Jaguar I-PACE 2019 Review

It’s pure co-incidence that in the same week the Hyundai IONIQ was launched as Australia’s cheapest electric vehicle, the Jaguar I-PACE arrives as the first luxury EV from a European brand.

But combined with the accelerated roll-out of fast-chargers nationwide, the near-simultaneous release of two landmark EVs at opposite ends of the market could be symbolic of a new beginning for EVs in Australia, despite the lack of incentives until at least the next federal election.

Forget the pioneering Mitsubishi iMiEV, the original Nissan LEAF and the quirky Renault ZOE, because the IONIQ and I-PACE are the first EVs from established brands that are determined to upset the status quo in the emerging space.

For the I-PACE – the first of many EVs to come from Jaguar and the first of many E-SUVs to come from European premium brands -- the immediate target is Tesla, which has become synonymous with luxury EVs including the Model X crossover.

But while it might lack the wow factor of the Tesla’s Falcon-wing doors, the I-PACE not only has its measure on paper, but also stack ups well against upcoming rivals like the Audi e-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQC.

We covered the price and specs of the Jaguar I-PACE here but, to recap, the four-variant SUV range is priced between about $120,000 and $160,000, and powered by two electric motors outputting 294kW/696Nm and fed by a 90kWh lithium-ion battery under the floor.

With a kerb weight starting at 2100kg, the mid-size five-seater is claimed to hit 100km/h in a rapid 4.8 seconds, a 200km/h top speed and provide a driving range of up to 470km.

That makes it quicker than many sports cars and more powerful than some V8 muscle cars.

Details of the upcoming Merc EQC are scarce but in premium two-motor AWD form it matches the I-PACE for power (300kW), torque (700Nm), acceleration (0-100km/h under 5sec) and range (500km), if not price (TBC).

The bigger but still five-seat Audi e-tron should be priced somewhere towards the top of the I-PACE range (from at least $140K) but is heavier (2500kg) and offers less power/torque (265kW/561Nm), except in ‘boost’ mode when 300kW/664Nm is available for eight seconds and delivers 0-100km/h pace in 5.7sec, and a shorter range (400km).

And while the Audi runs two asynchronous electric motors, the I-PACE’s two synchronous permanent magnet motors with rare-earth metals are more expensive and also more efficient.

When it comes to energy density of the lithium-ion batteries, the Audi is best at 95kWh, followed by the Jag (90kWh) and Benz (over 70kWh).

But the Tesla trumps the lots with a 100kWh battery pack, and trumps the I-PACE’s five-year/200,000km vehicle warranty with six years, although they both offer battery coverage for eight years.

There’s no double the physics-defying Tesla Model P100D with optional Ludicrous Mode is the performance benchmark of this group with a staggering 3.1sec 0-100km/h time.

But it will also cost you north of $260,000 (double the mid-range I-PACE) and even the mid-range Model X 100D, which is slower to 100km/h than the I-PACE at 4.9sec, costs at least $192K.

Opening the all-AWD two-motor Model X line-up is the 75D at about $160K and, measured using the old NEDC method, the I-PACE’s range is about the same as the American SUV’s (565km).

So compared to the current ESUV benchmark, the Jaguar delivers more power, torque and performance – but similar range – for much less money.

In contrast, all Jaguar I-PACEs run the same ‘EV400’ powertrain and all of them feel rapid – and not just for an SUV weighing 2.1 tonnes (which is still about 400kg less than the Model X P100D).

Indeed, by any measure, the Jaguar EV is a quick vehicle, whether it’s from standstill, from slow to middling speeds around town, or from 100km/h-plus highway speeds.

Bury the right clog and the British SUV surges away instantly without fuss or any mechanical clatter – just a subtle but ever-present metallic whir that signals it’s no conventional conveyance, inside and out.

In Dynamic mode, max torque of almost 700Nm at zero revs delivers standing-start acceleration so violent it pins you into your seat and startles any passenger.

The Jaguar I-PACE is no straight-line special though, because its chassis is so well balanced and tuned that it handles far better than most high-riding 2100kg SUVs.

Ride comfort – even on optional 22-inch wheels – is plush even on rough roads and yet body roll is minimal no matter how hard you push in corners.

And you can push quite hard because there’s plenty of grip from the standard-fit Pirelli P Zero rubber, giving the I-PACE enormous levels of mid-corner stability and effortless traction out of bends.

The SUV’s polished handling dynamics are aided by direct and well-weighted steering, finely-honed double-wishbone front and Integral Link independent rear suspension, and a rock-solid, relatively low-slung body structure.

Jaguar claim it has 50/50 weight distribution, a 130mm lower centre of gravity than the F-PACE and more torsional rigidity than any other Jaguar at 36kNm/degree -- thanks in part to the under-floor battery pack – and it feels as tight, sporty and well balanced as the best mid-size SUVs.

The 94 per cent aluminium EV platform also helps the I-PACE achieve a maximum five-star safety rating and the avant-garde cab-forward body design is also super-slippery with a 0.29Cd aerodynamic drag coefficient, and even has a maximum wading depth of 500mm.

Apart from its lusty pace and cornering poise, the Jaguar I-PACE’s other trumpcard is the ability to drive it with just one pedal 90 per cent of the time.

Like all EVs, there’s a big dose of ‘engine braking’ when you step off the throttle, providing enough deceleration to negate the need for braking given a bit of anticipation in traffic.

Making it even easier is the switchable ‘creep’ function, giving you the option to remain stationary or amble forward when you release the brakes.

Naturally, the I-PACE also features regenerative braking, which charges the battery as you coast, but it’s only a two-stage system (High or Low; the IONIQ has four settings including off).

