Jaguar unveils new E-PACE SUV in London

Jaguar has pulled the drapes off its all-new E-PACE that will be a direct rival for Audi's Q3 and the BMW X1.

Coming to Australia in the second half of 2018 priced between $48,000 and $85,000, the new small SUV could become the brand's best-selling vehicle - here and overseas.

Sitting below the larger F-PACE, the baby Jag SUV is set to go on sale around the second quarter of 2018 and will be joined in the same year by the pure-electric i-PACE vehicle.

Measuring in at 4395mm long, 1649mm tall and 1984mm wide, the E-PACE is just 7mm longer and 41mm taller than the Audi Q3 but a considerable 153mm wider.

Said to have been inspired by the F-TYPE coupe and roadster, rather than the existing F-PACE, according to Jaguar design chief, Ian Callum, the E-PACE's proportions, silhouette and design elements are claimed to be more sports car-like than traditional SUV.

Hence why, according to Callum, the E-PACE has a long, sleek and low silhouette, a near-coupe-like rear profile, muscular rear haunches and huge 21-inch rims.

According to the Jag design boss, early on in the E-PACE's conception he had to intervene to prevent the little SUV from aping its bigger brother, the F-PACE, styling.

"I didn't want to just make a smaller version of the F-PACE. It was important for the E-PACE to have its own character".

Adopting Jag's trademark grille, the E-PACE strays from the F-PACE's design by ditching its 'frowning' headlamps for a pair of lamps that look like they've been lifted from the F-TYPE.

Inside, the sports car theme continues with a driver-centric cockpit, passenger grab handle and sportier cowled instruments.

Efficient "rear-biased" all-wheel drive
Based on an evolution of Land Rover's LR-MS platform (that, itself, is loosely based on Ford's EuCD platform that underpinned the last-gen Mondeo), the E-PACE mounts its engines transversely, benefitting interior space.

That means the E-PACE will be available with front-wheel drive in some European markets, although the cars we get in Australia will all come with, what's said to be, "a rear-biased all-wheel drive system".

When cruising steadily it can disconnect the rear axle to boost fuel efficiency.

The system re-engages the rear axle in just 0.3 seconds if the system detects road conditions changing, not unlike the new quatto ultra system in the new Audi Q5.

Since it shares common architecture with both the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque, Jaguar engineers were keen to draw attention to the huge engineering changes involved in ensuring the E-PACE drives like a Jag.

These have involved adapting the Land Rover platform to incorporate Jaguar's 5-link multi-link rear suspension while, at the front, a new hollow-cast aluminium front knuckle added to the pseudo MacPherson struts is claimed to provide additional camber for a better turn-in and less understeer.

High-performance urban SUV relinquishes off-road ability
Compared to the Disco Sport some off-road prowess has been sacrificed admit its creators but, along with new adaptive suspension, Jaguar claims the E-PACE will deliver "exceptional driving dynamics" and will be as rewarding to drive as the very best rear-wheel drive sport sedans.

Weight saving has also proven key to lowering the centre of gravity to improve handling. The E-PACE comes with ultra-high tensile steel body sides that measure in at just 0.7mm thick shaving off more than 3.5kg in weight.

Lighter still aluminium is used for the bonnet roof, front fenders and rear tailgate cutting another 34kg from the kerb weight.

That said, weighing in at a portly 1768kg the new E-PACE is only 7kg lighter than a Discovery Sport.

Under the bonnet the E-PACE is available with five 2.0-litre four-cylinder 'Ingenium' petrol and diesels that have all been developed by Jaguar Land Rover.

The most powerful is the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that comes with 221kW/400Nm and can hit 100km/h, from standstill, in 6.4 seconds. Maximum speed? A mere 243km/h.

A less powerful 183kW version of the same 2.0 turbo will also be available.

On the diesel side, the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel comes with the either 110kW, 132kW or 177kW with the most efficient version capable of averaging 5.6L/100km while emitting 147g/km of CO2.

Manual E-PACE models are available in other markets but we'll only have the option of the ZF-sourced nine-speed automatic.

Stylish and pragmatic
Perhaps surprisingly, considering its lines, practicality isn't a weak point of the new E-PACE. There's enough leg- and headroom for a tall person to sit behind a lofty driver. There's even a large 577-litre boot.

Inside the cabin there's plenty of stowage space, from the 8.4-litre large storage compartment between the front seat, to a generous 10-litre glovebox and the spacious 10.6-litre door bins.

There's also five - yes five! - USB and four 12-volt power sockets for passengers to charge their phones, tablets and other devices.

Speaking of technology, the small SUV comes with Jaguar's latest 10-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system and the option of a 12.3-inch virtual dash that, like systems available from rivals like Audi, can be customised to prioritise different information, like a second view of the 3D maps for the driver.

New tech like a head-up display that's claimed to be 66 per cent brighter and more than twice the size of other conventional systems will make its debut in the E-PACE.

AEB standard for Australia
When it comes to driving aids, the small Jag gets autonomous emergency braking as standard for the Australian market. Blind spot detection can also auto steer the car away to prevent a lane change if it detects a vehicle overtaking you haven't seen.

Other assistance tech includes a grille mounted camera to help you see out of junctions, adaptive main beam LED lamps and park assist.

Perhaps the most impressive function is the E-PACE comes with the same All Surface Progress Control that was developed for the F-PACE.

Like the bigger Jag SUV the system acts like a low-speed cruise control that automatically adjusts the all-wheel drive, throttle and brakes at speeds of up to 30km/h to maximise traction on icy, muddy, or wet grass allowing the driver to just concentrate on steering in treacherous conditions.

Built at the Magna Steyr factory in Austria, a second production facility in China will also begin building the E-PACE in 2018 to help cope with what's expected to be unprecedented demand for the small E-PACE.

Said to have taken three years to develop, Jaguar has already released a video showing the gruelling testing the little Jaguar SUV, that's claimed to have involved 150 E-PACE prototypes having to endure more than 120,000 hours of hard driving on four continents under the watchful eyes of 500 engineers.

The E-PACE even had to complete some 400 tortuous laps of the Nurburgring to ensure it is a "dynamic and entertaining performance SUV".

Confirmed for an on-sale date sometime in the second quarter of 2018, Jaguar Australia has announced that pricing for the E-PACE will kick off at $48,000 (plus ORCs) and stretch to $85,000.