Jaguar E-Pace debuts with a record-breaking barrel roll

Jaguar's first-ever SUV, the F-Pace, went on sale in 2016 and not just impressed the critics by winning the coveted 'World Car of the Year' title but also found favour with customers becoming the fastest-selling Jaguar ever. This, together with the XE entry luxury sedan that joined the lineup in 2014, has put the British brand on a clear growth trajectory. With all that momentum in its favour, Jaguar is on quite a roll. 

As if to symbolize that, the all-new E-Pace, Jag’s second-ever SUV, made its world debut in London performing a record-breaking roll. With professional stunt driver Terry Grand behind the wheel, the E-Pace completed a 15.3-meter long jump while doing a 270 degree barrel roll, thereby securing a Guinness World Record. Quite an entry, eh? But then, the F-Pace did something similar on its debut with a record-setting loop.

The E-Pace marks Jaguar's entry into the burgeoning compact SUV segment that currently has the likes of Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA vying for supremacy. Will the baby Jaguar, fondly referred to as 'The Cub' internally, create an impact in the segment? Let's see how 'The Good' and 'The Bad' stacks up, which would give us an idea.  

The Good

Jaguar coming up with an all-new model and we going gaga over its design has become a tradition now. Ian Callum, Jaguar's Design Director, and his team has been stroking one sensuous model after another and the gorgeous E-Pace is no exception. 

With minimal overhangs and long wheelbase, the stance is just perfect. The familiar fascia with the large trapezoidal grille and prominent air dams ensure you don't mistake the E-Pace for anything but a Jag. Viewed from the sides, Jaguar's smallest SUV shows off its most impressive curves. The muscular rear haunches, the intercepted shoulder line and the way in which the steeply-raked roof-line drops down to the taillight are beautiful and gel amazingly well. The rear, inspired by the stunning F-Type, deserves special mention as well.

Overall, the E-Pace just reaffirms the fact that Jaguar is in great form when it comes to design and styling. While we do not know how long this would last, all we can do is drool and relish as long as it lasts. 

The Bad

Powering the E-Pace are the 2.0-liter 'Ingenium' engines developed in-house by Jaguar Land Rover. The diesel is offered in three states of tune developing 148, 178 and 237 horsepower. The petrol engines offer two states of tune, a 246-horsepower base version and a 296-horsepower range-topper. Paired with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or the latest version of ZF's 9-speed automatic transmission, the E-Pace has enough grunt to match the big-selling, regular variants of its rivals.

But, the E-Pace does not have an answer to the performance variants - the Audi Q3 RS and the Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG, both of which offer in excess of 360 horsepower. Yes, this is serious nit-picking but the point is when you have gone so far, why not go the full distance and offer something for the power-craving crowd as well?

The Good

Jaguars have always been considered a step below the three German luxury brands when it comes to interior appointments. With the E-Pace, Jaguar seems to have turned a page on that aspect. 

Those who have stepped in and sat inside the E-Pace are all praises for the dynamic, F-Type-inspired design and the quality of the materials used. Why wouldn't they be? After all, with the wraparound cockpit that surrounds the driver, the sea of soft touch materials employed, the latest-generation Touch Pro infotainment system featuring a 10-inch customizable touchscreen offering swipe, pinch and pan functions, the 12.3-inch HD full colour instrument panel and the full colour Head-Up Display, we would only be surprised if someone isn't impressed with what they see in here.

Jaguar has also paid excellent attention to details in the new E-Pace. How about a 'Jaguar and cub' imprint on the windshield to denote this is the baby Jag? Or a 'Chicane Line' that's an ode to the brand's racing heritage?

It's not just all show with the E-Pace, it's a practical family car as well. By pushing the wheels off to the four corners and increasing the distance between them, Jaguar has eked out more space inside despite the vehicle's small external footprint. Practicality is aided by nifty stowage compartments all around the cabin, a 577-litre boot, split-folding rear seats and as many as many as five USB ports and four 12-volt sockets.

