Jaguar I-PACE SE AWD 2019 Review

The Jaguar I-PACE is the reigning European and World Car of the Year. The first of a new generation of vehicles from Jaguar Land Rover, it is in many ways the blueprint for the British car-maker’s future.

Jaguar built the I-PACE on a bespoke new electric-only architecture. It boasts a hulking 95kW/h battery pack and maximises the packaging offered by an EV-only build.

It features JLR’s latest infotainment system and no shortage of luxury… It’s quick, comfortable, spacious and cosseting.

But after a week of living with it, while I love its luxury and poise, I’m not convinced its electric powertrain is any better in practical terms than that of our long-term Hyundai Kona Electric.

Indeed, while this is a beautifully-built, next-generation luxury crossover, there are aspects of its day to day performance that are frankly, less convincing than the much cheaper and prosaic Hyundai EV.

So was the Jag’s big win an automotive case of the Emperor’s new clothes?

Jaguar launched the I-PACE Down Under in late 2018 with a range that spans $119,000 to more than $160,000. Our mid-level MY19 Jaguar I-PACE SE AWD test car arrived with a price tag that starts at $130,200.

Putting the EV powertrain aside for a moment, those dollars buys the significant cachet of the Jaguar badge, a whole swag of luxury and a decent level of equipment.

There are nice big screens, soft-touch and push-button controls and no shortage of glamorous materials and surfacing. As you’d expect, a decent infotainment system is packaged. There’s also decent space for five and a luxuriant amount for four.

The fastback styling delivers plenty of luggage space under the powered hatch.

Noise and vibration levels are also very, very low.

And the build quality puts other ‘luxury’ EV makers in their place – there’s no doubt that experience counts when it comes to creating a beautiful cabin and consistent panel gaps.

Indeed, the I-PACE is a good looking car in a mould-breaking way for the brand and the cabin is a pretty damn pleasant space in which to spend time.

There are, alas, some hiccups. For instance, basic safety and equipment items for which you have to pay extra.

The Driver Assistance pack which includes surround view, adaptive cruise, steering assistance and full-function autonomous emergency braking is a $2230 option on the I-PACE SE. AEB extra on a $130K car? Please.

The head-up display costs an extra $1040 and you even have to ante up extra for DAB+ digital radio.

Add a glass roof (fixed, $3380) and the dollars add up. As tested, our I-PACE was just over $140K.

There are, of course, running cost benefits that come along with EVs which in part offset the purchase price.

Jaguar says the I-PACE should cost about a third of the price of a conventional luxury crossover to run on a per-100km basis. Jag’s figures suggest a full charge at home costs around $15. Last time I filled a petrol SUV I handed over a Mawson and then some.

The Jaguar I-PACE SE AWD’s EV400 electric drive system is impressive in terms of straight-line performance. With a claimed 294kW and 696Nm on tap, the I-PACE is genuinely quick and overtaking on the highway is effortless.

At the same time, the EV drive experience is not entirely to the rest of the I-PACE’s polish. Whether in ECO, Comfort or Dynamic mode, the accelerator pedal needs a very deliberate prod – as if Jaguar wants to tone down that normally instant EV brio.

But the biggest bugbear or doubt I have about the I-PACE revolves around how poorly the Jaguar plays to the inherent anxiety EVs create in terms of estimating distance to ‘empty’.

The I-PACE’s WLTP consumption is 21kWh/100km which translates to a WLTP range of 470km. In my experience that’s at least 100km optimistic.

When I handed the I-PACE back after a week’s driving over a mix of commuting and two extra-urban and highway trips (one to watch the second round of the carsales TCR Australia Series at Phillip Island), the onboard computer pegged consumption at close to 26kWh. A quick calculation says that’s a theoretical 346km range.

I like EVs and am normally not particularly range anxious. The I-PACE changed that. Indeed, rather than a genuine lack of range, what worried me most was the propensity for the I-PACE’s distance to empty figure to plummet, seemingly for no logical reason.

I started the abovementioned trip to PI (around 270km return) with 370km range. Started the return leg with 176km (200km ‘used’) and arrived home with 50km left.

After a little running around the next day and a trip to work (around 25km in real distance), I plugged it in at carsales HQ with just 18km range showing. By then my need for order and mathematics that add up was in meltdown…

In contrast, the little Hyundai is regularly delivering easily more than 400km in real-world range, with actual and projected progress (against range) closely mirrored.

Recharge time seems also to be an area in which the Jaguar lags behind the Hyundai. Using carsales’ Jetcharge wall box, the Kona can easily recharge to full between working day tasks, whereas in five hours on the plug, the I-PACE added only around 130km. That’s not ideal…

And contrast the effectiveness of the Kona’s steering-wheel paddles via which you can ‘tune’ the amount of regenerative braking to the I-PACEs on or off settings buried in the My EV menu on the centre stack. Simply off the pace, I-PACE.

Of course NOBODY is going to cross-shop a $64,000 Hyundai compact SUV with Jaguar’s new technology flagship… But when you drive the two cars back to back, it’s hard not to wonder how much better the I-PACE could be.

As a luxury crossover, it’s quiet, cultured and capable. International Car of The Year it may be, but there are aspects to the Jaguar I-PACE that drive me spare.

How much is the 2019 Jaguar I-PACE SE AWD?
Price: $130,200 (as tested: $140,076 plus on-road costs)
Engine: Two synchronous permanent magnet electric motors, 90kWh
Output: 294kW/696Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Fuel: 470km range (WLTP cycle)
CO2: 0g/km
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2018)