► Jaguar E-Pace SUV
► Smaller than F-Pace, and the electric i-Pace
► UK prices start from £28,500
The i-Pace might be the most talked about Jaguar right now, but that hasn’t stopped the British manufacturer rolling out a raft of upgrades to the E-Pace. The upgrades consist of one new engine, Adaptive Dynamics to improve handling, and Smart Settings which use tech to make your life easier.
Jaguar has often lagged behind when it comes to technology, and the E-Pace’s new Smart Settings tech will help that issue. Simply put, Smart Settings is designed to make your life easier. It learns driver preferences such as seat settings and climate for different drivers, and it’ll also do things such as heat the steering wheel automatically on particularly cold days.
There’s also a new warning that’ll remind you if you’ve left your smartphone in the car. It’s not much, but it is very useful.
Adaptive Dynamics promises an enhanced handling response by refreshing and reassessing damping rates every 10 milliseconds.
There a new engine too: Jaguar announced a new 196bhp Ingenium engine, and it’s good for 0-62mph in 7.7 seconds. As you can tell from its Ingenium moniker, and 0-100km/h time, it’s clear the new engine is built for economy; Jag claims it’ll do a respectable 34.4 mpg.
Read our original overage of the E-Pace launch below.
Jaguar E-Pace: everything you need to know
Finally unveiled with the now-essential pyrotechnic bang is Jaguar’s E-Pace SUV, slotting beneath the rapid-selling F-Pace and sister car to the forthcoming electric I-Pace.
Having built its image on sporting saloons and sexy sports cars, Jaguar is now in the same position as everyone else – make SUVs or get left behind.
The E-Pace was already well into its development when the F-Pace was launched, but the massive success of that car has vindicated the decision to introduce a smaller offering.
We’ll see the E-Pace in the metal at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show, but it’s available to order now.
What stunt did Jaguar pull off this time?
No new JLR launch is complete without there being some kind of record set. For the new E-Pace SUV, Terry Grant set about performing a corkscrew jump – officially called an Astro Spiral Jump – covering 15.3 metres and 270 degrees of rotation in the process and bagging himself a plaque for the ‘Furthest barrel roll in a production vehicle’.
Check out the video below:
That’s after Jim Dowdell drove the all-new XF along wires suspended across the Thames at Royal Victoria Docks and Grant set a record loop-the-loop with the F-Pace when it first launched.
Inside and out in the new E-Pace
Like its stablemates the E-Pace sits on an aluminium and steel structure clothed in aluminium body panels, although it goes a little heavier on the sporty details, include headlights that could be pinched straight from the F-Type.
Although its significantly shorter than its big brother, the E-Pace sits on a wheelbase almost identical in length. Pushing the wheels out to the corners helps cabin space – five humans plus 577 litres of their luggage is possible.
There’s more F-type touches inside too, with a grab handle sprouting from the transmission tunnel and cabin trim designed to echo the F. You can also specify treats for gadget freaks like a gesture-controlled tailgate and the activity key.
Jaguar E-Pace engines
The engine room of the E-Pace is exclusively filled with the aluminium Ingenium units, kicking off with a 2.0-litre single-turbo diesel pushing 148bhp to the front wheels only, making this the only FWD Jag on sale.
On the smallest 17-inch wheel option it claims official figures of 60.1mpg and 124g/km, while the alternative 178bhp and 237bhp diesels send power to all four wheels, via six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic transmissions.
The two petrol options are 2.0-litre turbo petrols with the range-topper offering 296bhp and 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds.
Full engine list here:
- Diesel: 148bhp, 280lb ft, from 124g/km
- Diesel: 178bhp, 317;b ft, from 137g/km
- Diesel: 237bhp, 369lb ft, 162g/km
- Petrol: 247bhp, 269lb ft, 174g/km
- Petrol: 296bhp, 295lb ft, 181g/km
Suspension is derived from the F-Pace with the addition of a lightweight aluminium knuckle on the front end and specially designed subframes front and rear.
E-Pace also gets the full gamut of electronic enhancements either as standard or as an option; adaptive dynamics, active four-wheel-drive, torque vectoring by braking and Jaguar’s all-surface progress system.
Along with a fully kitted-out First Edition, there’ll be a sporty R-Dynamic model to accompany the S, SE and HSE trim levels Jag is offering. The ‘Caldera Red’ colour pictured is exclusive to the First Edition and the limited-run model has 20-inch alloy wheels, a head-up display and a couple of extra practicality features like load rails as standard.
Any other little details?
Jaguar is playing on the pun of its name by dropping in a few ‘easter eggs’ around its new baby SUV. There’s a ‘Jaguar Cub’ graphic etched into the black band around the windscreen and you can even see it in the puddle lights, while jaguar print mats finish the cheeky look.
Jaguar E-Pace price and release date
A full pricing structure hasn’t been released yet, but you can order one now from £28,500.
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