Jaguar E-PACE P250 First Edition 2018 Review

A familiar tale

Once upon a time Jaguar made only classically styled luxury saloons and the odd coupe and convertible aimed at well-heeled older men.

Times have changed though and less than two years after launching its first SUV, the large F-PACE, Jaguar arrives in the booming mid-size premium SUV segment with its smaller E-PACE.

That alone guarantees it will be popular, but throw in sleek styling, a healthy equipment list and a sub-$48,000 starting price that makes it Jaguar’s cheapest model, and it’s no surprise the British car-maker expects it to quickly become its best-seller.

Broadening its appeal even further, there are five 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engines – three diesel, two petrol – and no fewer than nine equipment grades to choose from.

We won’t go into the their extensive equipment lists again here, but all E-PACEs come standard in Australia with a nine-speed ZF automatic transmission, all-wheel drive, a 10-inch infotainment system and important safety features like automated emergency braking.

So it seems the E-PACE ticks all the boxes and, with prices extending all the way to almost $85,000 (plus on-road costs), Jaguar’s smallest SUV has the potential to steal buyers from both small and mid-size prestige SUVs from the established brands.

Of course these including everything from Audi’s Q2, Q3 and Q5, BMW’s X1, X2 and X3, the Mercedes-Benz GLA and GLC, to the Volvo XC40 and XC60 and even top-end versions of the Volkswagen Tiguan and top-selling Mazda CX-5.

Multi-talented

That’s not just because of its wide spread of prices and specs that straddle both the small and medium SUV segments, but because of overall dimensions that also lie somewhere between them.

While E-PACE pricing overlaps all but the cheapest Audi Q3 and the dearest Q5, its exterior is closer in size to Q3 than Q5.

Jaguar says clever packaging results in an interior that’s a size bigger than it should be. We don’t know about that, but with good head and shoulder room up front, very decent legroom out back and a sizeable 484 litres of cargo space in the boot, it could well be the sweet spot that many downsizing luxury SUV buyers are looking for, even if they’re pre-family types.

Unsurprisingly, Jaguar says the E-PACE is coolest model in the hottest segment and it could be right. But before we get carried away it’s worth noting the E-PACE it’s not based on the same aluminium-rich platform that underpins Jaguar’s F-PACE and the XE and XF sedans, and nor is it built in the UK.

Instead, it’s produced by contract manufacturer Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria and it’s based on the same all-steel architecture that rides under the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque.

Jaguar Land Rover’s D8 platform is a heavily modified version of the EUCD structure that Jaguar Land Rover inherited from Ford before it sold JLR to India’s Tata Motors, and in the E-PACE the result is a kerb weight range that’s closer to the Q5 than the Q3 and not far short of the F-PACE.

That's despite the use of aluminium for the bonnet, front fenders, roof and tailgate, and a magnesium dashboard cross member.

Nevertheless, it helps keep E-PACE prices competitive and Jaguar claims its smallest SUV has the highest torsional rigidity of any Jaguar model, aiding not just refinement but chassis dynamics and ride comfort because its suspension can be more precisely tuned.

Behind the wheel

Indeed, on the road, the E-PACE belies its weight and handles like a Jaguar SUV should, presenting less body roll and better road holding than the bigger F-PACE and many of its competitors.

It sits almost completely flat even during hard cornering and sudden changes of direction, which are rewarding to initiate via the quick steering that’s also well weighted and delivers good communication without any unwanted feedback from road irregularities or engine torque.

At the same time, the E-PACE isn’t overly flustered by mid-corner bumps, delivers ride comfort that’s firm but never harsh – even on optional 21-inch alloys – and always remains quiet inside except on exceptionally coarse bitumen.

Likewise, all of its turbo-four engines can be described as spirited – even the base D150 diesel, which offers plenty of bottom-end torque at low road speeds, and only makes the smooth nine-speed auto feel slow to shift at higher speeds on the open road.

This is exacerbated by the lack of steering wheel paddles, which are almost redundant with the lusty P300 petrol engine, but make top-shelf E-PACE models a pleasure to drive.

Dare I say it, but as effortless as the D240’s high-output 177kW/500Nm diesel is to drive, the P300’s healthy 221kW/441Nm turbo-petrol four almost makes the E-PACE feel like a driver’s car.

And with claimed 0-100km/h acceleration in just 6.4 seconds it's certainly no slouch, although the 183kW/365Nm P250 isn't far behind at 7sec.

Value equation

There’s no doubt this well-sorted chassis is capable of even more power though and so the inevitable E-PACE SVR should be a hoot, but for most people most of the time, the base P250 petrol engine will be more than enough.

Especially when it starts at just over $50,000 in entry-level spec, which lacks leather trim and – like all E-PACEs – Jaguar’s rotary dial gear selector, but still offers JLR’s cool 10-inch infotainment system, LED headlights and dual-zone climate-control.

But spring for the P250 R-Dynamic, which still costs less than $55K, and you score niceties like sports seats, shift paddles, alloy pedals, ebony headlining, fog lights and a rear diffuser with integrated twin exhausts.

Skip the leather-trimmed $57,600 P250 S and opt for the sub-$63K E-PACE P250 SE and get 19-inch alloys, high-beam assist, electric tailgate, 14-way electric front seats with memory, 380-Watt Meridian sound, adaptive cruise control with Queue Assist, high-speed AEB and blind-spot assist.

With this much standard kit in a leather-lined cabin with soft-touch surfaces almost everywhere, it’s no surprise the SE will likely be the most popular E-PACE.

Then again, for about $6000 more there’s the P250 HSE with 20-inch five-spoke alloys, a gesture function for the powered tailgate, perforated Windsor leather seat trim, 18-way electric adjustment with memory and a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display.

There’s a smaller range of options than the Velar offers, but with 38 variants and extras like a 4G WiFi hotspot for up to eight devices, JLR's wearable Activity Key, 21-inch wheels and Adaptive Dynamics (variable damping and torque vectoring by clutch rather than brake), you could face waiting times of up to five months to get exactly what you want.

All E-PACEs come with a fairly ordinary three-year/100,000km warranty and 1800kg towing capacity, but they make up for that with distinctive design, sporty handling and solid value.

2018 Jaguar E-PACE P250 SE pricing and specifications:
Price: $62,430 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 183kW/365Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
CO2: 174g/km
Safety rating: TBC