“The Jaguar I-Pace is the first salvo across the bows of Tesla” ~ station of gear

John McIlroy 2018-03-02 11:45

Deputy editor John McIlroy takes a look at the new Jaguar I-Pace, the British brand's first pure-electric car

And so it begins. The Jaguar I-Pace, revealed last night via an online presentation heavy on celebrity and heavier still on self-congratulation, is the first salvo across the bows of Tesla from an established, ‘premium’ manufacturer. The British brand is desperately proud to have brought a pure-electric car of this type to market before Audi or Mercedes. But it’s the hype surrounding Tesla that it really wants to tap into.

The specs look promising - nearly 400bhp and a 0-60mph time of 4.5 seconds. One of the segments during the launch was a video showing the I-Pace taking on - and beating - the Tesla Model X in a race. Range of about 300 miles under the tougher and supposedly more realistic WLTP test cycle should do the trick too - for now, at least.

• New 2018 Jaguar I-Pace revealed

The I-Pace’s styling is arguably one of the best bits of work yet from the company’s design director Ian Callum and his team - a mix of curves that have a whiff of C-X75 about them, with a cab-forward design that really takes advantage of the car’s longer wheelbase. We had a sneak preview of the I-Pace a few weeks ago and I’m pleased to report it’s as striking in the metal as it is in pictures.

The fascinating unknown, of course, is whether Jaguar - and, one must assume, Audi and Mercedes to follow - can break down the fact that they’re not ‘left-field’ choices like Tesla. Elon Musk’s creation has been the only game in town for a while, true, but it has also proven popular at least partially because it is an ‘outsider’ - almost a tech firm more than an automotive brand.

Is there significance, then, in the fact that the ‘registrations of interest’ in the I-Pace number tens of thousands at best - nowhere near the city-population levels enjoyed by the Model 3? Perhaps. But assuming production proceeds as planned at the Magna Steyr facility in Graz, Austria - and Tesla’s manufacturing struggles with the Model 3 continue - then it won’t be long before the I-Pace has sheer weight of numbers on its side. That’s why everyone at Jaguar is so excited about it.

Watch the new Jaguar I-Pace race the Tesla Model X right here...

Thank you for reading the article about “The Jaguar I-Pace is the first salvo across the bows of Tesla” in blog station of gear If this article was helpful please bookmark this page in your web browser by pressing Ctrl + D on your keyboard keys.