By Ian Strachan.
A Jaguar with a three cylinder engine? Surely not? But don’t be fooled. The latest version of Jaguar’s compact crossover – the E-PACE plug-in hybrid – thoroughly deserves the big cat badge. It combines performance with comfort in a way that only Jaguars can manage.
The latest E-PACE is powered by a 197 bhp three-cylinder 1.5 litre turbo-petrol engine combined with a 15kw battery-powered motor, giving you combined performance of 305 bhp. So no slouch, and this combination will get you from 0-60 mph in a shade over six seconds.
The electric-only range of the E-PACE is only 34 miles, but this is all about being as kind to the planet as a petrol-powered vehicle can be. CO2 emissions are just 44 g/km and combined consumption is 141 mpg.
The new E-PACE, which is based on the Land Rover Evoque platform, is surprisingly roomy. If you put Jaguar’s F-PACE and E-PACE side by side, you’ll see that the E-PACE is quite a bit smaller, but inside you still feel as if you’re in a substantial car.
Jaguar has combined smart, sporty looks with practicality and bags of internal space. Plus it has class-leading connectivity and a great specification. Pitched into the fiercely competitive compact SUV sector, this Jaguar will rates highly.
Despite being an SUV it still has sleek lines and classy design cues worthy of the Jaguar badge, which sits on an unmistakably Jaguar front grille. The latest design gets smartened-up front and rear bumpers and light clusters and very nice alloy wheels. My test car had 19-inch gloss black five-spoke wheels as a £620 option over the standard 17-inch alloys.
The 1.5 litre petrol unit delivers smooth acceleration and great motorway cruising. This is quite a big car, but its aluminium construction makes it a featherweight – easy for this engine to propel while still being quiet, refined and responsive, married to a silky smooth automatic gearbox.
Ride and handling is as smooth as you’d expect from a Jaguar, and the E-PACE benefits from excellent suspension which absorbs bumps well and improves overall handling and dynamics.
The interior of the E-PACE in SE R-Dynamic specification which I tested, combines subtle style with up-to-the-minute technology. Classy without being showy. The sumptuous leather front seats with distinctive stitching have a good range of adjustment. The tailgate is electronically controlled.
Equipment levels are high on the spec I tested and include satellite navigation with 11.4-inch touchscreen control, cruise control and speed limiter, front and rear parking aids with 3D surround camera and lane-keep assist, automatic stop/start, keyless entry and ignition, DAB radio and sound system with Apple CarPlay and voice control, heated electric door mirrors, dual zone climate control and rain sensing wipers
My test car also came with panoramic sunroof (£990), an upgraded sound system (£600), metallic paint (£670) , privacy glass (£370), heated steering wheel (£205) and a home charging cable (£300). It also had a £1,220 technology pack which included a camera rear-view mirror (hard to get used to but excellent if you have a load in the back obstructing your rear view), wireless device charging, head-up display and interactive driver display.
The E-PACE PHEV P300e R-Dynamic SE £47,920 on the road. This really is a nicely put-together SUV – and yet another leap forward for Jaguar.
