Jaguar I-PACE Review & Prices

As an electric, five-seat SUV, the Jaguar I-Pace has a tricky brief to fill. After all, some people like their Jaguars to be smooth, quiet limousines, whereas others want their Jag to be rapid, with the growl of a large performance engine. Preferably V8.

The good news is that the I-Pace is a bit like a big cat that’s lost its voice. It’ll still outrun sports cars and turn heads, but it does it without growling.

In terms of straight-line speed or going around corners, it’s great. In fact, it’s more fun to drive than an Audi e-tron, Mercedes EQC or Tesla Model X, although the BMW iX3 is also a useful drive.

But where the Tesla comes with one vast portrait touchscreen, the Jaguar I-Pace has three smaller displays. There’s one behind the steering wheel replaces conventional analogue dials while the two on the centre console handle all the car’s climate control, satellite navigation and media playback functions.

Its screens are all bright and responsive to use, with easily navigable menus, although the way the dash-mounted ones are angled means they can reflect sunlight quite badly, making them difficult to see clearly while driving. Still, at least sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are all included.

EV Range Test: Audi e-tron v Jaguar I-Pace v Kia e-Niro v Mercedes EQC v Nissan Leaf v Tesla Model 3

And the I-Pace’s interior is futuristic but also genuinely plush – something you couldn’t honestly say about a Tesla – with lashings of leather, cool brushed aluminium and soft plastic trims dotted around its cabin.

There’s loads of adjustment – including low down at the lumbar – in the front seats to help you get comfortable and plenty of headroom so you won’t feel cramped, even if you’re very tall. Space in the back is also pretty generous for two adults, however three adults sat across the rear seats is a squeeze.

At least the Jaguar’s boot is impressively roomy – it’ll happily swallow 100 litres more luggage than an Audi Q5, BMW X3 or Mercedes GLC, easily managing a couple of large suitcases or a large pushchair.

Even with four passengers onboard and a boot full of luggage, the Jaguar I-Pace drives more like a sports car than a high-riding SUV. Its two electric motors power the front and rear wheels respectively, kicking out a total of 400hp, helping it accelerate from 0-60mph in a scorching 4.5 seconds. That’s faster than a Porsche Cayman sports car.

Plus, the Jaguar’s heavy batteries are tucked neatly under the floor which stops its tall body from leaning excessively in tight corners. In fact, the I-Pace is genuinely good fun to drive, with well-weighted steering and an eagerness to change direction. That does come at the expense of some comfort on bumpy roads at low speeds, but it’s much smoother on the motorway and certainly never crashes into ruts and potholes.

The I-Pace isn’t all about speed, though – Jaguar claims it’ll do up to 298 miles between charges. That’s not quite as much as the Tesla but more than enough for the daily commute.

As things stand with our charging infrastructure, spending 60 minutes using a public 50KW fast-charger is enough for a 168-mile range, while a full charge takes around 13 hours from a 7KW household wall charger. Use a standard three-pin socket and a full charge will take considerably longer. We’re talking days, not hours. If you are concerned where you can charge an I-Pace, take a look at our electric car charging points map.

That impressive range means the Jaguar I-Pace is suitable for long-distance motorway drives, so it’s good to see it comes with bundles of safety kit and (in top-spec HSE models) advanced autonomous driving features that’ll accelerate, brake and even steer for you on motorways – perfect for taking the sting out of rush hour on the M25. It’s just a shame there’s quite a bit of tyre roar kicked up at these higher speeds to be put up with.

So, if you’re looking for a practical electric family car that’s packed full of tech and fast enough to put a big grin on your face then the Jaguar I-Pace deserves your full attention. Head over to our Jaguar deals for the very best prices. You can even find some great used Jaguar i-Pace deals here.

There are a number of different trim options in the I-Pace range: S; SE; Black; HSE and HSE Black. Even with the entry level model, the car is well-equipped with 18-inch alloys, LED headlights and a three-screen infotainment setup. 

