A new month and a new test-driver for the I-Pace. John Kendall reports back on life with the all-electric SUV.

Jaguar I-Pace R-Dynamic HSE Black EV400

P11d (BiK): £77,440 (2%) Range: 292 miles (claimed) On fleet range: 217 miles Efficiency: 2.3mpkWh

Report 6:

The I-Pace’s blend of performance, comfort and handling has been well received

So, the Audi e-tron GT has returned but the gods are still smiling on me because its replacement is the Jaguar I-Pace that Fleet World editor John Challen has been running. Arguably, I should now have a completely distorted view of life with electric cars, having spent time with two of the most expensive. That said, I have driven a number of them over the years and they don’t have to be expensive to be good. I picked up the I-Pace on my return from spending a few days at CES in Las Vegas, so the fact that the I-Pace dashboard had no resemblance to a games arcade was a big plus for me.

It’s many years since I first experienced travelling in a Jaguar but, open-top models excepted, they have been among the quietest cars I have travelled in or driven. You would expect an electric car to be quiet but, in my experience, I-Pace is one of the quietest. I really don’t like noisy cars, whether that’s tyres, wind or exhaust and the I-Pace really is a joy. That’s before I get on to the blend of performance, comfort and handling. You might expect a Jaguar to score well in all categories and the I-Pace really does. The optional Dynamic Pack brings electronic air suspension which includes Active Suspension with Adaptive Dynamics. In short, it’s very comfortable, yet when you want to tap into the 696Nm of torque and open up the performance, it gives impressive body control.

And the downside? The range is disappointing. Jaguar quotes a WLTP range of 255 miles, but the best I have seen is 217 after a full charge, which sunk to 197 in a recent cold snap. For me that makes the difference between a return trip to London without charging and having to stop for some expensive electricity. A usable 250 miles would make a difference.

John Kendall

Report 5:

There’s room for a laptop in the frunk – but would you really store one there?

When it comes to storage, the I-Pace ticks a lot of boxes. Huge boot, plenty of door bin space and a sizeable centre console bin. Even the glovebox isn’t tiny. But there’s one more location that I haven’t gone near: the frunk.

To be honest, while they are a common enough feature in EVs, I barely register their existence. Partly because they seem a bit of a faff to access, compared with popping a button to get into the boot, but also because of their size and/or dimensions.
A laptop fits in there, but then it also sits alongside me – inside the car! At worst, it could be positioned under the seat or in the holders at the back of the front seats. First aid kit? Maybe, but then – again – having it easier to access would be better. I’m actually fascinated in what people keep in their frunks (feel free to let me know, dear EV drivers) and why.

Admittedly it’s a very different proposition – and not readily available in the UK – but I remember talking to the guys involved in the development of the Ford F-150 Lightning, who had designed the truck’s frunk to swallow a bagged set of golf clubs. Now THAT makes sense. But in the Jaguar? I’m not so sure what benefit it serves, other telling people your car has a frunk!

Something that does make a lot of sense – and which has come in handy during the recent bouts of cold weather – is the ability to warm up the car (and clear ice off the windows) via the Jaguar’s Remote app. In my experience it occasionally takes a bit longer than some other systems to make a connection, but it always gets there in the end. The heating system is very effective and efficient, with a comfortable temperature being reached in a relatively short space of time.

John Challen

Report 4:

A ‘perfect storm’ of colder weather and shorter journeys has brought the driving range down for the I-Pace

A couple of recent announcements from JLR have focused on safety and security of the company’s products, given issues around thefts and insurance issues.

The latter was the introduction of bespoke insurance policies for drivers of both new and used Range Rovers and Jaguars. The news came as part of a £10m investment in vehicle security (the first announcement) to reduce keyless thefts in the UK. While, out of the two brands, Range Rovers are predominantly targeted, Jaguar models are not immune.

In a world of connected services, the ‘Remote’ smartphone app is part of the solution. The fact that I’ve been reminded to lock the doors has been mentioned on here before, but the app offers so much more than that. A rundown of everything else that could be opened – bonnet, boot, windows – is included and there is a ‘Guardian Mode’ to monitor the car and alert you if there is any interference. All journeys are logged easily and simply, while state-of-charge information is clearly visible.

Behind the wheel, the dual heating sources for seats and steering wheel have really come into their own over the past few weeks. The systems can vary in the automotive world, but in the Jaguar they are quick to heat and maintain a decent temperature throughout. Elsewhere, the state of English roads has been tempered by the I-Pace’s dynamics technology – the Jaguar is fitted with active suspension with adaptive dynamics, adaptive surface control and electronic air suspension. It’s not quite billiard table smooth, but it’s noticeably more stable than other vehicles that have covered the same route in recent months.

A combination of colder weather and quite a few short journeys has brought the driving range down. We hit a low after a full charge of 211 miles, but it’s now back up to 240, although that’s clearly someway off the claimed best. That’s still plenty of miles though and, as a recent trip from the south coast to Derby and back showed, when the charging infrastructure works as it should do, it doesn’t intrude on trips at all.

