E Pace plays to a new order

What is it?

Jaguar’s E Pace is an interesting bit of kit.

Not too big and not too small, it is appealing from a badge, price and practical point of view.

The E Pace certainly attracted plenty of comment in our time with the car, with many punters surprised to learn it was in fact a Jag.

“Wonder what the old blokes will think about this one?” quipped one admirer (obviously feeling that an SUV somehow devalued the brand).

Perhaps, but one thing Jaguar has succeeded in doing over the past few years with cars like E Pace is to bring down the average age of its buyers — from mostly retirees to a much younger demographic that includes families and even young, single successful types.

It was a case of do or die.

E Pace by the way shares a platform with the Land Rover Discovery Sport and cool Range Rover Evoque.

What’s it cost?

Believe it or not, prices start from as little as $47,750 for the basic E Pace with a 110kW diesel.

Moving up through the ranks it adds S, SE and finally HSE spec, topping out at $84,370 for the First Edition launch model that is probably no longer available.

All are all-wheel drive and all of them come with an automatic.

There’s a choice of five powertrains, with three diesel and two petrol engines.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ingenium diesel is available in 110kW, 132kW and 177kW outputs, while a pair of 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ingenium turbo petrol units delivers 183kW or 221kW.

We had a crack in the $64,020 E Pace S P300 and $68,850 E-PACE SE D240, the first with a petrol engine, the second with a turbo diesel.

Let’s be clear however that no one buys one of these cars without adding a few extras and that means the price can grow quickly, as is the case with most luxury marques.

There’s pages and pages of them.

The entry price includes cloth trim, climate air with rear vents, 17-inch wheels, auto stop-start, auto lights and wipers, LED front and rear lights, drive mode selection, torque vectoring, 4 x 12V power and 2 x USB sockets, 10-inch infotainment and a 125 watt audio system.

Safety stuff at this level includes:

• Front, side and full length curtain airbags
• A pedestrian airbag
• Emergency Braking
• Lane Keep Assist
• Driver Condition Monitor
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Rear view camera

 

What’s it go like?

The P300 with a turbocharged 2.0-ltre petrol engine produces 221kW of power 400Nm of torque, the latter between a broad range of1500 and 4500 revs, and uses 8.0L/100km.

The D240 with a 2.0-litre turbodiesel produces 177kW of power and 500Nm of torque at 1500 revs, and uses just 6.2L/100km.

The 221kW turbo pushes the car from 0-100km/h in 6.4 seconds, with an electronically-limited top speed of 243km/h.

A nine-speed, close ratio auto is fitted across the range, and adapts to different styles of driving.

In Dynamic mode, shifts are quicker and the transmission kicks down more readily, while in Eco mode it gets into higher gear earlier to improve efficiency.

Jaguar says it designed the E-PACE to be a Jaguar for active people who need space and practicality, but see no reason to compromise on performance.

The petrol model offers the promised, sharp performance and handles well within limits, but lacks an engine note to add drama.

Too much corner speed and it’s apt to get out of shape, with a tendency to oversteer, courtesy no doubt of the all-wheel drive system rear bias — once you’re know you can compensate.

It’s supposed to make it sportier, but just in case lots of clever electronics prevent things from getting out of hand.

The engine is smooth and the gear changes almost imperceptible, with brakes that bite hard and instil confidence.

The diesel’s extra torque is apparent from get-go, as it jumps eagerly out of the gates — if you give it too much too soon.

But it lacks the poise and refinement of the petrol engine — and for that matter any real character.

There’s no arguing with the figures though — we were getting a very practical 7.7L/100km.

The car seats five with a boot that hides a space saver spare and can accommodate a folded buggy and full set of golf clubs sideways.

What we like?

• Badge
• Heritage
• Good looks
• Accessible price
• Performance

What we don’t?

• Navigation not standard
• No gear change paddles
• Limited over the shoulder vision
• Surges when you change down in manual mode
• Make sure you give the shift lever a good squeeze or it won’t go into gear (embarrassing when you find it’s not in reverse)

The bottom line?

Ironically, the old blokes who will probably poo poo this car are also the ones who stand to benefit the most. Getting in and out is a snap and that’s an important consideration as the years begin to add up.

 

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