Motor Australia – May 2019

40 may 2019 whichcar.com.au/motor

The Brits take charge of the electric arms race

JAGUAR I-PACE

ADDICTIONS ARE all consuming

• a sensation that fills you with an
  insatiable need to live through an
  experience with endless repetition. The
  satanic acceleration of a performance-
  orientated electric vehicle (EV), like
  Jaguar’s I-Pace, gives you that. You
  know it’s going to hurt your range, but
  the hunger to be thrown back into the
  seat needs to be satiated. And with 100
  per cent of the 696Nm arriving from
  standstill, the urge is too great.
  The theory behind something like the
  I-Pace (and Tesla) is becoming sound.
  But the fact that the first true Elon Musk
  fighter, a somewhat ‘normal’ SUV-thing,
  has come from the usually conservative
  Brits seems anything but commonplace.
  However, normal is an adjective often
  befitting the I-Pace. The middle-spec SE
  is positively upmarket and justifies its
  $130,200 price tag. Premium materials
  abound and the sound deadening has
  been amped up to cancel road noise
  given there’s no traditional combustion
  engine. There’s a Meridian stereo if your

electronic air suspension, the SE’s ride

quality is cosseting at all speeds.

While there’s no price to pay at a

traditional service station, there is in

terms of liveability. Exercise your right

footandtherangeplummets– range

anxietyis real.Takelibertieswiththe

facttheI-Pacecanreach100km/hin

4.8secandtheclaimedrangeof480km

quicklybecomescomical.Puttheshoe

ontheotherfootandyou’llhardlyneed

theleftpedalgiventheaggressive

regenerativebraking.Findinga public,

specialised100kWchargingstationis

vitalasyou’retreatedtoan 80 percent

‘refill’in ‘just’ 40 minutes.

AsgoodastheJaguar’sI-Paceis in

termsofnormalisingEVs,it’shamstrung

in a performancecontextdespite

havingreservesofit. Youcannever

getfarenoughawayfromtheCBDto

exploititsinherentdynamicabilities–

you’reconfinedtocitylimitsdragging

unsuspectingHSVstogetyourkicks.

Ultimatelyit’sanaddictionwithout

enoughconveniencetofuelit.

BELOW

JLR’sTouchProDuo

infotainmentsystem

featuresaswellas

myriadluxematerials

andMeridiansound

➜

ENGINE Twin synchronous permanent magnet

POWER 294kW (combined)

TORQUE 696Nm (combined)

0-100KM/H 4.8sec (claimed)

4.0 WEIGHT 2133kg • PRICE $145,757 (as tested)

Rating

LIKE: Addictive surge of power;

keen, car-like handling for a

heavy EV; ‘normalness’

DISLIKE: Range anxiety is real,

kids; lack of infrastructure; not

overtly engaging; exxy options

05

M FRONTFRONT END.END.JUSTJUST LAUNCHEDLAUNCHED BY TRENT GIUNCO

track isn’t The Sound of Silence.

The thing is, you don’t get addicted

to normal. And with a combined

output of 294kW and 696Nm from the

synchronous permanent magnet electric

motors (one for each axle creating all-

wheel drive), it’s bloody quick. And it’s

not just off the line, with the Jag tackling

80km/h-plus overtaking manoeuvres

with vigour – the rate of progress drops

the closer you get to its 200km/h top

speed. Activate Dynamic mode for

heightened responses and the I-Pace

emits a very ‘cool’ Jetsons-esque tone.

Storing the energy to propel the

I-Pace is the 90kWh lithium-ion

battery stowed in the chassis floor

to create a low centre of gravity and

a perfect 50:50 weight distribution.

Its construction is also 94 per cent

aluminium despite tipping the scales

at 2133kg. That weight is dealt with

amicably, too, with roll impressively

quelled, if not overt body movements.

Rolling on the smaller 20-inch wheels

and with the $2002 optional adaptive