Jaguar E-Pace to land in Q2 2018 priced from sub-$50k

The all-new Jaguar E-PACE has been officially unveiled, signalling the British car maker’s first entry into the burgeoning premium compact crossover segment.

Joining Jaguar’s PACE family of performance SUVs, the E-PACE follows on from the successful F-PACE, which helped boost Jaguar’s sales by 83 per cent last year. Along the new E-PACE, the all-electric I-PACE Concept will go into production in 2018 to form the brand’s expanding SUV lineup.

Arriving Q2 2018, the new E-PACE will rival the BMW X1, Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLA as well as the Range Rover Evoque from sister brand Land Rover. Indicative Australian pricing for the E-PACE is said to range from $48,000 to $85,000 plus on-road costs.

Like the F-PACE, the exterior design is inspired by the F-TYPE sports car and is characterised by the distinctive Jaguar grille, muscular proportions, short overhangs and powerful haunches. For an even more purposeful stance, optional 21-inch alloy wheels can be fitted and are the largest in class.

The compact SUV measures 4,395mm long with short front and rear overhangs of 882mm and 832mm respectively. Its 2,681mm wheelbase seats five and yields a rear legroom of 892mm while luggage capacity measures 484 litres.

A range of 2.0-litre turbo petrol and diesel engines are available, paired with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a nine-speed automatic. The powertrains offered are as follows:

• D150: 2.0-litre turbo diesel – 110kW / 380Nm
• D180: 2.0-litre turbo diesel – 132kW / 430Nm
• D240: 2.0-litre turbo diesel – 177kW / 500Nm
• P250: 2.0-litre turbo petrol – 183kW / 365Nm
• P300: 2.0-litre turbo petrol – 221kW / 400Nm

The E-PACE is said to feature sports car-derived all-wheel drive technology that combines AWD traction with Jaguar’s renown rear-wheel-drive character.

The Active Driveline AWD system can transfer almost all the engine torque to the rear axle in extreme conditions. Under standard conditions, the nominal torque split delivers a rear-wheel-drive driving feel. At the rear axle, two independent electronically-controlled wet-plate clutches distribute torque between the rear wheels, with the capability to direct 100 per cent of that torque to either rear wheel in 100 milliseconds (0.1 seconds).

During cruising, Active Driveline disengages the AWD system, sending power only to the front axle, increasing fuel efficiency. The system can re-engage AWD seamlessly within just 300 milliseconds (0.3 seconds) when a change in driving conditions is detected.

The E-PACE also offers a brake-based Torque Vectoring option that works with the car’s AWD system to support the driver in fast on-road cornering and enhanced traction in off-road conditions.

Every E-PACE features the latest generation of Jaguar’s Touch Pro infotainment system with a 10-inch touchscreen interface as standard. An optional 12.3-inch panel and choice of two premium audio systems developed with Meridian, including a 825W Surround Sound system with 15 speakers, are also available.

The E-PACE also debuts a brighter and clearer Head-Up Display that can project more driver information onto the windscreen than conventional systems. The full-colour image is generated using four super-bright LEDs and a high-resolution TFT LCD screen. The image is sharper, up to 66 per cent brighter than conventional systems and more than twice the size.

The E-PACE will be produced at Jaguar Land Rover’s manufacturing facilities in the UK and Austria.