The dishy-looking fella you see on the right is not really David Gandy, the British model, but rather the mental image I had of myself while driving the new Jaguar E-Pace this month.
Ignore the rotund, balding bloke at the bottom of the page. Reality is a harsh mistress best given the cold shoulder; E-Pace me had flowing locks, cheekbones sharp enough to cut diamonds and an ability to air kiss B-listers from 200 paces through a tempered glass windscreen.
I know what you’re thinking. It’s something along the lines of “Not another SUV, darling”. Well, technically it’s not. Jaguar Land Rover calls its latest addition “a five-seat compact performance SUV”. To use the official acronym, it’s a 5SCPSUV, which by an extraordinary stroke of coincidence is the registration of my aunt’s Ford Fiesta Popular Plus from the 1980s.
You’re probably sick of the sight of pseudo off-roaders at this stage but this is a bit special. Besides, everyone’s at it, even brands that steadfastly refused to make one. Lamborghini built one and now Aston Martin has an SUV in the pipeline. Even Ferrari, who maintained it’d be a cold day in hell before it stooped to making SUVs, has one in the works.
So why not jump aboard the SUV bandwagon and embrace the motoring equivalent of the fidget spinner? Sure, they’re thirstier, more bloated and more vulgar than your average hatchback. But if all 4x4s looked like this I’d have no problem ditching low-riding cars once and for all.
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Whether it’s the staunch, upright grille (cars can have stiff upper lips right?), the sweeping roofline or the gorgeously contoured tailgate, there’s something about the E-Pace that makes it easy on the eye. There will doubtless be those among you who think it lacks bite, but I reckon Ian Callum, Jaguar’s chief designer, and his team deserve credit for giving it personality.
The E-Pace is certainly no big cat Jag in the traditional, sleek sense. Workers at the design centre in Coventry even christened it the “cub”. And, like most small, furry animals, it triggered a serotonin rush the first time I clapped eyes on it.
Following in the paw prints of the F-Pace, the E-Pace has a more compact, approachable look but one that leaves you in no doubt it’ll set you back a few quid. The range starts from €36,000 which seems reasonable, but the next model up costs €44,510. Our admittedly gorgeous test car cost €56,000. For similar money, you can get yourself a BMW 5-Series. But then that would involve driving round at eye level with other motorists rather than floating regally above them.
The E-Pace is expensive for sure, but standard equipment levels are actually pretty decent. Stump for the entry-level model and you get chrome side vents, satin black window surrounds, heated door mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, LED headlights and tail lights, 17in wheels, autonomous emergency braking and dual-zone climate control.
The range has been split into two categories with a further three trim levels — S, SE and HSE — deciding your level of finish. Sportier R-Dynamic variants feature a range of upgrades including a glossy black grille and fog lamp surrounds, brushed stainless steel sill plates and pedals, sport seats plus gearshift paddles but cost between €3,700 and €5,600 extra.
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Inside, the E-Pace can’t match the larger F-Pace for cabin space. The cockpit is familiar Jaguar fare but with a large 10in touchscreen as standard alongside and a second 5in screen on the instrument panel. Unusually, a grab handle sits on the passenger side of the centre console giving it an asymmetric look. Controls are nicely laid out and the traditional rotary gear selector has been replaced by a stubby joystick that makes you feel more connected to the driving experience.
One gripe I had was Jaguar’s InControl infotainment system, which seems unnecessarily convoluted compared to rivals. Menus are accessed using virtual buttons on the screen and there was a bit of input lag. There’s also no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay so you have to use Jaguar’s more restrictive apps. I found Meridian’s 125-watt stereo a little weedy but there’s an 825-watt version if you really want to raise the roof.
At nearly 4.4m long, the E-Pace has a 2.7m wheelbase that’s enough to seat four adults in comfort. The 577-litre boot is generous and comes with easy fold buttons that do the donkey work while you concentrate on lugging stuff into the back. The cargo bay expands to an impressive 1,234 litres but loses marks because there’s a pinch point at the c-pillars and it’s not completely flat.
One handy function of the app is the ability to check on your car remotely using your phone. You can flash the lights and beep the horn in crowded car parks, check that you’ve locked the doors and closed the windows and even pre-heat your car on cold starts.
The E-Pace’s emphasis on performance makes it one of the sportier SUVs out there. Precise steering and crisp handling make it a joy to drive on good country roads. It’s flat through fast corners and there’s torque vectoring to stop the wheels squirming when you’re too heavy on the throttle in the wet.
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The ride is firm over speed bumps — especially those teeny ones designed to give rear seat passengers concussion — but remains composed on all but the worst road surfaces. On the motorway it glides along in comparative silence, allowing long distance drivers to rack up the miles in comfort.
The all-wheel drive system of our model gives it an edge over most other compact SUVs. Rather than being a soft-roader with rugged looks, the E-Pace is perfectly capable of getting its wheels mucky and can tow up to 1,800kg. Under normal conditions, the rear-wheel bias gives it a sporty feel but when conditions worsen, the nine-speed automatic transmission can route 50% of the power to the front wheels. When the on board computer detects traction loss during cornering, it can transfer all torque to the wheels with the most grip.
Jaguar has been pushing its Ingenium engine line-up for some time but the E-Pace is the first car to be powered exclusively by aluminium petrol and diesel engines. Having been impressed by the 2-litre diesel Ingenium F-Pace, I knew the E-Pace’s 148bhp version would hold up well, with decent acceleration and relative hush long haul.
The most efficient model in the range is the front-wheel drive version, with emissions of 124g/km. Our four-wheel drive model was no slouch, with emissions of 147g/km, but it costs another €4,000 to upgrade. If you like your engine to have more whack, there are 178bhp and 237bhp diesel alternatives. The petrol model lineup comprises 247bhp and 298bhp versions of the same 2-litre power plant.
If you think I look smug in the picture above, you should have seen me during the test. The E-Pace is a gorgeous little runaround that goes straight to the top of the desirability league table. Purists will argue but look past the famous badge, and it’s proof not all big cats need fangs and a deafening roar.
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JAGUAR E-Pace AWD 150PS S Auto
Price: €56.040
Engine: 1,999cc 4 cylinder turbodiesel
Performance: 0 to 100kph in 10.5 secs
Top speed: 193kph
Fuel: 5.6 litres per 100km
CO2 : 147g per km
Road tax : Band C (€390 a year)
Rating : ★★★★☆
Verdict: Nigh-on purrfect
On sale: Out now