John Challen

Report 3:

As shown by our budding road test assistant, the Jag’s boot is cavernous

Whether it’s large items of furniture being moved to their new home, a load of stuff for the tip, four bags ahead of a lads’ trip to Prague, or Bruno the cockerpoo, the I-Pace’s boot has been in huge demand recently. Thankfully, it’s pretty cavernous, which means no problems when it comes moving a lot of things around very quickly.

I’ve made no secret about the size of the Jag, but the majority of the time it’s a positive, not a negative. Moving forward from the boot, there’s a load of space for rear passengers – typically the growing Challen Jnrs – and it’s exactly the same upfront.

Staying in the rear though, the next generation have discovered the rear heated seats. A drop in the temperature has meant they’ve been working overtime – and very efficient they are too. From my perspective, the same can be said of the steering wheel heater – still my favourite technological ‘innovation’ in the automotive world for a long time.

Staying on the tech theme, the infotainment system continues to impress, with seamless connectivity to multiple devices and an easy-to-operate menu screen. At a time where technology advances so quickly – especially in cars – it’s encouraging to see that the Jaguar system in the I-Pace remains effective and dependable. The shortcuts are sensible and the menus don’t leave you puzzled as to how to complete relatively simple tasks. Sometimes you just want to get in and drive, without repeated taps of a screen purely to make you comfortable and/or ready for a long drive.

However, the ‘leaving the car unlocked’ issue has taken a turn – I’ve had a couple of alerts from the Jaguar Remote app asking me if I want to lock the car, but it’s locked already!

Economy-wise, lots of short journeys have taken their toll and we’re running at 2.5mpkWh now. Not great when compared with some of the competition out there for the I-Pace.

John Challen

Report 2:

The Jaguar Remote app comes to the rescue if the doors are left unlocked

The I-Pace might be one of the ‘original’ EVs on the market, but it still offers pretty much everything you would expect from a new model on the block. That’s partly down to connectivity attributes and over-the-air software updates, which ensure that everything onboard the Jaguar is kept up to date, enabling a seamless driving experience.

As I mentioned before, it was almost ahead of its time when it burst onto the scene and the design has not dated like other cars – ICE or EV.

After living with the BMW iX1 for a while, the I-Pace takes comfort levels up a notch (you may have read Mr Wikner’s comments about the ride quality of the German machine).

Despite rolling on 22-inch wheels, the big Jaguar is smooth over some relatively rough roads, which pleases me and my variety of passengers – human and canine. The performance is good, considering we’re talking about a car with a gross vehicle weight of 2,670kg. It’s not lightning quick, like some other EVs, but a zero to 60mph time of 4.5 seconds is not to be dismissed. Plant your foot on the throttle and there’s an instant response – thankfully the regenerative braking kicks in when you lift off helps ensure that not all of those valuable miles are used up too quickly.

There have been a few niggles, specifically the sound system, which has now twice decided to function using just one of the speakers. I’m not quite sure why, but the old ‘turn it off, leave it for a bit and then turn it back on again’ routine has done the trick on both occasions.

The other thing that I’m struggling with is – as stupid as it sounds – locking the doors when I park up on the driveway. It’s not difficult – it’s simply a press of a button – but I just, on occasion, forget to do it (maybe because the past few cars have locked as you walk away from them). Thankfully, the Jaguar Remote app comes to the rescue (or, occasionally, messages from members of the family) and alerts me to the situation.

Again, it’s a quick press of another button (within the app) and the car is safely secured. No excuses for keeping it locked now, then…

John Challen

Report 1:

We’re currently getting around 249 miles out of our long-term Jag

Ahead of its forthcoming reinvention as an all-electric brand, Jaguar has given its I-Pace a refresh, five years after the car first burst onto the scene. It’s testament to the design, engineering and marketing departments at Jaguar that the big battery electric vehicle doesn’t feel its age – probably something to do with the fact that it seemed almost ahead of its time when it was launched.

Back then, the choice of electric vehicles was minuscule, compared with the many models on the market now. But it still holds its own as a very well appointed, comfortable and useable electric vehicle. Upgrades for the MY24 version include a refresh of the exterior – including a new front ‘grille’ – and a WLTP driving range of up to 292 miles. Inside, the infotainment system is slick and the mobile connectivity is seamless – I seem to have defaulted to using Android Auto and Google Maps, in place of the car’s sat nav. That’s no slight on the in-built system, though – more an illustration of a) how well the smartphone connectivity works and b) how long it’s taken me to make the best use of the technology! Another great feature is the inclusion of a ‘old’ USB charging point, as well as the useless to me (because I don’t have the right cables) USB-C one. Wireless charging is great, but it’s not the fastest.

The Jaguar and I have done a fair few long journeys sine it arrived, but a full recharge isn’t troubling the WLTP figure – the best yet has been 249 miles. But that figure has risen since the big Jag arrived, so I’m not too concerned just yet! There is a lot to get into regarding features, functions and options, which I will be sure to over the next few months. Right now, it’s time to prepare for another airport run!

John Challen