Jaguar TCS Racing have revealed their new challenger for the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the Jaguar I-TYPE 6. It represents the most advanced and efficient electric Jaguar race car ever designed and engineered and the technology transfer from the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 will support the reimagining of Jaguar’s future as an all-electric modern luxury brand from 2025.
At present there are two variants of Jaguar’s fully electric SUV the I-PACE on sale in Australia, the SE and HSE, and I recently spent a week with the higher spec I-PACE HSE EV400. The HSE has a 90kWh battery that powers two permanent magnet synchronous electric motors integrated with the front and rear axles giving it all-wheel drive. There are four drive modes available, Eco, Comfort, Dynamic and Rain/Snow/Ice and you can choose to have dynamic engine sounds as well. I found the I-PACE very comfortable and nice to drive and liked that I could raise and lower the SUV from a button on the centre console.
The maximum power from this drivetrain configuration is 294kW combined with 696Nm of torque and this offers decent acceleration, for the 2.1 tonne plus I-PACE, from 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 200km/h. The claimed range for the HSE is up to 446km at a consumption of 23kWh/100km and for my week I calculated that I used 24.7kWh/100km, which equates to a maximum range of 365km.
For charging I used the home charge cable (a $400 optional extra although a 5-metre public charging cable does come as standard) with the I-PACE plugged into a standard 240V household plug and this is the slowest way to charge an electric vehicle at home. Jaguar Australia’s website advises that a 7kW AC home charger wall box should be installed and that this will fully charge your I-PACE from 12.75 hours or up to 35km of range from 60 minutes.
All-electric cars are compatible with two types of public charging points. AC charging points are located at destination charging stations such as retail parks, gyms and car parks and rapid DC charging points are located on motorways and public roads. For the I‑PACE Jaguar Australia claim, a 50kW rapid DC charging point will deliver up to 62km of range from 15 minutes and that a 100kW rapid DC charging point will deliver up to 127km of range from 15 minutes.
The HSE comes standard with the sweet-smelling Windsor leather sport seats and this colour is Borasco Grey/Light Oyster combined with an Ebony/Light Oyster interior. This colour would not be my choice because I have children and having a light colour on the tread plates is not a good idea either as I think they would quickly become scuffed and dirty. My HSE also had the optional Premium Upgrade Interior pack ($5,565), featuring a full extended leather upgrade, premium cabin lighting and illuminated metal tread plates.
Both front seats are heated and cooled and the rear seats are heated only and I felt that the seat heating was not up to the standard of other Jaguar’s I have driven. You will be sure to find your ideal seating position though with 16-way power adjustment including front leg extension, 4-way lumber and side bolstering and three memory positions to save you ideal setting. The embossed headrests have 2-way manual adjustment to top it all off.
The optional ($3,580) fixed panoramic sunroof provides the I-PACE cabin with a light and airy feel and offers a window to the weather of the day. The only problem is the sunroof does not have a blind or electrochromic tinting so in summer time it may allow the heat into the cabin.
Connectivity in the I-PACE HSE comes via the Pivi Pro with 10″ Touchscreen, with satellite navigation and an Online Pack with Data Plan. Chargefox and Evie charge stations are shown on the sat nav including the type of charger/s available and how many there are, but the data is not real-time so does not show how many chargers are currently in use. The fixed top screen displays the infotainment options and annoyingly collects dust, so you may want to keep a microfibre cloth stored in the felt lined cubby under the arm rest. The lower touchscreen displays the climate control options for the I-PACE.
Smart phone projection is provided via wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto with wireless charging pad for compatible devices located on the ledge under the front of the centre console with one USB-A port adjacent should you use Bluetooth connection and require a cord for charging. Other storage in the cabin includes two deep cup holders with grippy sides in the centre console and drink bottle storage in the door cubbies for slim drink bottles only. The cup holders in the centre console can also be removed and this creates a space ample enough for a small hand bag to be stored here.
Like all Jags the steering wheel in the I-PACE has a beautiful design and voice control is accessed by pressing the button on the steering wheel with the feminine looking silhouette on it. The voice control worked well for me when I used it to make a phone call or change the radio station, but did not work for entering a destination on the sat nav. The driver also gets a digital dash that can be configured to your personal preference.
The rear seats have adequate head and leg room for two adults to comfortable sit, however I felt that my knees were sitting up high. For younger passengers there are two ISOFIX/three rear tether child seat restraint points, but due to the seat width most likely only enough room for two car seats. The centre seat folds down as an arm rest with two larger cup holders with grippy sides and a smaller holder in between.
The controls for the rear seat heating are located on the rear of centre console between the two front seats and below these there is one 12V outlet and two USB-C ports. The rear air vents are located in the B pillars and have manual direction and open/close controls only. And even though the I-PACE only has a low transmission tunnel there is no carpet mat over it, so this area may become worn over time.
Boot space in the I-PACE is two-fold with a front boot and a rear boot with 40:20:40 split folding rear seats. The front boot space is smallish and accessed via the button in the cabin or on the key fob. The rear boot is larger and would fit a pram and the weekly shop with storage under the boot floor for the charge cord and tyre repair kit. You get four substantial tie down points, two hooks, two lights and a 12V outlet in the boot space. The tailgate is powered and opened/closed via the button under the tailgate, on the key fob or in the cabin.
All I-PACE models have a 5-star ANCAP safety rating (2018) with an Adult Occupant Protection Rating of 34.8 out of 38 (91%) and a Child Occupant Protection rating of 39.9 out of 49 (81%). Passengers are protected by dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags. The HSE also has Matrix LED headlights with signature driving lights, auto lights with auto high beam and auto wipers, but with no wiper on the rear screen. There is also a standard rear-view camera with front and rear sensors and when you reverse the I-PACE a gentle sounding bong emits to warn people behind you that the vehicle is moving.
The Jaguar I-PACE is fitted as standard with a range of safety assist features including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), and lane support systems (LSS) with lane keep assist (LKA) and emergency lane keeping (ELK) functionality. The HSE also has adaptive cruise control, blind spot assist, rear collision monitor and rear traffic monitor. ANCAP tests of its AEB system showed GOOD performance at highway speeds and LKA functionality showed some GOOD performance, however the system does not intervene in more critical emergency lane keeping test scenarios and overall performance of the lane support system was classified as ADEQUATE. The overall ANCAP score for Safety Assist features is 77%.
All new Jaguar I-PACE models are backed by a 5-year/200,000km warranty plus an 8-year battery warranty with 5-years Roadside Assistance. A 5 years/200,000km service plan is also included in the purchase price for added peace of mind.
Jaguar’s involvement in the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with Jaguar TCS Racing and the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 demonstrates the company’s commitment to its all-electric future beyond 2025, the dawn of a new era for Jaguar. The starting price for the I-PACE HSE EV400 is $155,550 excluding on-road costs and as tested the HSE I drove was $169,861 plus on-road costs. Visit your preferred Jaguar retailer for more information or Find and Reserve your I-PACE online.
| Pros | Cons |
| Good acceleration and ride comfort | Voice control not up $150k vehicle standard |
| The Windsor leather interior | No blind on panoramic sunroof |
| 5 years servicing included in purchase price | Seat heating not up to Jag standard |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.