2020 Jaguar I-PACE Road Test and Review

Introduced just last year, the 2020 Jaguar I-PACE is the luxury automaker’s first electric vehicle. It joins the gasoline-powered compact E-PACE and mid-size F-PACE in Jaguar’s sport-utility lineup. Predicted by the design of the C-X75 supercar concept, the unique cab-forward shape of the I-PACE leverages the elimination of the gas engine, and an extra-long wheelbase — 4.5 inches more stretched than that of the mid-size F-PACE — pushes the wheels to the corners. Available 22-inch wheels fill the SUV’s muscular haunches. Combined with the wide track of the I-PACE, Jaguar’s electric SUV projects a road-ready stance.

As for competitors, the field will be rapidly expanding in the next few years as governments in Europe and elsewhere mandate a growing percentage of zero-emission vehicles, but current luxury brand electric SUVs in this new space in the U.S. include the Tesla Model X and Audi e-tron. Including the $1,025 destination charge, the 2020 I-PACE lineup includes the $70,875 S, $77,275 SE, and $81,925 HSE.

All versions of the new I-PACE are powered by a pair of 197-horsepower electric motors for a combined output of 394 horsepower. For the model designation, Jaguar rounds the 394-hp specification of its new electric vehicle up to an easy-to-remember 400, hence the EV400 rear badge. One each permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor powers the front and rear wheels for standard all-wheel-drive propulsion. With a combined 512 lb-ft of torque on tap, the I-PACE can accelerate from rest to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, which is quicker than any of Jaguar’s SUV models except the 550-hp supercharged V8-powered F-PACE SVR.

Absent the classic purr of a Jaguar six-cylinder, V8, or V12 gasoline engine, the dual permanent-magnet synchronous electric motors deliver a hushed whirring sound accompanied by strong forward thrust that pushes you back in the seat. Want to quickly accelerate to freeway speed on an onramp or pass a slower vehicle on a two-lane highway? Just press the accelerator. There’s no delay waiting for a turbo to build boost or a transmission to downshift, just immediate access to the substantial torque.

The maximum driving range of the I-PACE with its large, underfloor 90kW lithium-ion is 246 miles, an increase of 12 miles made possible by a recent software reflash in December of last year. Via the charge port on the driver-side front fender, the I-PACE can receive an 80 percent battery recharge from empty in as little as 40 minutes, using a commercially available 100kW DC fast charger. The I-PACE can also be charged from empty to 80 percent at home in 10 hours or 100 percent in just under 13 hours with an AC 230-volt wall box similar to that used for a home electric clothes dryer or cooking range. The gasoline-equivalent EPA fuel-efficiency ratings (called MPGe) for the I-PACE are 80 city, 72 highway, and 76 combined.

Available settings in the My EV screen enable higher levels of regenerative braking when easing up or lifting off the accelerator pedal, allowing the driver to operate the I-PACE with a single pedal most of the time. The increased battery regeneration also aids efficiency and increasing driving range. The drive characteristics of the I-PACE take some getting used to, as the SUV can roll back or forward on an incline if the accelerator isn’t depressed slightly — as if it was in Neutral even when Drive or Reverse is selected.

One indicator there’s some interesting tech inside is flush door handles that pop out when the car is unlocked or when the handles are touched. Inside, the I-PACE is a mix of the traditional and the contemporary. The standard Jaguar InControl Touch Pro Duo infotainment system has two touchscreens, a 10-inch upper unit for audio, navigation, and camera displays, and a 5.5-inch lower one for the dual-zone automatic climate and seat controls. The system takes driver input from the touchscreen tiles, capacitive shortcut buttons, and meaty, tactile rotary control wheels.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto cellphone mirroring with voice control functions are standard, as is onboard Wi-Fi, SiriusXM, and HD radio. Also standard is the ability to access vehicle information from the Jaguar InControl remote app from an Amazon Alexa-enabled device via voice command. A rich-sounding Meridian stereo is standard fare with S and SE models, while the HSE gets a premium surround-sound system. Also rich is a standard panoramic sunroof, which runs the full length of the passenger compartment.

An all-digital, 12.3-inch driver-configurable instrument display behind the standard leather-wrapped steering wheel relays vehicle speed, the gear selected, current vehicle driving range, and the posted speed limit, and it can be configured to pull a portion of the navigation map front and center.

The navigation system takes into account driving behavior, routing, and topography to assist in maximizing vehicle range when selecting a destination and will display available charging stations along the planned route. In Arrival Mode, it can also suggest parking locations near the chosen destination.

