2019 Jaguar I-Pace: Crossing Over Into the Electric Market

by Matt Posky

Published: March 1st, 2018

2019 jaguar i pace crossing over into the electric market

After two years of playing hard to get, Jaguar has finally revealed the production version of the I-Pace SUV. Actually, “revealed” may not be the best word to use, as it feels like we’ve already seen it.

The model looks so much like the earlier concept vehicle that most people wouldn’t be able to tell the two apart, even if they sat inside them. The only real difference is that the production Jag has a cushier-looking interior and a tad more ground clearance. Other than that, both vehicles are practically indistinguishable — even down to the flush door handles.

Despite the bewildering decision to name its non-electric compact luxury crossover the E-Pace and its larger, battery-driven brother the I-Pace, the automaker doesn’t appear to have done a bad job with either. While the E-Pace caters to those seeking a small-and-fancy “sport utility vehicle,” the I-Pace is for those seeing an alternative to Tesla’s Model X.

That’s most evident when you compare the two vehicles’ specs. Jag’s entry into the electrified SUV segment places a motor on each axle for a combined all-wheel output of 394 horsepower and 512 lb-ft of torque, which the manufacturer claims is good enough for a 4.5-second standing rush to 60 mph. The entry-level Model X 75D does its 0-60 in 4.9 seconds. However, the top-trimmed P100D will blow the doors off the I-Pace and just about everything else with four wheels with its 3.3-second run.

Similarly, the I-Pace’s 90 kWh battery offers an estimated range of 240 miles. This, once again, keeps it within a stone’s throw of the base Tesla, but it loses ground to better-equipped versions. Jaguar says the batteries can charge from zero to 80 percent in just 40 minutes via a 100 kW DC fast charger. Home charging solutions using a 230V AC wall box will take roughly 10 hours to do the same job.

It’s worth noting that the Model X 75D uses a smaller battery pack (75 kWh) and claims roughly the same range. It’s also a larger vehicle at 198 inches in length. The I-Pace is 184.3 inches long and loses an entire row of seating to the Tesla because of it. But Jaguar says overall interior volume is superb, better than the slightly longer F-Pace, and being a five-seat affair provides extra room for cargo.

Technology on the I-Pace appears to be superb. While there are show-off features, like flush door handles that emerge by way of a button pressed on the door or key fob, Jag has implemented plenty of substantive hardware into this crossover. The flat handles even serve a purpose. Jag says the handles improve aerodynamics, something the automaker fussed over quite a bit in designing this vehicle.

Additional standard tech includes active air suspension and Jaguar’s suite of driving aides. The I-Pace will also be the first Jaguar to get over-the-air software updates via a built-in 4G Wi-Fi. This system can, of course, be synced to multiple devices and Jag has made sure the SUV has an abundance of USB charging ports and storage areas for such items.

An available full-color head-up display projects key information such as vehicle speed and navigation instructions onto the windshield and is supplemented (if you choose to) by a 12.3-inch interactive display behind the steering wheel. That screen offers plenty of ways to customize how the driver sees data, though the I-Pace also has the ability to learn the preferences of various users by recognizing a smartphone’s Bluetooth signal. Once the car senses an approaching driver, it can adapt itself to match the user’s preferred climate control, infotainment, and seat settings.

This can also all be controlled via the model’s center console, which Jaguar says can be paired with Amazon’s Alexa. While the extent of the system’s functionality within the car isn’t totally clear, Jaguar did say users will be able to audibly access any information held in the Jaguar InControl Remote app — which includes things like service intervals and the vehicle’s current level of charge — through any Alexa-enabled device.

The massive glass panoramic roof is standard and shoppers will have their pick of Luxtec leatherette or the optional legit grained leather. There are also plenty of options for interior materials in both dark and light shades. As of today, Jaguar retailers can begin placing customer orders for the new I-Pace. However, U.S. pricing won’t be announced until the vehicle’s public debut at the Geneva Motor Show on March 6th.

[Images: Jaguar Land Rover]

#BEVs #Crossovers #ElectricVehicles #EVs #GenevaMotorShow #Jaguar #JaguarI-Pace #NewCars #SUVs #TeslaModelX

Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

More by Matt Posky

Comments

Join the conversation

2 of 18 comments

Sector 5 on Mar 02, 2018

Perfect accident, gadget-distraction ride. Those electric motors will end up in a classic EV conversion free of distractions...

Like Reply
HotPotato on Mar 07, 2018

"charges on a 100kW fast charger..." ...that DOESN'T F*ING EXIST IN 99.9999% OF THE WORLD. If luxury automakers want to compete with Tesla, they'd better be prepared to build a high-speed charging network.

