Eco-friendly transport has gained a repute for being allowed to stray from design conventions, as a means to herald a ‘new way’ in mobility. In some respects, it can take an avant-garde direction, as evinced by the tiny Honda Insight hybrid coupe of 2001, or even the current all-electric BMW i3, which contrasts with Tesla’s ‘beauty-first’ stance. However, Jaguar’s design team has adopted a ‘straight-from-drawing-board’ attitude, which is sure to guarantee a ‘double-take’ spin-on-the-heels.
Cramming a space between front and rear axles with a Lithium-ion battery pack ensures that a long wheelbase results on a car that is actually 50mm shorter overall than Jaguar’s F-Pace (its SUV model). In fact, the i-Pace’s wheelbase is 130mm longer. Sitting on a choice of big alloys that can be up to 22.0-inches in diameter is the stylist’s dream ticket but Jaguar takes fullest advantage of a wheel-at-each-corner to ensure that occupant space is maximised.
Cladding the technology in an aerodynamic all-alloy body is an essential move to reduce the weight of a car that tips the scales at a hefty 2.133-tonnes. However, there is measure in the apparent madness of its appearance, with a near-perfect 50:50 weight distribution and a chassis (when fitted with the optional air suspension) that can be hunkered down from SUV height to take advantage of its roll-free, dive-free and pitch-free handling characteristics.
At standstill, i-Pace looks swoopy, yet slightly forbidding. There is an apparent tensile strength to its dimensions, which are more compact than pictures propose. However, it is a driver-friendly package, possessing all of the hide-bound logic expected of Jaguar, complete with graphic ‘Growlers’ just where you expect them, once you crack open the flush-mounted and emerging door handles, also used by the Range Rover Velar.
The Velar touches continue inside, with the digitised triple-screen displays for instruments, sat-nav/connectivity and heating-and-ventilation, which, apart from mild styling deviations, are advanced but logical in use. Sportier seats are optional but the standard offering is accommodating and very comfortable, even though the inevitably higher floor (beneath which the big battery pack is located) feels odd initially. There is plenty of passenger space, front and rear, with around 570-litres of boot space, despite the raised floor level.
Driving i-Pace is a revelation. The headline figures are 295bhp, 513lbs ft of instant torque, which result in a 0-60mph benchmark blast in a mere 4.5s, before maxing-out at around 125mph. Twin electric motors drive all four wheels through a single-speed epicyclic transmission operated by P-R-N-D pushbuttons. Progress can be stately and near-silent, or verging-on-hypercar, with practised and planned use of the throttle, which also doubles as an energy regenerator and slowing medium that turns the i-Pace into a ‘single-pedal’ driving operation. Its nominal range is around 300-miles on a full charge (a 40-minutes supercharge will provide 80% of battery power; 10 hours for full-charge from a domestic wall-box). Three trim levels, S, SE and HSE are available and i-Pace is easy to love.