As richly tailored as the rest of the cabin, the I-PACE power front sport bucket seats are highly sculpted with generous bolstering for both thighs and lower torsos. All front seats have adjustable lumbar support and uplevel trims also feature adjustable-length lower cushions. Headroom and legroom are more generous up front than in Jaguar’s other SUVs, the E-PACE and F-PACE.

Thanks to the elimination of the transmission hump of gas-powered SUVs, the I-PACE repurposes the area under the forward part of the console as a large storage bin, with plenty of space for a tablet, digital camera or purse. The seats of the base S model have faux-leather coverings, while the SE upgrades to grained leather and the HSE shown here gains extra-soft leather hides. The front seats in SE and HSE trims have memory functions. HSE front seats are both heated and cooled. A heated steering wheel is optional.

The back seat, while not cramped, is cozy for adults over 6 feet tall. Despite the I-PACE's huge 117.7-inch wheelbase, rear legroom is more than 2 inches shorter than that available in the mid-size F-PACE. A sloping roof and an overall height 4.3 inches lower than in the F-PACE conspire to limit headroom a bit as well.

However, the lack of a driveshaft tunnel makes for a flat floor and increases the usability of the rear middle seat. Also, wide doors aid ingress and egress, even if taller passengers may have to duck a bit getting in. Neat accessories are available, such as coat hanger and purse hooks on the front seatbacks. The HSE's rear seats are heated. There’s also hidden storage on a tray under the rear seat, good for stashing laptops, tablets, and the like.

When it comes to the kind of cargo space for strollers, athletic equipment, big-screen televisions, and such that SUV buyers are looking for, the I-PACE does not disappoint. There’s 25.3 cubic feet of it behind the rear seat and with the 60/40 split rear seatbacks folded nearly flat, 51 cubic feet. That’s slightly less cargo space than that in the Audi e-tron.

Buyers of the base S model will have to lift the rear liftgate by themselves, but SE buyers get a power-operated one, and those opting for the range-topping HSE get one that opens with a kick under the rear bumper. There’s a bit more space up front under the “hood,” nearly one cubic foot of it in a bin Jaguar calls the "frunk." It’s big enough for a tablet, thin laptop bag, or purse, but not much else.

Whereas several of the I-PACE competitors put their top safety tech items in the optional column, the electric Jaguar includes many of them as standard fare. Aside from a backup camera, the base I-PACE S brings automatic emergency braking, a driver attention monitor, traffic-sign recognition with adaptive speed control, lane keeping, a rear traffic monitor, and a clear-exit monitor, the last system checking behind the vehicle for when it’s safe to open a door and exit the vehicle free of traffic. Also standard is a semi-autonomous park assist system that can steer the I-PACE into a parking spot (but unlike the systems in some other vehicles, the driver must control the gear selection, accelerator, and brakes).

The SE grade brings adaptive cruise control and a blind-spot monitor with steering assist. HSE models add steering assist to the adaptive cruise control as well as a 360-degree surround-view monitor. An available head-up display projects info such as vehicle speed and navigation directions on the windshield ahead of the driver.

On the road, the performance and handling of the I-PACE are stellar for a vehicle weighing nearly two and a half tons. And as we mentioned, its acceleration is, in short, electrifying. 

The standard air suspension provides self-leveling and can lower the I-PACE by nearly half an inch above 65 mph to improve aerodynamics and driving range. The vehicle features a low center of gravity courtesy of the underfloor EV battery, nicely weighted electric-boosted steering, balanced ride and handling from the aluminum-intensive double-wishbone front and integral-link rear suspension, and a near 50/50 weight balance. Altogether, this means the I-PACE offers the kind of balanced performance Jaguar buyers have come to expect from the brand’s sedans and sports cars. The base S rolls on 18-inch alloy wheels with 20-inchers on the SE and HSE, and optional 22-inch alloys on the HSE.

A decade ago, the thought of an electric Jaguar would have been a stretch. Of course, the same could be said of a Jaguar suv, two of which (the E-PACE and F-PACE) now outsell all other Jaguar models. Now, sans the long-hood styling and purring gasoline engine under the hood, the I-PACE is poised to do the same for luxury electrics.

For those remaining skeptics, the I-PACE EV battery comes with an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty, while the rest of the car enjoys a bumper-to-bumper five-year/60,000-mile warranty with complimentary maintenance and 24/7 roadside assistance.