The article was originally produced on March 5, 2018, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Jaguar E-Pace

The new little "baby Jag" is anything but a baby in its mind, but puts other larger performance SUVs in their place.

The cat family is growing fast and the latest addition is the new Jaguar E-Pace. A small compact SUV for the most discerning buyer. It really doesn't feel like it was long ago that the most genuine Jaguar owner squirmed in disgust when the venerable brand from England presented the F-Pace model. A full-scale SUV that broadened the model range in the same way as most other luxury car brands such as Alfa Romeo, Bentley and Lamborghini. Last out is Rolls Royce with its Cullinan SUV. All of these manufacturers would probably have laughed at you if you had said ten years ago that they would build SUV models. Today, almost everyone has bowed to the cross and realized the economic negative of holding too tightly to their, sometimes very conservative, traditions. 

Jaguar started in 1922 by manufacturing sidecars for motorcycles (Swallow Sidecars) and bodies for other car manufacturers, such as Austin, Morris and Standard. In 1931, they presented their own car with the name SS, a name that was, for obvious reasons, changed after the war. The name then became Jaguar and they manufactured both sporty and luxury cars. Then followed a period of various concerns and different owners. Finally, Ford bought the company in 1990 and then, in 2008, sold Jaguar (and Land-Rover) to Indian Tata Motors. Many frowned at the time, but under Tata's leadership, Jaguar has developed in an outstanding way.

Now that Jaguar has taken the step over to the SUV segment, it is doing so with class. Just like the F-Pace, the E-Pace has a distinct front with large air intakes and with the characteristic Jaguar emblem in the center of the grill. Everything speaks for itself about the character of this car. The roofline behind the rear doors would have sloped rapidly if it weren't for the large wing at the top of the rear window. A clear hip section above the rear wheels and the two chrome exhaust pipes give a powerful and sporty look at the rear.

 

The E-Pace has a small format that only extends to just under four and a half meters in length and just over one and a half meters in height. Despite this, the car feels very spacious inside and you sit excellently both as driver and passenger, front and back. On the outside, on the other hand, the small format is advantageous when you need to find small parking spaces in the city, for example. The compact size and above all the short wheelbase between the front and rear wheels is something that you also clearly feel when driving the E-Pace. The car reacts quickly to every maneuver you make behind the wheel and the drive becomes very active. It is not only the compact format that contributes to the active driving feeling. The Jaguar E-Pace has an incredibly well-balanced chassis, of course in aluminum, along with active four-wheel drive depending on which model you choose for the best driving characteristics. To make the whole thing even more compatible for all different driving occasions, there are a number of driving programs to choose from. "Comfort", "ECO", "Snow" and "Track" change the E-Pace's character from a stingy and sober cat to a slightly more aggressive and playful one with a lovely sizzling song from the engine. To be able to offer the buyer exactly what they are looking for, there are a total of eight different model variants with five different engine options. However, it is the same type of engine that sits in it, which is a two-liter machine with four cylinders. The weakest and most frugal machine is a 150-horsepower diesel, while the strongest is a 300-horsepower gasoline engine. All-wheel drive and automatic transmission are standard on both petrol variants. A version with electric drive has not yet been presented, but the sibling model I-Pace has just been shown and it has exclusively electric drive. If the same powertrain or a hybrid version finds its way into the E-Pace, we can leave it unsaid. 

In order to be able to appeal to even the most discerning buyer, the list of options is solid and most things are there. For example, Alcantara covered roof, something you won't find in other compact SUVs. In the center of the instrument panel, one can choose a 12.3-inch screen to control the infotainment system. Unfortunately, Apple CarPlay and the equivalent for Android phones are missing. An update we hope will find its way into the E-Pace as soon as possible. However, the existing sound system is powerful enough to provide a smaller nightclub with sound. In the current situation, it is therefore not only about technology for comfort, but also safety is also of the highest priority. Of course, a matter of course in the E-Pace, which has the most to offer. Lane keeping assistant and autobrake to name a few. A nice gimmick is a silhouette of a baby jaguar at the bottom of the windscreen which is also projected onto the ground when you open the door.

If you are looking for a compact SUV and looking for something that is a little more than the usual, the E-Pace should be just right for you. With fine comfort, nerve-wracking performance and a high level of technology, Jaguar delivers a modern and appealing performance SUV.