Like Reply

Recent Comments

FreedMike Not surprisingly, I have some ideas. What Cadillac needs, I think, is a statement. They don’t really have an identity. They’re trying a statement car with the Celestiq, and while that’s the right idea, it has the wrong styling and a really wrong price tag. So, here’s a first step: instead of a sedan, do a huge, fast, capable and ridiculously smooth and quiet electric touring coupe. If you want an example of what I’m thinking of, check out the magnificent Rolls-Royce Spectre. But this Cadillac coupe would be uniquely American, it’d be named “Eldorado,” and it’d be a lot cheaper than the $450,000 Spectre – call it a buck twenty-five, with a range of bespoke options for prospective buyers that would make each one somewhat unique. Make it 220 inches long, on the same platform as the Celestiq, give it retro ‘60s styling (or you could do a ‘50s or ‘70s throwback, I suppose), and at least 700 horsepower, standard. Why electric? It’s the ultimate throwback to ‘60s powertrains: effortlessly fast, smooth, and quiet, but with a ton more horsepower. It’s the perfect drivetrain for a dignified touring coupe. In fact, I’d skip any mention of environmental responsibility in this car’s marketing – sell it on how it drives, period.  How many would they sell? Not many. But the point of the exercise is to do something that will turn heads and show people what this brand can do.  Second step: give the lineup a mix of electric and gas models, and make Cadillac gas engines bespoke to the brand. If they need to use generic GM engine designs, fine – take those engines and massage them thoroughly into something special to Cadillac, with specific tuning and output. No Cadillac should leave the factory with an engine straight out of a Malibu or a four-banger Silverado. Third step: a complete line-wide interior redo. Stop the cheapness that’s all over the current sedans and crossovers. Just stop it. Use the Lyriq as a blueprint – it’s a big improvement over the current crop and a good first step. I’d also say Cadillac has a good blend of screen-controlled and switch-controlled user interfaces; don’t give into the haptic-touch and wall-to-wall screen thing. (On the subject of Caddy interiors – as much as I bag on the Celestiq, check out the interior on that thing. Wow.)Fourth step: Blackwing All The Things – some gas, others electric. And keep the electric/gas mix so buyers have a choice.Fifth step: be patient. That’s not easy, but if they’re doing a brand reset, it’ll take time. 
NJRide So if GM was serious about selling this why no updates for so long? Or make something truly unique instead of something that looked like a downmarket Altima?
Kmars2009 I rented one last fall while visiting Ohio. Not a bad car...but not a great car either. I think it needs a new version. But CUVs are King... unfortunately!
Ajla Remember when Cadillac introduced an entirely new V8 and proceeded to install it in only 800 cars before cancelling everything?
Bouzouki Cadillac (aka GM!!) made so many mistakes over the past 40 years, right up to today, one could make a MBA course of it. Others have alluded to them, there is not enough room for me to recite them in a flowing, cohesive manner.Cadillac today is literally a tarted-up Chevrolet. They are nice cars, and the "aura" of the Cadillac name still works on several (mostly female) consumers who are not car enthusiasts.The CT4 and CT5 offer superlative ride and handling, and even performance--but, it is wrapped in sheet metal that (at least I think) looks awful, with (still) sub-par interiors. They are niche cars. They are the last gasp of the Alpha platform--which I have been told by people close to it, was meant to be a Pontiac "BMW 3-series". The bankruptcy killed Pontiac, but the Alpha had been mostly engineered, so it was "Cadillac-ized" with the new "edgy" CTS styling.Most Cadillacs sold are crossovers. The most profitable "Cadillac" is the Escalade (note that GM never jack up the name on THAT!).The question posed here is rather irrelevant. NO ONE has "a blank check", because GM (any company or corporation) does not have bottomless resources.Better styling, and superlative "performance" (by that, I mean being among the best in noise, harshness, handling, performance, reliablity, quality) would cost a lot of money.Post-bankruptcy GM actually tried. No one here mentioned GM's effort to do just that: the "Omega" platform, aka CT6.The (horribly misnamed) CT6 was actually a credible Mercedes/Lexus competitor. I'm sure it cost GM a fortune to develop (the platform was unique, not shared with any other car. The top-of-the-line ORIGINAL Blackwing V8 was also unique, expensive, and ultimately...very few were sold. All of this is a LOT of money).I used to know the sales numbers, and my sense was the CT6 sold about HALF the units GM projected. More importantly, it sold about half to two thirds the volume of the S-Class (which cost a lot more in 201x)Many of your fixed cost are predicated on volume. One way to improve your business case (if the right people want to get the Green Light) is to inflate your projected volumes. This lowers the unit cost for seats, mufflers, control arms, etc, and makes the vehicle more profitable--on paper.Suppliers tool up to make the number of parts the carmaker projects. However, if the volume is less than expected, the automaker has to make up the difference.So, unfortunately, not only was the CT6 an expensive car to build, but Cadillac's weak "brand equity" limited how much GM could charge (and these were still pricey cars in 2016-18, a "base" car was ).Other than the name, the "Omega" could have marked the starting point for Cadillac to once again be the standard of the world. Other than the awful name (Fleetwood, Elegante, Paramount, even ParAMOUR would be better), and offering the basest car with a FOUR cylinder turbo on the base car (incredibly moronic!), it was very good car and a CREDIBLE Mercedes S-Class/Lexus LS400 alternative. While I cannot know if the novel aluminum body was worth the cost (very expensive and complex to build), the bragging rights were legit--a LARGE car that was lighter, but had good body rigidity. No surprise, the interior was not the best, but the gap with the big boys was as close as GM has done in the luxury sphere.Mary Barra decided that profits today and tomorrow were more important than gambling on profits in 2025 and later. Having sunk a TON of money, and even done a mid-cycle enhancement, complete with the new Blackwing engine (which copied BMW with the twin turbos nestled in the "V"!), in fall 2018 GM announced it was discontinuing the car, and closing the assembly plant it was built in. (And so you know, building different platforms on the same line is very challenging and considerably less efficient in terms of capital and labor costs than the same platform, or better yet, the same model).So now, GM is anticipating that, as the car market "goes electric" (if you can call it that--more like the Federal Government and EU and even China PUSHING electric cars), they can make electric Cadillacs that are "prestige". The Cadillac Celestique is the opening salvo--$340,000. We will see how it works out.