MOTORING
Tees Life’s motoring man Graham Courtney gets his claws into the
Jaguar E-PACE and discovers it’s a case of once bitten, forever smitten.
PACE
SETTER
J
aguar can do no wrong at the moment.
They’re flying.
The Jaguar XE is the most advanced,
efficient and refined sports saloon that
Jaguar has ever produced. The XF is a hi-tech
saloon and estate car, while the XJ is one of
the most handsome, premium luxury cars
that you could possibly wish for.
The Jaguar F-Type models are
thoroughbred sports cars, while their SVO
(Special Vehicle Operations) models offer
truly staggering performance.
Meanwhile, over in Jaguar’s SUV
department, the PACE is quickening.
First to arrive was the Jaguar F-PACE,
a luxury performance SUV offering
practicality and efficiency. The latest to arrive
is the I-PACE, which is arguably the world’s
leading all-electric performance SUV.
In the middle of the PACE cars is the
Jaguar E-PACE. This is Jaguar’s first compact
SUV. Granted, Jaguar is a tad late arriving
at this party but, of course, the advantage
of being on the fringe allows you to see
what everyone else is doing. Consequently,
no surprise that the E-PACE is a cracking
car which is frightening the life out of the
competition.
If you’re considering an SUV – whether
small or large – you should take one for a
test drive. Having a Jaguar badge is another
reason to buy one.
The E-PACE is expected to be Jaguar’s top
seller and a hefty chunk of those buying one
will be new to the Jaguar brand. In other
words, now that Jaguar has arrived on the
compact SUV scene, they are expecting
to nick a load of customers from other
manufacturers.
The standard E-PACE is fully loaded with
air con, heated windscreen, front and rear
parking sensors, rear camera, auto headlights
and wipers, bluetooth, cruise control with
speed limiter and a whole array of safety
equipment.
If you want your Jaguar E-PACE to stand
out from the crowd, opt for the R-Dynamic
trim. It’ll set you back around £1,400 but you
get a sporty look to the car plus sports seats
with really smart stitching. It’s worth the
extra few quid.
OUR CHOICE
Jaguar E-PACE
Best 2.0D 180
model R-Dynamic S £35,625
Best engine 2.0D with 180PS
Power 177bhp
0-60 9.4 seconds
Top speed 128 mph
MPG 54.3 mpg
After that you can choose from various
levels of specification including S, SE and
HSE, depending on which engine you go for.
The S trim adds satellite navigation, chunkier
alloys and leather upholstery.
In terms of engine choice, the entry level
E-PACE comes with a four-cylinder 150PS
diesel engine, which powers the front wheels
only. We’d skip this one because you’d be better
off with four-wheel drive. It helps in terms of
the car’s handling.
We’d also go for a slightly more powerful
engine. The 180PS diesel gives the car better
performance, with 0-60mph taking around
nine seconds, top speed of 128mph, yet
you will still manage over 50mpg. These are
impressive figures. If you fancy even more
power and more performance, there’s also a
240PS diesel engine.
If you want increased refinement, make a
bee-line for the petrol engines. As with the
diesel units, they all come with four cylinders
and are turbocharged. They are available in
200PS, 250PS and 300PS power outputs. The
latter is seriously quick, with 0-60 arriving in
under six seconds.
All the engines are quiet and smooth.
It’s the usual conundrum for buyers: if you
want economy, head for the diesels; if you
want refinement, head for the petrol engines.
Swings and roundabouts.
Our choice would be the 180PS diesel
engine in S trim. It’s a car which will be
economical, fun to drive, roomy and well
equipped. Throw in good looks, excellent
driving manners, comfortable seating and a
seriously premium feel to the interior, you can
see why Jaguar has high hopes for the E-PACE.
tees-life.co.uk
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