Jaguar I-Pace review

The I-Pace isn’t going to convert millions of people to electric motoring on its own – it’s too expensive for that. However, it undercuts the Model S and Model X and will cost you less per month on a like-for-like PCP finance deal.

This is just as well, because while Tesla gives you 1000 miles a year of free charging and access to its industry-leading Supercharger network, I-Pace buyers will have to charge at home or use regular, slower public chargers – although this should still work out a lot cheaper than filling a petrol or diesel car.

Recharging the batteries to 80% capacity from flat via a standard wall box (as you might when plugging in overnight) takes 10 hours, while 50kW public chargers reduce that time to 85min and 100kW chargers 40min. However, 100kW public chargers are far from widespread in the UK. Tesla's Superchargers already offer 120kW charging.

There aren’t as many tax incentives for electric car buyers that there once were, so even though the I-Pace is exempt from road tax and the London Congestion Charge, you do have to pay an annual luxury car tax of £310.

The I-Pace still makes a great deal of sense for company car drivers, attracting a low benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rating. It's expected to hold on to its value better than the Model S, too.

Even entry-level S spec features lots of luxuries, including keyless entry, dual-zone climate control and ambient interior lighting.

Upgrading to SE gets you bigger wheels, adaptive cruise control and additional safety kit (see below), while range-topping HSE cars also have heated rear seats and matrix LED headlights that can automatically adjust to avoid dazzling other drivers while retaining full-beam illumination.

A feature of the InControl Remote app is the ability to warm or cool the battery and interior of the car remotely before you get in so that the former is at its most efficient from the minute you set off and the latter comfortable enough to stop you from shivering or sweating for the first few miles.

The energy for this is drawn from the mains when the I-Pace is plugged in, so it doesn’t have to rob from its own batteries, and is said to increase the range by up to 62 miles on a cold day

It’s difficult to know how reliable the I-Pace will be, given that it has a bespoke chassis and powertrain and is too new to have featured in our latest reliability survey. However, Jaguar as a brand finished a disappointing 28th out of the 31 manufacturers surveyed.

Like conventionally powered Jaguars, the I-Pace comes with a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, while the battery is covered for eight years, as it is on Teslas. However, this is only if you don't pass 100,000 miles in that time, whereas Tesla imposes no mileage limit.

Jaguar is also following the example of Tesla in offering wireless software updates for the infotainment system and battery charging capability, reducing the need to visit dealers.

Every I-Pace comes with automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance, while traffic sign recognition, which displays the speed limit on your dashboard, is also included.

Mid-spec SE cars add a blindspot warning system, high-speed automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control, which keeps you a set distance from the car in front.

Unfortunately, Euro NCAP hasn't yet released crash test results for the I-Pace, so we're unable to give it our full five-star rating.

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