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When Jaguar launched the I-PACE back in 2018, it was ahead of its time and one of the first premium electric SUVs on the market. Now four years later, the EV landscape has completely changed, and the I-PACE has a growing list of rivals to compete with. It goes up against the Audi E-Tron, Ford Mustang Mach E, Mercedes EQC, Volvo XC40 Recharge to name a few. In light of this, Jaguar has subtly updated the I-PACE for 2022, with faster charging, improved tech inside and subtle styling changes including a new Black Edition specification. In Ireland, prices for the I-PACE start from around €75,000 and it has a claimed range of up to 470 kilometres.
Styling:
Even though the I-PACE has been around for a few years, it remains one of the most distinctive-looking EVs on the market. Jaguar has introduced this new Black Edition specification which upgrades the I-PACE’s grille, window surrounds, door mirrors and badges to a black finish. Other Black Edition upgrades include a fixed panoramic roof, a tailgate spoiler and premium LED headlights. As standard, the I-PACE gets 19-inch silver alloy wheels, but this Black Edition model gets larger 20-inch gloss black wheels which improve the look.
Jaguar has also added some new colours with 10 options to choose from. Fuji White is standard, but this eye-catching Caesium Blue is an optional extra. In Ireland, the entry model is the I-PACE S and it has a 90kWh battery with a claimed range of up to 470 kilometres, while it gets 100 kW DC charging. Prices start from €74,940.
Inside:
Stepping inside the I-PACE’s interior feels suitably premium throughout, as you would expect from an EV at this price point. The biggest change with the updated model is Jaguar Land Rover’s new PIVI Pro infotainment system, which is also used in the latest Land Rover Defender. This includes a sharp 10-inch touch screen on the dashboard with updated navigation, while higher spec models also get an additional five inch touch screen for the climate controls.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard which is the best way to use the system, and this one has an upgraded Meridian sound system which is a must-have for music lovers. The touch screen system is good, although it does take quite some time to get used to, with a lot of different menus and sub menus to navigate through, especially while driving. Like before, there is a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display which is very clear and displays all driving information very clearly, and the displays can be controlled with various buttons controls on the steering wheel.
When the I-PACE first launched to the market, it had a very impressive interior look and feel and this is still the case with the latest model. Fit and finish is mostly premium throughout with plush materials across the centre console, dashboard and doors. This one has Light oyster leather upholstery which is an €1100 optional extra.
The I-PACE is very spacious up front and the driving position is comfortable with 8-way electric adjustment as standard and a wide range of electric steering wheel adjustment. There’s lots of storage with a large compartment beneath the driver’s armrest, two cupholders which you can take out, a small space for holding coins or pens, and a useful storage tray. There’s additional space for water bottles in the doors and a large glove box to top things off, while it also has has a wireless smartphone charger, USB and USB-C charge points and a 12-volt socket.
The centre console area has button controls for selecting park, drive and reverse, along with controls to adjust the ride height of the car as this one has electronic air suspension, which is a €1765 optional extra. The I-PACE is spacious in the rear seats too, with enough headroom for taller passengers, good leg room and it is arguably better than the Mercedes EQC or BMW iX3 for rear seat comfort. For taller passengers, the middle seat isn’t as comfortable however as the seat is narrow and leg room isn’t as generous.
This Black Edition model has a full length fixed panoramic roof which lets light into the cabin and makes It feel bright and spacious in the rear seats. There’s also useful storage trays underneath the seats, and storage nets on the backs of the seats. Elsewhere there is a usb-c charge point and a standard USB charge point in the rear, and a large armrest with cupholders built in. The armrest area drops down should you need to access the boot or carry skis. There’s also two sets of ISOFIX mounts in the rear for family buyers, but it is worth noting that the I-PACE is only available with five seats and it doesn’t have a seven seat option like you get with the Tesla Model X.
Boot space in the I-PACE is good, with 656 litres of room it’s bigger than what you get in the Audi e-tron, Mercedes EQC and BMW iX3. Drop the rear seats down and space increases to 1453 litres, and the boot floor is flat which makes it easy to slide large items in and out. It has a useful storage area under the boot floor for charging cables, with this area to store charge cables and other items. There is also a small storage area under the bonnet which again is useful for charge cables but not much else.