The Good

When you pay as much as you would for an E-Pace, top notch safety is what you would expect. But when Jaguar claims the E-Pace gets the most advanced safety concept ever engineered by the brand, you got to take notice. 

The comprehensive restraint system aboard the E-Pace offers six airbags - driver, passenger, thorax and side curtain airbags in the cabin as well as a first-in-segment pedestrian airbag to cover the base of the windscreen. The safety suite on offer include Active Bonnet, Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Antilock Braking System (ABS), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Roll Stability Control (RSC), Electronic Traction Control (ETC), Trailer Stability Assist (TSA), Hill Start Assist (HSA) and Corner Brake Control (CBC) among others.  

The Bad

The F-Pace might be the fastest-selling Jaguar ever and the reason behind the brand's tremendous growth in 2017 but it's all set to lose the crown to the smaller and therefore more affordable E-Pace. Whilst that's not a bad thing by any stretch of imagination, the fact that Jaguar and Land Rover plants are already running at capacity is. If you are a potential customer, you still don't have to bother as Jaguar has entered into a contract manufacturing deal with Magna Steyr whose plant in Graz, Austria would be manufacturing the E-Pace. Of course, China gets their own version that would be made at the joint-venture facility of Chery and Jaguar Land Rover at Changshu.     

With four all-new models joining the lineup in as many years and more to come, including the promising full-electric I-Pace SUV, should Jaguar be thinking of investing in capacity expansion?

The Good

With the exception of the entry-level 148-horsepower diesel variant that's powered by the front wheels, the rest of the E-Pace range gets standard All Wheel Drive system (AWD) that's capable of channeling almost all the engine torque to the rear wheels in extreme conditions. The intelligent system is said to monitor driving conditions and calculate optimal torque distribution to the wheels every 10 milliseconds.

Also on offer is Jaguar's All Surface Progress Control (ASPC) which is basically a low-speed cruise control that works between 1.8 km/h and 30 km/h and can be engaged on any terrain. The system recognizes the surface underneath and exploits the available grip by adjusting the engine and brake settings. Be it snow, wet grass or mud tracks, the ASPC even works from a standstill, enabling the vehicle to get going without using the pedals and then maintain a steady, pre-set speed.

A brake-based Torque Vectoring system, aiding cornering and enhancing traction by working with the AWD system, is part of the kit as well. The E-Pace is a vehicle in which you wouldn't think twice before venturing off-road.

As you would have noticed, there is nothing really negative about the product as such and its debuting in a segment that's headed up and up. So, when the E-Pace goes on sale later this year, expect sales to shoot through the roof. The United Kingdom and select markets in Europe would get the baby Jag first towards the end of the year. Production in China is expected to start a year later. 

Given the craze for SUVs in India and the fact that the F-Pace is on sale here, its a matter of when and not if we would get to lay our hands on the E-Pace. Come on Jaguar, bring 'The Cub' on already!

Jaguar F-Pace is 2017 World Car of the Year

One of the key events at the New York International Auto Show every year is the hand-out of the World Car Awards. The only one of it's kind in the industry, the World Car Awards brings together a jury panel comprising the best of automotive journalists and experts from diverse geographic locations. Naturally, these awards command a lot of respect and are amongst the most-coveted in the automotive industry.

Launched in 2004 and handed out since 2005, the World Car Awards aims to reward and recognize the best in the industry on a global scale and is not confined to a publication, country or continent. 

The 2017 titles and the award-winners were announced last week. 

2017 World Car of the Year

From an initial list of 23 vehicles from all over the world, ten were shortlisted before three finalists were announced at Geneva earlier this year. The top three were the Audi Q5, the Jaguar F-Pace and the Volkswagen Tiguan. With sales of SUVs and crossovers soaring around the world, the three finalists sort of vindicate the shift that's taking place in the industry. 75 journalists from 23 countries around the world evaluated each of the contenders and it was the Jaguar that came out on top. 

