DRIVEN: Jaguar’s E-Pace compact SUV

Jaguar has entered what is fast becoming the most hotly contested piece of real estate in motoring right now, the compact SUV segment.

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A place where Audi is already playing with their Q2, and BMW is just about to do the same with their X2. And they will soon be joined by Volvo’s XC40, and what I can only guess will be some tweaked version of Mercedes’ GLA.

Finbar McFall, global product marketing director, Jaguar Land Rover, adds to this sentiment when he says: “Demand for SUVs and Crossovers is growing, particularly in China, with the market predicted to increase globally by 23% by 2020.

“And Jaguar is at the forefront of this demand with our expanding Pace family of SUVs. We are attracting incremental customers – typically couples and young families – who are used to being connected and want practicality and stand-out design.”

There is no confusing the fact that this new offering is a Jaguar through and through.

The F-Type sports car’s DNA is clear, and you can see how it has filtered down from the bigger F-Pace, and also made its way into the, still to be launched, all-electric, I-Pace, that you have already seen on these pages in the past weeks.

I think Jaguar have done a great job with the exterior design, just like they have been doing with most of their new generation.

The exterior is characterised by the distinctive Jaguar grille, larger proportions for a compact vehicle, short overhangs and powerful haunches, that when riding on the optional 21-inch alloy wheels, all contribute to give the E-Pace a rather purposeful stance.

Jaguar E-PACE global media drive, Corsica 2018

Backing up this statement, the E-Pace runs a full house of powerful and efficient Ingenium petrol and diesel engines.

The 221kW Ingenium petrol turbo engine is said to get the compact SUV to 100km/h in just 6.4 seconds, before reaching an electronically-limited top speed of 243km/h.

And if outright pace is not your thing, you can also opt for the 110kW Ingenium diesel engine, which is claimed to use a mere 5.6 litres of diesel for every 100km travelled.

The E-Pace is available with Standard, S, SE and HSE specification packs, in core or R-Dynamic body styles.

And over and above the mentioned 110kW diesel, you also get a 132kW and 177kW option to go with a slightly less powerful 183kW petrol unit.

Our launch route was actually quite a change from the norm, and we spent the day city slicking through the suburbs of Johannesburg, and not tearing up mountain passes.

Here the E-Pace was very much at home, just as I believe it would be out in the countryside.

Every E-Pace is equipped with all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission, which felt bit slow when it came to shifting, especially for such a high-tech vehicle.

The high-output models are also available with Active Driveline – a technological first for Jaguar. This intelligent set-up combines phenomenal traction with Jaguar’s unmistakable rearwheel-drive character.

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The system’s torque-biasing capability delivers optimal stability, dynamics and fuel efficiency.

New chassis hardware, including the Integral Link rear suspension layout, has allowed Jaguar’s engineers to maximise interior space and deliver the responsiveness and agility required without compromising ride comfort.

For a compact SUV, the E-Pace has decent interior space.

The vehicle is 4 395mm long with short front and rear overhangs of 882mm and 832mm respectively.

Its 2 681mm wheelbase can seat five adults in relative comfort and yields a generous rear legroom of 892mm while the large luggage capacity of 577 litres is made possible by the vehicle’s, already mentioned, sophisticated Integral Link rear suspension architecture.

As is the case in this segment, thanks to the younger targeted demographic, digital connectivity can be found throughout the interior, and when they say throughout, they really mean it.

There are up to four 12-volt charging points and five USB connections as well as a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot for up to eight devices. If you need more digital connectivity in a car, then I can only think that you must be running an online casino or mining Bitcoin.

All models of the E-Pace feature the latest generation of Jaguar’s Touch Pro infotainment system as standard. Natural voice control technology, a 10-inch touchscreen interface and a customisable home screen make interactions with the system quick, simple and highly intuitive.

You also get LED headlights, a rear-view camera system, as well as advanced driver assistance systems including Cruise Control and Speed Limiter, and Front and Rear Parking Aid as part of the standard kit offering.

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An optional 12.3-inch full colour digital TFT instrument panel and choice of two premium audio systems developed with Meridian are also on offer, as is next-generation Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) Head-Up Display technology to name only a few of the options.

So, if you have the extra cash, you can dig deep into the extra options basket.

The Jaguar E-Pace is a very worthy contender in this segment and is well worth considering and is on sale right now with prices starting at R598 500.

You can also go online and spec and build your own vehicle using the configurator on the Jaguar website at www.jaguar.co.za.

All new Jaguar cars come with the five-year Jaguar Care Plan: a five-year/ 100 000km service plan, a five-year/100 000km maintenance plan and a five-year/ 100 000km warranty.

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