Move through the range and more gadgets are added, including 20-inch wheel and heated and ventilated seats on the HSE – and a panoramic sunroof and upgraded sound system on the HSE Black.

Price-wise, the Mercedes EQC starts off a little higher, but the most expensive model is less than that of the Jaguar, but not by much. Meanwhile, the Audi e-tron is the more expensive option, the price of the base model not too far off the range-topping Jag.

There’s no mistaking that the I-Pace is a Jaguar with its performance, but watch out for the brakes, and drivers might struggle to see everything out of the back window, but cameras and sensors will help out here

In town

There’s a sporty feel to the Jaguar – as you would expect from a brand with this heritage. That means that when driving around towns or cities at lower speeds the suspension doesn’t cope as well as some might light when going over bumps in the road. Things improve when you increase the speed, but that’s obviously not advisable along the high street!

However, air suspension is available as an option, which makes things more comfortable.

Visibility out of the front window is very good because you are faced with a huge pane of glass that gives a great view of the road ahead. It’s slightly hampered by large thick pillars between the windscreen and the door, which almost create their own blindspot.

Meanwhile, rear visibility isn’t that great, either. The window is quite small and the exterior design of the car means that the rear pillar creates its own large blindspots either side of the glass.

The brakes can behave quite strangely, switching from not doing much when you press down, to suddenly biting and then bringing you – and the car – to a complete stop. It’s almost like there are two stages, which can be explained by the way the regenerative braking system is set up in order to conserve energy.

On the motorway

While the comfort level improves as the speed increases, drivers will experience more tyre noise when heading up and down motorways. That can become annoying, even if there is no engine noise (obviously, due to the fact there is no actual engine), but that’s why it is so noticeable.

However, on the move, the car feels smooth and inspires confidence through its decent ride and impressive acceleration. That is especially welcoming when looking to overtake, with other cars being passed and dispatched with ease. Be aware, though, that the faster you drive, the quicker your range will fall as the battery/electric motor combo is working harder to deliver the performance that is being required to press on down the main roads.

On a twisty road

Jaguar stands for sportiness, but that can be a challenge when faced with a car that weighs more than two tonnes. However, when cornering, things stay pretty stable – there is minimal roll and at no point do you feel that the I-Pace is out of shape.

That sportiness translates into really impressive performance, too. Powered by two electric motors – one at the front, one at the rear – the I-Pace will hit 60mph from a standstill in under five seconds.

The Jaguar is great fun to drive through the bends, with precise, nicely weighted steering giving drivers confidence to attack corners with gusto, safe in the knowledge that there is a good level of grip and poise available.

There is loads of storage in the I-Pace, apart from in the glovebox which is a bit stingy on space. There’s no opportunity for through-loading either, but fold the seats down and there’s acres of room available

The interior offers a clear and clutter-free design, but manages to integrate a lot of storage spaces all around the car. For example, there is a large area behind the heating controls and some smaller elements for items such as a mobile phone close to the central storage area under the armrest. Here you will also find two cupholders and a deep storage bin with charger point for electronic devices.

The door bins are spacious and will easily accommodate large bottles or other similarly sized items. However, the glovebox is a bit of a letdown because it’s not as large as that seen in models from some other manufacturers such as Mercedes, BMW or Audi.

Those buyers who choose the HSE model from the I-Pace range will be rewarded with leather sports seats that not only look good but feel really comfortable and supportive too.

Space in the back seats

Access to the rear seats is hampered slightly by the exterior wheel arch, which impedes slightly and means you feel like you have to climb over it to get it.

However, once inside, the rear of the I-Pace is a nice place to be. There is loads of headroom and legroom – this Jaguar is a spacious car – meaning that you are able to stretch out easily.

The door bins aren’t the largest, but there is a central pull-down armrest, which contains two more cupholders and a small storage place for either a small book or mobile device.

There is no option of carrying long objects with the rear seats in situ – Jaguar decided to go against offering any kind of ‘Ski hatch’ enabling access to the boot from the rear seats. Another mark off the interior for the flimsy covers over the ISOFIX child seat points – but at least it does have the fixings in the first place!