Ever since it debuted at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, the F-Pace, the first-ever SUV from the British luxury brand, has been winning friends and fans worldwide and the World Car of the Year title is yet another feather in it's cap. It is well-styled, is lavishly appointed, gets some clever features and need not be restricted on the road with the standard All Wheel Drive system and Adaptive Surface Response technology, virtues that seem to have impressed the jurors.

2017 World Car of the Year - Jaguar F-Pace

Previous Winners:

• 2016 – Mazda MX-5
• 2015 – Mercedes-Benz C-Class
• 2014 – Audi A3
• 2013 – Volkswagen Golf
• 2012 – Volkswagen Up!

2017 World Luxury Car 

To honour higher-priced, limited-selling, premium cars worldwide, the World Luxury Car title was carved out as a separate award in 2014. Mercedes-Benz walked away with it twice since then while the BMW 7-Series won the accolade last year. 

Mercedes-Benz returned to winning ways in 2017, with it's bread-and-butter E-Class claiming the top spot from an initial entry list of nine luxury cars from all over the world. The new E-Class has been receiving rave reviews and is expected to consolidate Mercedes-Benz's dominance in executive sedans. Another aspect that would make this victory sweeter for the folks at Stuttgart is the presence of arch-rival BMW's 5-Series as one of the finalists. Volvo's S90/V90 was the other finalist in fray for the title.

2017 World Luxury Car - Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Previous Winners:

• 2016 – BMW 7-Series
• 2015 – Mercedes-Benz S Coupe
• 2014 – Mercedes-Benz S-Class

2017 World Performance Car

The Porsche 718 twins, the Cayman and the Boxster, emerged victorious in the World Performance Car shoot-out. 

To be eligible for this award, a vehicle must exhibit specific and overt sports/performance orientation, should be available for sale in atleast two continents and have an annual production run exceeding 500 vehicles. From an initial list of seven cars that met the criteria, three finalists - Audi R8 Spyder, McLaren 570S and Porsche 718 Cayman/Boxster, were announced. In the end, it was Porsche that won the hearts of the jurors. Remarkably, this is Porsche's fifth World Performance Car title with the German brand already being a recipient of the award in 2006, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

2017 World Performance Car - Porsche 718 Cayman/Boxster

Previous Winners:

• 2016 – Audi R8
• 2015 – Mercedes-AMG GT
• 2014 – Porsche 911 GT3
• 2013 – Porsche Boxster / Cayman
• 2012 – Porsche 911

2017 World Green Car

For the second straight year, Toyota walked away with the honours in this crucial 'green car' category. This time, it was the Prius Prime that tasted success. Crucially, the Toyota had to contend with the Chevrolet Bolt and the Tesla Model X, mighty contenders any which way you look at them. These three cars were the chosen finalists from an initial entry list of 12 vehicles that met the eligibility criteria.

2017 World Green Car - Toyota Prius Prime

Previous Winners:

• 2016 – Toyota Mirai
• 2015 – BMW i8
• 2014 – BMW i3
• 2013 – Tesla Model S
• 2012 – Mercedes-Benz S250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY

2017 World Urban Car

A new title introduced for this year, the World Urban Car aims to identify and crown the best car to tackle the urban jungle that's getting crowded with each passing year. 

Commenting on the new title, World Car vice‐chairman, Mike Rutherford, commented, "It's an award whose time has come. Everyday cars in many ‐ perhaps most ‐ parts of the world will have to become smaller if road and parking space is to be found for them in increasingly packed towns and cities whose populations are swelling annually. This year's winner in our inaugural World Urban Car category proves that these small vehicles don't have to be cheap, undesirable and unpleasant to drive. Quite the opposite. It is among the best value‐for‐money products on the market".

And the car that was found worthy of all that praise is BMW's brilliant i3 (94 Ah). From an initial list of seven contenders, three finalists including the Citroen C3 and the Suzuki Ignis were chosen before deciding on the winner.

