Jaguar I-Pace review

You don’t sit especially high in the I-Pace by SUV standards, but even entry-level S cars have part-electric adjustment to help drivers of different sizes get comfortable, while the seats in pricier versions are fully electric and have a memory function. The standard sports seats in the front look great and offer brilliant side support as well as comfort over long distances.

All I-Paces forgo traditional analogue instrument dials for a slick 12.3in digital display, which lets the driver decide exactly what information they want to be displayed directly in front of them, and in what configuration.

You also get another partly touch-sensitive panel lower down the centre console, which replaces standard buttons and is used to control secondary systems, including the climate control.

It looks flash, but the downside of touch-sensitive buttons is that they tend to be distracting to use while driving, by forcing you to take your eyes off the road to find the correct area to hit. However, the I-Pace’s screens are at least complemented by two physical dials that can change function depending on the menu selected.

Forward visibility is good, but thick rear pillars and a shallow rear window mean your view of what’s behind is quite limited.

It’s fortunate, then, that you get a 360deg camera and rear cross-traffic alert as standard. However, the rear camera display can be a bit laggy, making it appear like you’re approaching an obstacle much faster than you actually are.

As in other modern Jaguar cars, the upper dashboard of the I-Pace is dominated by a large 12.3in touchscreen, through which you access the sat-nav, phone and stereo functions. Yet it's nowhere near as big as the enormous tablet-style screen fitted to Tesla models, or as responsive.

There are plenty of neat features to make use of, though. If different drivers have their own key fob, the I-Pace can use this to learn their preferences and ensure their usual climate control and infotainment settings are ready every time they get behind the wheel. In addition, the I-Pace will be the first Jaguar to offer Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, although not from launch.

Material quality has long been a weakness of Jaguars, but the I-Pace feels relatively classy inside. Okay, the plastics aren’t going to give Audi’s quality controllers sleepless nights, but they’re a step up from the F-Pace’s, and within the electric car class they're very impressive. The centre console (the spine the divides driver and front passenger) feels more solid than that of the Model S, which fails to match the I-Pace's finish in a few areas.

The fact that the steering wheel is wrapped in soft-grain leather and the interior is dominated by the fancy graphics of the various digital displays also adds some wow factor.

But while the stalks sprouting out of the steering column look and feel solid, the rotary dials on the secondary touchscreen in the centre console feel a bit flimsier.