The Jaguar I-Pace Delivers

By: Loukia Zigoumis

Jaguar has been one of the finest luxury car companies since 1935, creating visually stunning, ground-breaking vehicles; now Jaguar is also the first luxury car brand to come out with an entirely electric vehicle—the I-PACE—and it’s designed to impress. While Tesla got us all thinking about electric vehicles, it’s the Jaguar I-PACE that’s going to make everyone want to own one.

Jaguar’s tagline—Born To Perform—holds true for their brand-new electric vehicle, the I-PACE, as I quickly found out when I put it to the test during the global media launch in Portugal.

The Jaguar I-PACE has been in the making for four years, arriving before other luxury car companies like Porsche and Audi, already pre-selling at a rapid rate. Simply put—Jaguar’s I-PACE is the definite leader of the pack, coming in with a quiet roar—one with zero tailpipe emissions, no CO2, and no particulates. The I-PACE is leading the way for a cleaner, more sustainable future.

Rest assured—despite the positive environmental impact the I-PACE will have, it’s still a true Jaguar. The vehicle is luxurious, extremely comfortable, and delivers excellent sports car performance. The five-seat SUV is perfect for families who don’t want to give up a luxurious drive just because they have children. Although the I-PACE may look small and compact on the outside, the vehicle has impressive storage and space inside, including ample rear trunk space.

The I-PACE is very quick—it goes 0-100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds, something I discovered was entirely possible when I raced it around the Autodromo do Algarve, where we really put the vehicle to the test.  It was around my second lap around the track that I felt comfortable going at top speeds. The race track really showed how well this vehicle performed—from braking suddenly, to taking sharp turns, at top speeds—but what really made me realize how incredible the I-PACE is was when we went off-roading on a mountain in Portugal. The off-roading adventure started with a drive through water which the car handled very well; from there, it was up a mountain, on a challenging off-road course. The all-wheel drive system on the I-PACE made for a smooth ride (as smooth as you can get on gravel), and then the vehicle was put into cruise control—called Adaptive Dynamics, Adaptive Surface Response mode—which helped get us down the mountain safely. All we had to do was steer in the right direction.

The I-PACE is an all-wheel drive, 394-hoursepower, all-aluminum body SUV, with 50/50 weight distribution—making it excellent for handling. Instant torque and the all-wheel drive traction gives the I-PACE the acceleration of a sports car.

It also comes with an Amazon Alexa Skill, meaning drivers can ask an Alexa enabled device for information held in the Jaguar InControl Remote app. You can Ask Alexa for any of the information held on the Jaguar Remote app; things like: “Is my car locked?” “What is the charge level?” “Do I have enough range to go to work?” One full charge, by the way, provides a range of 386 km in North America.

Jaguar I-PACE owners can achieve 80 percent battery charge from empty in 40 minutes using 100kW DC fast chargers, and will also have the convenience of using both AC and DC power to charge their vehicle. It’ll take about 10 hours to charge from home using a 230V/32amp charger.

If you find the vehicle too quiet (it is) you can change the settings from Calm to Dynamic, which will give you a sort of… whoosh sound, so you can actually hear yourself drive. Another cool feature of the I-PACE is the regenerative braking system; as soon as you lift your foot from the gas petal, the vehicle will quickly decelerate, which I found quite helpful on my drive through Portugal’s many traffic circles.

The Bottom Line

The Jaguar I-PACE was an incredible drive; on the highways in Portugtal, through narrow village streets, off-roading, and on the race track. It’s a car lover’s dream, with the added bonus of being good for our environment. Driving an I-PACE is not only stylish, but smart.

The Jaguar I-PACE retails in Canada for $86,500. For more information about the Jaguar I-Pace, be sure to visit their website or schedule a test drive.

Loukia Zigoumis is a lifestyle and travel writer who can be found blogging about hotel reviews, cars, beauty, fashion, and travel at www.loulousviews.com.

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