2017 World Urban Car - BMW i3 (94 Ah)

2017 World Car Design of the Year

With a set of eligibility criteria that's like no other, the World Car Design of the Year aims to recognize vehicles that pushes the established boundaries in their design and styling. A 6-member design panel were first asked to review the candidates and establish a short-list of recommendation for the jurors. 

In the end, out of the three finalists that included the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet and the Toyota C-HR, the Jaguar F-Pace walked away with the title, it's second of the year. With bold and sexy styling that looked every bit a Jaguar, we commented that the F-Pace was amongst the most beautiful crossovers/SUVs we have seen and it seems the design experts and jurors had similar opinion. With the F-Type already winning the title in 2013, F-Pace's victory is the second time a Jaguar is crowned the World Car Design of the Year.

2017 World Car Design of the Year - Jaguar F-Pace

Previous Winners:

• 2016 – Mazda MX-5
• 2015 – Citroen C4 Cactus
• 2014 – BMW i3
• 2013 – Jaguar F-Type
• 2012 – Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

Jaguar guns for Tesla with the I-Pace Concept

Who would have imagined Tesla's full-electric Model X SUV would see a rival as early as 2018 from Jaguar? Yes, the British luxury car-maker pulled a proverbial cat out of the bag during the run up to the 2016 Los Angeles International Auto Show by taking the wraps off its I-Pace Concept. It might only be Jaguar's second-ever SUV after the stylish F-Pace but, crucially, it leaps ahead with its fully electrified drive-train.

When we post on Jaguars, we usually begin with describing how beautiful they are to look at. But this isn't a regular Jag. This is Jaguar trying to make a statement against its more popular rivals - Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Lexus included. This is Jaguar announcing its leap, pun intended, from internal combustion engines straight to zero-emission full-electric vehicles, skipping the usual step of plug-in hybrids in between.

Powering the I-Pace are two electric motors, one each at the front and rear axles. Together, they generate 394 horsepower and a whopping 700 Nm of instant torque. With zero lag, no transmission losses and all-wheel drive traction, the I-Pace can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4 seconds flat. That's close to Jaguar's own F-Type SVR, a thoroughbred sports car. 

A 90 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, designed and developed by Jaguar, is an integral part of the I-Pace Concept's body structure. Located beneath the floor and between the axles, the lightweight, liquid-cooled pack can be charged to its full capacity in about 2 hours on a 50 kW fast-charging DC station. Once charged, Jaguar claims the I-Pace can go more than 500 km on the European NEDC combined cycle and more than 220 miles on the US EPA cycle. That's a wee bit less than Model X's claimed-and-tested range but we are nit-picking here.

With such credentials, one would have forgiven Jaguar for giving up on form over function when designing the I-Pace. Fact is, they haven't. The I-Pace Concept is quite a looker in its own right and every bit a Jaguar. The brand’s distinctive trapezoidal grille with hexagonal grids has not been chucked out like in many other electric vehicles. It still occupies prime position up front flanked on either sides by full LED headlights with ‘Double-J’ Daytime Running Lights. In the absence of an engine underneath, the hood is scooped out to reduce drag. The profile is sweet with short overhangs and a long wheelbase that gives the I-Pace Concept classic proportions. The cabin is brought forward and sits low compared to regular SUVs. Flush door handles and the flowing waist line that leads to muscular rear haunches not just look beautiful but also aid aerodynamics. At the rear, the fastback-like sloping windshield, F-Type inspired taillights and functional rear vents that replace the conventional tailpipe stand out.

Being a concept, Jaguar has taken full liberty to come up with a minimalist yet futuristic cabin. A configurable 12-inch virtual HD instrument cluster and a full-colour Head-up Display ensure the driver is presented with all the information needed at all times. The dashboard has a 12-inch primary TFT touchscreen supported by an auxiliary 5.5-inch secondary touchscreen that lets users change multimedia and climate control settings without interrupting the main multimedia screen’s display. Those tactile rotary controllers with a rich knurled finish for the climate control system look fantastic and lifts the cabin ambiance. The floating center console and the absence of transmission tunnel liberates a lot of space, making the I-Pace a spacious and comfortable vehicle to travel around. In fact, the flat second row’s legroom and the 530-litre boot space at the rear complemented by a 28-liter luggage compartment under the hood rival larger SUVs and sedans.

