By Clive Funziwe

Change can be daunting and inherently carries a lot of unknowns, but when the future is packaged in convention – it makes the process of acceptance a lot less tricky. Enter the Jaguar iPace, a car that has a lot of hints about its electric nature, but not so much that it screams electric.

Top notch cabin

This makes the iPace very easy on the eye and this potentially makes it one less thing to ponder on when considering the jump to an electric car. The interior is also a work of art like most current Jaguars. Overall quality is top notch and so are the ergonomics. Space for the front and rear passengers is also very good from a seating point of view and there is no shortage of charging points and cup holders.

Living with the iPace

How does it feel to live with it though? Lets start with the power plant. It packs a 90kWh battery with the electric motors making 294 kW and 696 Nm. This means the 0-100-km/h sprint is done in 4.8 seconds – and this made possible by its permanent all-wheel drive system. The claimed range is 470km and depending on how you drive and how much of ‘power’ you use from the aircon, heating the seats /steering will be a factor on how you close you get to that range.

We managed a range of over 400km with the iPace during our time with it and we were more than happy with how it faired. This makes it easy to live with the iPace as you can plan trips with confidence and know that you will not have funny surprises on consumption but one also has to keep in mind the distribution of effective charging points (which is more of an electric car challenge than this car’s issue).

Either than that, it is business as usual with the iPace. The actual drive, tech and comfort are that of a premium car. Piloting the Jaguar comes with many, a fun factor. Gadgetry like radar guided cruise control, lane keep assist, park distant control with a high-resolution 360-degree camera add to the experience of an easy drive. The cabin is whisper quiet, the Meridian sound system is crisp and rattle free, seats comfortable and the air suspension supple over bumps and sturdy around bends.

Summary

The iPace is a blend of convention and the future in one package that is brilliantly executed. We loved the experience and it cements a case electric cars and keeping the petrol head spirit alive in a different form of energy, which we love this energy. Pricing for the Jaguar iPace starts from R1,999,999.