Jaguar I-Pace review

Every Jaguar I-Pace has four-wheel drive courtesy of two electric motors – one at the front, the other at the rear. Together they pump out 394bhp, which is enough for 0-60mph in 4.5sec. That’s slower than the monstrously rapid Tesla Model S and Tesla Model X but plenty to pin you back in your seat and significantly faster than the vast majority of cars, including all electric SUV rivals except the Model X.

Not only can you get around quickly in the I-Pace, but you can also travel quite far. Its 90kWh battery pack gives an official range of 292 miles on a single charge – again, surpassing most other electric cars.

Those same movements are discernible even with the optional adaptive set-up in its softest Comfort mode, but you can flick it into a firmer Dynamic mode that tightens up the body control. On the downside, doing that means road imperfections are transmitted through to the interior as thuds, whereas in Comfort mode the I-Pace can absorb initial impacts better than a Mercedes EQC.

You’ll feel the weight of the I-Pace shifting on to its outside wheels when you turn in to a corner at speed, but it hangs on to your chosen line gamely – as long as you don't encounter mid-corner bumps, which tend to upset its balance a touch. If you push harder, you’ll feel the car gently running wide at the front in a safe, secure manner, but the stability control’s interventions can be sudden. The I-Pace is still decent fun to drive for an electric vehicle and pretty agile for an SUV, with a low centre of gravity and precise steering that has just the right amount of weight.