Driving:
The I-PACE drives much the same as before with a huge 90kWh battery and two electric motors, one of the front axle and one on the rear axle and 400 brake horsepower. With 400 horsepower and all-wheel drive, power delivery is instantaneous; 0-100km/h takes just 4.5 seconds under hard acceleration. While performance is some way off comparable Teslas, it is nonetheless very impressive and more power than you will ever need for day-to-day driving.
The thing that stands out when you drive the I-PACE is the way it handles through corners, It is very enjoyable to drive and it grips the road with confidence. Even though it weighs 2.2 tonnes, it doesn’t feel heavy from behind the wheel with good steering feel and response. It’s definitely one of the best EVs for driver enjoyment. The I-PACE has a lower slung seating position than most other electric SUVs which makes it feel more akin to a conventional saloon to drive.
Our test car is equipped with Jaguar’s optional electronic air suspension which is a €1765 extra and rises and lowers the ride height of the car at the touch of a button. Through corners it is much more convincing than the Audi E-tron and Mercedes EQC. With all-wheel-drive, and some off road driving settings also, it should cope with moderate off road use. The I-Pace’s Ride quality is very good and it is very comfortable even on bumpier road surfaces and with the larger 20-inch wheels on this test car. Generally, the I-PACE is very comfortable and well-suited to Irish roads.
There is two different settings for regenerative braking, high and low, but you do have to adjust this through the touch screen system where most other EVs tend have paddles behind the steering wheel for adjusting this. It is also worth noting that rear visibility out of the cabin isn’t great, due to the small and sloping rear window in the car. That said, the I-PACE now gets a 360 degree around view monitor and a clear reversing camera which reduces this issue when parking.
New software means the I-PACE’s usable battery has increased to 84kWh, and it has a claimed range of up to 470 kilometres from a charge which is more than many of its rivals. We achieved closer to 400 kilometres of range during our test in cold and windy conditions, averaging 21kWh per 100 kilometres of driving in efficiency. There are different driving modes with Eco, Comfort and Sport, but we found the Eco mode offers sufficient power for most driving needs.
The good news is that the new I-PACE now has a three phase 11kW onboard charger, whereas it previously has a single phase 7kw onboard charger. This means if you have an 11kW AC home charger, the I-PACE can fully charge at 11 kilowatts in around nine hours overnight, whereas previously this would have taken around 13 hours in the old model. In terms of rapid charging, the maximum charging speed that the I-PACE can accept is 100 kilowatts, so it will take around 40 minutes to charge up to 80% with a rapid 100kw DC charger. While that is good, lots of the I-PACE’s rivals offer faster rapid charging speeds of over 200kW including the Tesla Model Y and even more affordable EVs such as the Kia EV6 and Hyundai IONIQ5. That said, there are still relatively few chargers in Ireland that can charge beyond 100 kilowatts. With a more common 50 kilowatt DC charger, the I-PACE can charge up to 80 percent in around 85 minutes. This I-PACE Black Edition also gets lots of safety tech as standard including Traffic Sign Recognition with an adaptive speed limiter, a driver condition monitor, lane keep assist and lots more.
Models:
The Jaguar I-PACE is available in four different specifications in Ireland, S, Black Edition, SE and HSE. The entry S starts from €74,940 and it is well equipped with features such as 19-inch silver alloy wheels, 8-way semi powered sports seats, a meridian sound system, thee new PIVI Pro infotainment system and digital driver’s display and lots more. The Black Edition model that we tested starts from €78,400 and it adds lots of desirable extras such as the larger gloss black 20-inch wheels, premium LED headlights, 12-way electric memory seats, the black exterior design pack, panoramic glass roof and lots more, and it’s worth the extra outlay if you can afford it. The SE starts from just over €96,000 with a host of upgrades, while the range-topping HSE starts from a whopping €103,300, making it one of the most expensive electric SUVs on the market right now.
Verdict:
So should you buy the Jaguar I-PACE? Well if you are looking for a premium EV that offers good real world range, has a luxurious interior and that is very good to drive, it is should be on your shortlist. That said, it demands a high price tag, especially in high specification, while some of its rivals offer faster rapid charging speeds. Ultimately, the I-PACE stands apart from most other premium EVs on the market right now in how it looks and how it drives, and for that reasons it remains one of the stand-out premium EVs on the market.