that all these control buttons are frustratingly confusing and extremely difficult to understand and operate.

We also didn’t favor the gear selector which again is not intuitive. Inadvertently failing to press the park button creates the potential for the vehicle to roll away. Further, when the vehicle is in neutral, if an unbelted driver opens the door, the vehicle should default into park. But instead, it stays in neutral. Buttons used to select reverse and drive are mounted low and flat on the center console, requiring the driver to look down to choose the proper button because they are impossible to differentiate by touch. Further, the shift orientation isn’t organized PRND like traditional vehicles, rather Jaguar has them as drive, neutral, reverse and park. Very odd. What gives with that?

Other disappointing technology faux pas include the forward collision warning with city-speed automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection. It only operates between 18 and 50 mph and detects pedestrians only up to 37 mph. While we appreciate the systems, we think it needs to operate at speeds above these set limits for high-speed emergency braking.

We like that the I-Pace will automatically dial an SOS emergency call to a live operator in the event of a crash or when the SOS button is pushed for needed assistance. The service is free for the first five years, then requires a fee.

The driving experience is, for the most part, quiet and calm. Jaguar engineers have included a feature that artificially creates an interior sound informing the driver of speed and acceleration. It’s actually stimulating without mimicking the sound of an engine roar.

We loved the way the I-Pace drove: athletic, confident, with quick steering, and absolutely no noticeable body lean on twisty roads, corners, or sharp curves. Even with that, the suspension isn’t overly firm rather compliant and exacting.

The 2020 I-Pace is available in a variety of trims: S ($70,875), SE ($77,275), and HSE 
($81,295). For our testing, Jaguar supplied us with a well-equipped HSE with optional 22-inch split-spoke wheels, extra cost Yulong white metallic paint, premium interior package, heated steering wheel, configurable ambient interior lighting, rear seat convenience pack, panoramic sunshade pack, front fog lights, and a car care kit, for a total MSRP of $86,226.

New for 2020 is a welcomed software update that, in addition to a longer driving range, adds an optimized cooling strategy, a more efficient Eco driving mode, and regenerative-braking capabilities.

Even with its operational frustrations, the I-Pace is a terrific vehicle to drive with superb power, excellent handling and a comfortable, confident ride and experience. But the I-Pace has struggled to attract sales; just 2,594 were sold for all of last year, its first year on the market. Compare that to the Tesla models which delivered over 223,000 units during the same period of time. At the time of this writing Jaguar was offering up to a $9,000 factory rebate in addition to the $7,500 federal tax credit allowance.

Bottom line: We think it exceeds the attractiveness of Tesla but lacks its cult-like status.

Vital Stats
Base Price: $70,875 - $81,295 (Before government incentives)
Price as Tested: $86,225 (HSE trim)
Powerplant: All-wheel drive from twin electric concentric motors with 90kWh battery with a combined 394hp and 512 lb. ft of torque.
Fuel Economy/Driving Range: 80-MPGe City – 72-MPGe Highway – 76-MPGe Combined with 253-mile driving range.
Seating: 5

Crash Test Results: The Jaguar I-Pace has not yet been crash tested by either the IIHS or the NHTSA

Final Assembly Plant: Graz, Austria

Competes With:
Audi e-tron
Porsche Taycan
Tesla Model X

Fab Features:
Gorgeous, athletic styling inside and out
Near-Land Rover on and off-road capabilities
Exceptional driving dynamics