Slated to go on sale in 2018, the I-Pace will begin a new chapter in Jaguar-Land Rover’s history, with the scalable electric architecture allowing the two brands to come up with more battery-powered vehicles as and when they find it appropriate. So, Model X isn't the only model Tesla should be worried about. 

In the press release, Ian Hoban, Jaguar’s vehicle line director is quoted as saying “Electric vehicles are inevitable - Jaguar will make them desirable”. We couldn’t summarize the I-Pace better. Kudos Jaguar, on a job well done!

Jaguar F-Pace goes on sale in India

Jaguar just gave itself a much-needed shot in the arm to make a bigger impact in the rapidly-growing Indian luxury car market. Indians love their SUVs and crossovers and, by not having one in its portfolio, Jaguar was losing big time to its rivals. F-Pace, Jaguar's newest crossover that made its global debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, is now on sale in India, plugging a big gap in the British luxury car-maker's lineup. 

Jaguar announced the prices of the F-Pace earlier this month and started accepting booking soon afterwards. Official deliveries have commenced a couple of days back, we hear. Available in four trim levels - all powered by diesel engines - the F-Pace range starts from ₹68.40 Lakhs for the Pure variant and goes all the way up to ₹112 Lakhs for the First Edition. All prices are ex-showroom Delhi. Click on the image below for a snapshot of the F-Pace. 

The F-Pace's biggest trump-card, according to us, has got to be its styling. With spot-on proportions and gorgeous detailing, this Jag impresses the moment you set your eyes on it. The best part is Jaguar didn't have to look elsewhere for inspiration with the F-Pace's derivative styling borrowing heavily from the brand's existing models. The large mesh grille up front with the chrome surround, the sleek headlights with the signature 'J-Blade' design, the sexy taillights that we fell in love with - we have seen them all. In addition, the power bulge in the bonnet, the flared wheel arches and the prominent shoulder line that wraps itself around combine to make this one attractive vehicle.

With CX-17 Concept-inspired styling elements, 'S' body kit, 20-inch Venom alloys finished in gloss black and red brake calipers, the First Edition F-Pace is quite a sight, more so in the gorgeous 'Caesium Blue' colour. 

Powering the F-Pace are two turbocharged diesel engines from Jaguar's 'Ingenium' family - a 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder unit that produces 177 horsepower and 430 Nm of torque with a top speed of 208 km/h and a 3.0-liter V6 mill that churns out 296 horsepower and a whopping 700 Nm of torque with a claimed top speed of 241 km/h. The latter is exclusive to the R-Sport and First Edition trim levels. Both the engines are mated to a 8-speed automatic transmission with power being delivered to all four wheels through Jaguar's Intelligent Drive Dynamics software-equipped AWD system.

As you would expect from an automobile of this price, the F-Pace boasts a luxurious, feature-loaded cabin. Standard across the range are dual-zone climate control, 10-way power-adjustable front seats, Jaguar's InControl Touch infotainment system with USB, Aux, iPod and BlueTooth connectivity, push button start, cruise control, six airbags (driver, front passenger, front side and full-length curtain), Stop/Start system, Hill Launch Assist, Emergency Brake Assist, Dynamic Stability Control, Traction Control, Torque Vectoring system and JaguarDrive Control with Eco, Dynamic, Normal and Rain/Ice/Snow modes to choose from.

Hidden amongst the laundry list of optional features in the F-Pace is Jaguar's Activity Key, an unique 'waterproof' wearable wrist band that can be used to lock and unlock the car, letting the lucky owners enjoy outdoor activities without worrying about losing the key.

The F-Pace is an important launch for Jaguar in India, one that could lay the foundation for making the British brand a volume-player and a strong contender against the German trio and Volvo. While the initial impressions have been positive, let's wait and see what the discerning luxury car-buyers have to say!