The problem is maximum brake regeneration retards vehicle speed so quickly that it’s a fine line between driving smoothly and pitching forwards and backwards as you ease the throttle off and on. More time behind the wheel may help.

The only other issue we had with the I-PACE drivetrain was the transition between regenerative braking and actual braking via the pedal, when it sometimes feels like the vehicle initially increases speed.

Once again, because deceleration is so strong ‘off the gas’, there’s little retardation in the early part of the brake pedal stroke, making it difficult to know how much pressure to apply and how quickly from any given speed.

Again, more familiarity might make this less disconcerting, but the I-PACE’s brakes felt inconsistent and hard to modulate -- even at the end of a 300km-odd return drive from inner Sydney to Bulli via the Royal National Park.

At the end of our drive the I-PACE’s trip computer showed a remaining range of about 100km, meaning we’d fall well short of Jaguar’s 470km official claim.

Then again, we did subject to it to more than a few full-throttle applications – not just in the name of a thorough evaluation but because the I-PACE’s acceleration is downright addictive.

Of course, the staged half-day media drive out of Sydney to the NSW South Coast wasn’t enough to fully assess the I-PACE, nor give us a taste of the range anxiety or charging times that remain the bugbears of any potential EV owner.

But on paper at least, the I-PACE brings big savings over an equivalent conventionally-powered SUV. Indeed Jaguar says it should cost about a third of the price to run on a per-100km basis, with a full charge at home costing about $15, equating to a $1500 annual saving.

The problem is that at that rate (just 11km of range per hour via a domestic power outlet), it would take almost two days to fully charge the battery from empty.

With a 7kW AC single-phase wall-charger from JetCharge ($2280 plus installation at home or work, where it expects 90 per cent of EVs to be charged), Jaguar says the I-PACE can be charged to 80 per cent three times faster (in 10 hours at the rate of 35km per hour).

Better still, an 80 per cent charge is possible via a 100kW DC fast-charger in just 40 minutes (at the rate of 100km per 15 minutes) and Jaguar indicates that a 30c/kWh recharge from a ultra-fast 350kW DC charger would deliver $5.70 for every 100km of driving.

However, unlike some upcoming EVs – such as the Porsche Taycan, which can be charged to 80 per cent in just 15 minutes because it has an 800-volt electrical system), the I-PACE’s charging rate is limited to 100kW.

Therefore it won’t fully capitalise on the new generation of 350kW chargers now being rolled out in Australia, although even the most advanced upcoming EVs will still take longer to ‘refuel’ than a conventional car.

Oh, and among a host of optional extras, Jaguar charges $425 for a public charging cable if you want to charge your car away from home or work, including at the 150 compatible public chargers currently scattered around Australia.

Over-the-air software updates are also part of the deal, as is the Jaguar InControl Remote app allowing pre-cooling, un/locking, timed charging, eco mode and EV navigation.

Riding on a 2990mm wheelbase and measuring 4682mm long, the Jaguar I-PACE is closer in size to the large F-PACE than the mid-size E-PACE.

And while its low-slung, cab-forward, wheel-at-each-corner stance gives it a sportier, more advanced persona – without turning it into a spaceship – it doesn’t come at the expensive of a practical cabin.

There’s a big 656-litre rear boot, extending to 1453 with the rear seats folded, a 27-litre ‘froot’ up front, a generous 890mm of rear legroom and 968mm of rear headroom, 10.5-litre centre console bin, plenty of oddments storage throughout the classy interior, which features an almost-flat floor throughout.

The only concession to style is the sub-standard rear vision through the dramatically sloped rear windscreen, and the squared-off rear-end that looks a bit ungainly from some angles.

Safety is a strong suit across the range as standard, including autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, adaptive speed-limiter, driver condition monitor, stability control, reversing camera, 360-degree parking aid, rear traffic monitor, clear exit monitor and park assist.

However, high-speed AEB, adaptive cruise control with stop/go and blind-spot monitoring are fitted only from mid-range SE level.

All I-PACEs come with full-time all-wheel drive, All Surface Progressive Control, Hill Launch Assist, JaguarDrive Control, electric power steering, an open differential with torque vectoring by braking, coil suspension, passive damping, an electric park brake and pop-out door-handles.

At base level there’s also LED headlights, 10-inch Touch Pro Duo twin infotainment screens, 12.3-inch Interactive Driver Display instruments, Meridian sound, Navigation Pro, 4G WiFi hotspot, keyless entry/start, dual-zone climate-control, Bluetooth connectivity, phone/audio voice control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, three 12V and four USB outlets, and a 60/40-split folding rear seat.

But the base model misses out on other grades’ 20-inch wheels, leather trim, ‘double-J’ DRLs and powered tailgate, and only the top-spec HSE gets Matrix LED headlights, gesture tailgate, Windsor leather, Meridian surround sound and 360-degree surround camera.

And of course there are a host of options across the range, including many fitted as standard to the First Edition, such as a colour head-up display ($1040), air suspension ($2000) and a fixed panoramic roof ($3380), which is tinted but has no blind.

There’s also an array of interior and exterior colour and trim options and accessories, like a black contrast roof ($1495), plus four-zone climate-control, configurable ambient interior lighting, Activity Key, full extended leather trim and DAB+ digital radio.

It’s not cheap, but there’s no doubt the Jaguar I-PACE sets a new standard for electric SUVs – and perhaps even for all EVs, period – and brings the added cachet value of being the first European ESUV.

But as the first in a procession of similar EVs to come from other established premium brands, it will be fascinating to see how Tesla fares – and whether Australians embrace the EV revolution.

How much does the 2019 Jaguar I-PACE cost?
Price: From $119,000 (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)