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Jaguar has unveiled the I-Pace Concept, an all-electric performance SUV that serves as a preview for the brand’s first ever production electric car.
Slated for a late 2017 debut and global roll out in 2018, the I-Pace production model will take Jaguar into the world of electric propulsion for the first time, competing head on with the Tesla Model X crossover.
“The I-Pace Concept is a radical departure for electric vehicles,” said Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar.”It represents the next generation of battery electric vehicle design. It’s a dramatic, future-facing design – the product of authentic Jaguar DNA matched with beautiful, premium details and British craftsmanship.”
“This isn’t just a concept. It is a preview of a five-seat production car that will be on the road in 2018. This will be Jaguar’s first-ever battery-powered electric vehicle and opens a new chapter in the history of our legendary brand.”
The Jaguar I-Pace boasts a cab-forward design that “combines a supercar silhouette with sports car performance and five-seater SUV versatility”. A new electric vehicle architecture with no engine bay and transmission tunnel allowed Jaguar’s designers and engineers to bring the cabin forward, extends the wheelbase and shortens the overhangs. The result is an aerodynamic silhouette with an enlarged interior, including a 530-litre luggage compartment. The front luggage compartment under the bonnet offers an additional 28-litres.
Jaguar claims the long, 2,990mm wheelbase creates a voluminous interior with a level of rear knee room usually only found in full-size SUVs and luxury saloons. The I-Pace rolls on 23-inch Nighthawk wheels in Technical Grey with Gloss Black inserts.
Powering the I-Pace Concept are two electric motors, one in each front and rear axle. Together the electric motors deliver 294kW(400PS) and 700Nm of instant torque, allowing the all-wheel drive electric SUV to hurl from zero to 60mph (96km/h) in just 4 seconds. The sports car performance is endowed with a predicted driving range of more than 500km.
Energy storage in the I-Pace Concept is a liquid-cooled 90kWh lithium-ion battery pack, designed and developed by Jaguar. The battery’s housing is lightweight aluminium and forms an integral part of the I-Pace Concept’s body structure.
“When you get behind the wheel, the driving experience reflects the I-Pace Concept’s dynamic design,” said Mike Cross, Chief Engineer of Vehicle Integrity, Jaguar. “It’s a true Jaguar and we will prove that a zero emission vehicle can be a true driver’s car.”
“We proved with the F-PACE that a performance crossover can deliver the agility, connected feel and ride quality you’d expect from a Jaguar. Now we’re going to do the same with the I-PACE Concept: this will be the first electric vehicle developed for enthusiasts who love driving.”
Read ForceGT’s Jaguar F-PACE Review here