The floor is relatively flat, but the central rear seat is compromised with limited headroom. In the rear, you’ll also find USB charging points and a 12V socket.

Boot space

The boot is huge – slightly larger, in fact, than Jaguar’s F-Pace SUV – despite the batteries being housed in the floor, which brings the boot level up a bit. The parcel shelf is very light but there is nowhere to stow it when it’s removed, which isn’t ideal.

Fold the rear seats down and, while the floor won’t be completely flat, there’s still a very decent open space and no boot lip, meaning loading and unloading items can be done easily as they will slide right to the back of the loadspace.

There are plenty of hooks for bags and other items, as well as a 12V charging socket for extra power at the rear of the I-Pace. On the whole, the boot carries on the practicality theme that is seen elsewhere throughout the cabin.

There’s loads of data across the screens in the front of the car, but the buttons to navigate through the menus might be a bit small

Despite the I-Pace representing the future of motoring with its electrified powertrain, it feels like a classic Jaguar interior. It’s got a sporty seating position and the steering wheel can be adjusted in all directions to ensure that you find your optimal comfort level.

The quality of the interior is generally on a par with modern Jaguars with a mixture of quality soft plastics and fabric trim on the doors. The leather steering wheel feels substantial and sturdy and offers numerous controls within it to make it easier to operate the infotainment system.

The digital display takes the form of two central screens and a driver’s display, offering plenty of information that drivers can access about the car and its performance. Compared with the systems offered from the likes of Audi and Mercedes, the Jaguar I-Pace’s technology is more subtle and understated, with fewer colours used, so it blends into the background a bit more than the German equivalents.

The 12-inch driver’s screen can be customised with whatever information you desire, for example, navigation, trip information or audio details. A head-up display is available as an option, making it easier to spot your speed or follow directions on the navigation system.

The top main central screen is large enough, but can be a bit confusing to operate at times. Some of the menu buttons spread across the bottom of the screen might be a bit small for some users and difficult to use, but it’s certainly not the worst system in its class.

There’s also an additional lower screen in the centre of the car up front, which operates the climate control and infotainment system. There is a downside with this one, because it seems to pick up a lot of light from the cabin, which can make it difficult to read what you’re looking at, depending on the angle.

There’s only one power option on the I-Pace, but it’s a good one. The 400hp setup will hit 60mph from a standstill in under five seconds and records an official energy consumption figure of 2.9 miles per kW/h.

Jaguar says the I-Pace can travel up to 300 miles on a single charge and, while that’s not as far as a Tesla Model X, it’s still more than a lot of vehicles on the market, especially in this size bracket. In our own tests, taking mostly motorway miles into account, we got 223 miles out of the I-Pace's battery, which is a good-but-not-great 75% of its claimed figure.

When tested back in 2018, the Jaguar I-Pace was awarded a maximum five stars by Euro NCAP. It especially impressed in adult occupant safety (91%), while child occupant safety was a bit lower at 81%. Safety assistance was also rated at 81%, while protection of vulnerable road users was marked at 73%.

There are an array of safety features within the Jaguar, that helped it meet that maximum score. For example, the car boasts an active bonnet, autonomous emergency tracking for pedestrians and cyclists, and there are also speed assistance and lane departure warning systems.

Other onboard tech include traffic sign recognition and a rear traffic monitor, while keyless entry is also a popular feature.

Jaguar is one of those brands that has a chequered past when it comes to reliability. It might fall short of having a really bad reputation, but a number of surveys have returned poor scores in terms of customer satisfaction in recent years.

However, Jaguar hopes that from now on – with safety-laden vehicles such as the I-Pace – it has turned a corner. The build quality will help here, too.

There have been a couple of recalls recorded for the I-Pace related to brake system failure and a minor one involving part of the front seat assembly. These recalls date back to early in the car’s life and nothing has cropped up since then.