Early in 2018, Jaguar launched its first all-electric vehicle — the I-Pace. Interestingly, contrarily to most other manufacturers who got their electric start with smaller vehicles, Jaguar chose, instead, to design what it classifies as a utility vehicle.
A chat with Jaguar production studio director and SVO projects Wayne Burgess answered my question on the matter — designing an emission-free SUV awarded the company more environmentally-friendly brownie points, aka CO2 credits.
That and the higher stance and roomier profile of an SUV was much easier to work with than a vehicle with a smaller footprint.
Jaguar’s decision paid off; the model captured the hearts of drivers around the world and has since won countless accolades. Earlier this year, it was crowned AJAC’s 2019 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year — the first electric vehicle to receive the title — and 2019 Canadian Green Utility Vehicle of the Year as well as the 2019 World Car of the Year award, completing a hat trick of awards by also snatching the Best Design and Best Green Car titles. The list of prizes the model has received is dizzying and most journalists seem to agree that the I-Pace is an outstanding vehicle.
While I tend to agree with my colleagues on a number of these points, I also feel the need to point some of the flaws of the much-celebrated design.
It goes without saying that the I-Pace is a striking vehicle. The design team, under Ian Callum’s leadership, worked hard to create a balance between something that belongs in the Kitty-branded lineup, but that also stands out from the lot.
The result is an SUV-not-so-SUV model that had everyone asking me what I was driving when they couldn’t quite figure out what they were looking at.
As beautiful as the silhouette is and as generous as the greenhouse seems to be, visibility out of the well-groomed cabin is a challenge.
While from the outside, the rear window looks to be a decent size, because of its leaning angle, from the inside, the opening is actually pretty small, verging on insufficient.
You might want to remove the backseats’ headrests because they further impeded visibility — I can’t imagine what it’s like with a full bench of passengers.
The massive b-pillar that gives the vehicle’s profile a dynamic presence also blacks out the left-hand-side blind spot, making the usual shoulder check exercise obsolete. Blind spot detector it is.
The retractable door handles — a feature also found on the newest Land Rovers — is one of those fancy elements that look really good on paper but worry me in a real Canadian life context. While retracting the handles streamlines the vehicle’s silhouette by eliminating resistance, it also creates a potential for an electrical malfunction that will leave you locked outside of your car.
I didn’t experience any issues with the Jag itself but have in the past with another JLR product — the handle wouldn’t come out, and it wasn’t even cold. Imagine with some snow and ice build up.
Once you’re relieved to see the handles pop out, you are welcomed into an elegant, premium cabin. The interior of the vehicle does justice to the exterior design.
The contrast of two-tone, leather-clad and hard reflective surfaces gives the cabin an undeniably high-end feel. The dashboard cascades into an airy, floating console that integrates two touchscreen displays.
While it’s all very pretty to look at, daily usage takes a bit of time to figure out. My personal challenge was to find my way around the climate controls. The knobs located on both sides of the lower screen double as temperature, heated seat, and fan controls — it’s all a matter of pulling, pushing and twisting in the right sequence.
The all-electric EV400 powertrain teams a 90 kWh battery with two permanent magnet synchronous electric motors which allow the I-Pace to produce a staggering 394 horsepower and 512 lb.-ft. of torque.
Top speed is rated at 200 km/h and Jaguar states that the SUV will achieve the 0-100 in 4.8 seconds. A variety of driving modes, including off-road and snow and ice adapt the handling and the height of the suspension to the road conditions and, yes, the model is equipped with the all-wheel drive.
The best part about these high-adrenaline numbers is that all this power is readily available — there’s no frustrating lag. The absence of mechanical components between the accelerator, the transmission, and the engine creates a seamless, instant connexion that sends the vehicle flying almost instantly.
Driving the I-Pace can truly be exhilarating if you are willing to sacrifice a few kilometres of range. The quality of the cabin and the absence of a revving engine delivers your dose of adrenaline in the most Zen way possible. The vehicle drives and handles beautifully. I wasn’t going to complain about everything.
Speaking of range, the Jaguar I-Pace is rated at 377 km — though real-life usage has proven to be much closer to the 300-km mark. I got to drive the I-Pace in January, in the dead of winter, during one of Toronto’s coldest week of the year. By now, we all know that winter is the electric vehicles’ nemesis, especially for someone like me who doesn’t have access to a sheltered parking spot with a convenient outlet for overnight charging.
A week behind the well saw me put roughly 100 kilometres on the vehicle, though the remaining range seems to suggest I did more. I easily lost 160 km in range over the course of the week, a 60-kilometre differential that explains why you likely won’t ever get 377 km out of a single charge. Unless you turn all the systems off and drive downhill with the wind on your back.
Pro tip: The massive battery will likely not get a full charge with a regular household outlet overnight. If you are considering the I-Pace, throw in a few extra grand to get a proper Level 2 charger installed. This will allow you to enjoy the vehicle’s full electric potential a lot more efficiently.
With a starting price of $89,800, the Jaguar I-Pace fulfils its role as a premium electric vehicle rather well. Is it the best electric vehicle around?
No, it’s not. In the same price range, the Tesla Model S has a range rated at 459 km and costs roughly $500 a year to operate according to NRCAN.
For much cheaper, the Hyundai Kona Electric is rated at 415 km with a yearly operating cost of $450. With 377 km and an estimated yearly cost of $715, the Jag leaves a lot of room for improvement.
What the 2019 Jaguar I-Pace does have to offer is the sexiest look currently offered on the market.
The specs
Model: 2019 Jaguar I-Pace
Engine: 90 kWh battery with two permanent magnet synchronous electric motors
Transmission: JaguarDrive, all-wheel drive
NRCan rating (Le/100km city/highway): 2.9 / 3.3
Length: 4,682 mm
Width: 2,139 mm
Wheelbase: 2,990 mm
Price: $89,800 base, $103,110 as tested, including freight
Competition: Tesla Model X, Audi e-tron
Standard equipment: 18" 15 Spoke “Style 1022” Alloy Wheels, LED Headlights, 8-Way Semi-Powered Luxtec Sports Seats, Touch Pro Duo, Interactive Driver Display and Meridian Sound System, Park Package Including Park Assist, 360° Parking Aid and Rear Traffic Monitor, Connectivity Features Include: Remote, Navigation Pro, Connect Pro (Smart Settings, Pro Services, 4G Wi-Fi Hotspot) and Stolen Vehicle Locator
