2018 Jaguar E-PACE First-Drive Review: Grace, Pace, and Space
Welcome to Corsica, and welcome to the E-PACE.
The proving grounds for the E-PACE would be the gorgeous French island of Corsica. Located South of mainland France and West of Italy, Corsica is cultural mashup of the two countries. The Southern portion of the island is a stunning blend of winding coastal beachfront roads, muddy farm trails, and mountains to the North, which hide the most incredible driving roads anywhere on Earth. This is all very useful, because Jaguar was very intent on showing me just how capable the E-PACE is in each terrain.
In short, the E-PACE needs to be a knock out, and it is a crucial vehicle for the continued growth of Jaguar. So, is it any good? I was eager to find out.
All of the E-PACE models on tap were well-equipped P300 models. That “P,” which actually stands for pferdestärke (German for “horsepower”), means this compact SUV is packing 300 metric horsepower. That’s 296 in American ponies. All of that power comes from Jaguar’s new 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four cylinder Ingenium engine. The aforementioned $38,600 starting price will get you into a P250-equipped E-PACE, which straightforwardly has 250 PS, or 246 horsepower, from a similar 2.0-liter turbo four engine. Jumping up into the “R-Dynamic” trim — and an increase of $8,650 — gets the power bump, and a bunch of other goodies. Any way you choose it, the E-PACE comes with a 9-speed automatic transmission. Similarly, all-wheel drive is standard equipment.
So, what other goodies do you get for the extra cash? In addition to the extra power, paddle shifters sit behind the steering wheel and offer discerning drivers more control over their ride. Likewise, the “active driveline” comes along for the ride. This controls how the all-wheel drive system’s power is distributed to all four wheels. Additionally, a hoist of sporty interior and exterior upgrades, including new bumpers, grilles, and trim pieces, are included. Key among that group of upgrades are the sport bucket seats, which are gorgeous.
From there, depending on how much wheel /tire, stereo wattage, and interior tech you want in your E-PACE, you can spec either S, SE, or HSE trims to your ride.
Continue onto the next page where I get the E-PACE very muddy.
