Jaguar I-Pace review

Pros: gorgeous, great to drive, high quality

Cons: underwhelming range, small in the back seats

You know those long-life sandwiches that the US Army created? The hermetically sealed ones that have best-before dates stretching out for decades? I think that Jaguar has done something similar with its electric I-Pace crossover, because for a car that was launched four years ago, it still feels incredibly fresh, even in the face of much younger competition. Jaguar has just given the I-Pace a small round up updates for 2022, as well as launching a new I-Pace Black Edition model. So, what’s it like?

Jaguar I-Pace Design

There’s little point in trying to deny that the I-Pace is a seriously handsome car. Out of its primary German opposition, only the Audi e-tron quattro comes close to being as handsome, and we still think that the Jaguar pips it to the post for looks. It’s a slightly hard car to define, in that it’s a hatchback that is slightly tall but not really tall enough to be a full-on SUV, yet still keeps the slinky lines of a classic Jaguar saloon. The Black Edition add-ons include monochrome badges and lovely 20-inch gloss black alloy wheels. These trim additions add a faint touch of meanness to the I-Pace’s look, which is nice. 

Jaguar I-Pace Interior

As with the exterior, you’d be hard pressed to credit that the I-Pace’s cabin is four years old. It doesn’t have the minimalist Scandi look of a Tesla Model Y, nor the big-screen stylings of the BMW iX, but it’s a hugely welcoming cabin, and if its separate touchscreen and instrument panel might be a bit old-school, then at least they’re easy to use.

Easier than before, actually, as the central infotainment screen has been updated with Jaguar’s new ‘Pivi Pro’ software. It’s a really simple and logical system, and the graphics look expensive and classy, which is exactly what you want. Bonus points for the fact that the rear-view camera gets its own cleaning system, which is a real boon on mucky winter days. The Pivi Pro system also comes with more smartphone integration (the ability to remotely switch on the heating is really handy on icy mornings) and it gets over-the-air software updates too.

The I-Pace’s front seats are lovely, but space in the back is only adequate. Certainly, compared to the likes of the BMW iX and Audi e-tron, the I-Pace can feel slightly too small in the rear seats, but that’s partly compensated for by the massive 656-litre boot. 

Jaguar I-Pace Performance & Drive

The I-Pace gets reasonable range from a fully-charged battery — Jaguar quotes 470km, and we regularly saw between 350km and 400km while driving the car in winter, which always drains the battery a bit faster. While that compares well with younger rivals from BMW and Audi, the fact is that the Jag isn’t quite as efficient as it seems — it uses a 90kWh battery, which is much larger than the 74kWh batteries used by BMW, for example, Jaguar has improved that battery a bit, though — new software means that you can use 84kWh of the battery’s total capacity, an improvement on before, and there’s an upgraded 11kW AC charging system, which can supposedly add 53km of extra range per hour spent on charge. The DC charging speed remains at 100kW, though, which is a bit slow compared to rivals.

There’s nothing wrong with the I-Pace’s performance, however. With two electric motors and a beefy 400hp power output (plus 696Nm of torque) the I-Pace rockets away at the slightest touch on the accelerator. There is a ‘Dynamic’ driving mode, but to be honest the I-Pace still feels so swift in Eco that you’ll hardly ever want to use it. A 4.8-second 0-100km/h time isn’t quite Tesla-fast, but this car is still as fast as you could ever want to actually go on the road.

Better still is the way the I-Pace drives. It manages to mix genuinely sporty responses with a smooth and comfortable ride quality (standard air suspension, with an adjustable ride height, helps), but it’s the steering that is the best bit. Even though the I-Pace weighs a considerable 2.2 tonnes, you’d never know it from the steering, which has bags of feel and feedback, and which allows you to flick the I-Pace at corners with the same enthusiasm that you might have in the F-Type sports car. It is a lovely car to drive, is what we’re trying to say, and better even than the new BMW iX in that regard. 

Jaguar I-Pace Pricing

I-Pace Black Edition prices start from €78,400, which is just under €4,000 more expensive than a basic €74,940 I-Pace S. For the extra money, you get a panoramic glass roof, a Meridian sound system, 12-way electric memory seats with heating, the black exterior design pack, the 20-inch alloys and premium LED headlights. Worth the extra? Just about, even though the main benefit is in how the pack beefs up the I-Pace’s exterior styling. 

Carzone Verdict: 4/5

The I-Pace, launched in 2018, should be feeling its age against newer rivals from BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Tesla, but it’s just not. This car is ageing like George Clooney, and is arguably even better looking. It’s even reasonably priced, costing similar money to the slower, rear-wheel-drive BMW iX3 - and is far more enjoyable to drive. The big battery means that the real-world range is a touch disappointing, and it’s slightly slow to charge. Equally, you’d have to consider cheaper, longer-range rivals from Hyundai and Kia that are hardly direct competitors for Jaguar in image terms, but which you’d be foolish to strike from your shopping list. Even so, the I-Pace remains a deeply impressive car, and one we’re smitten with. It’s much tastier than a US Army sandwich, too.