2018 JAGUAR E-PACE FIRST LOOK

2018 JAGUAR E-PACE FIRST LOOK BY AUTO CRITIC STEVE HAMMES

To no one’s surprise, Jaguar’s F-PACE has already become the British automaker’s bestseller.

Their first-ever SUV tallies nearly as many sales as all Jaguar cars combined.  Capitalizing on the sport-ute renaissance, Jaguar reveals the all-new 2018 E-PACE – a 5 seat compact SUV priced from under $40,000, making it the least expensive way to get yourself some growl.

Based upon the Range Rover Evoque, the E-PACE is constructed of steel bodysides and an aluminum hood, roof and tailgate to reduce weight, tipping the scales at 4,175 pounds… 273 more than a Porsche Macan, a key E-PACE competitor.

Jaguar describes the seating position as an elevated ‘Sports Command,’ offering excellent visibility while retaining a cockpit-like feel.  Primary controls, such as the sports gear shifter for the 9-speed automatic and drive mode selector with Normal, Dynamic, ECO and weather settings, have been carefully designed to promote driver engagement.

Jaguar says the sports car interior provides the blueprint that reinforces the E-PACE’s sporty feel and tunes the driver into the driving experience.  Speaking of which, the E-PACE is fitted with a 246 horsepower 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbo-4 while E-PACE R-Dynamic models ratchet up the output to 296 horsepower.  0-to-60mph happens in 6.6 seconds and 5.9 seconds respectively.  All-wheel drive with torque vectoring is standard for enhanced cornering performance, working front to rear as well as side-to-side.

R-Dynamic models use a specific Active Driveline version which disengages the all-wheel drive system during steady state cruising, sending power only to the front axle, reducing parasitic loses.  A feature called All Surface Progress Control acts as a low-speed cruise control, helpful in challenging low-traction conditions.

The E-PACE is the first Jaguar vehicle to offer a completely new generation of Head-Up Display technology as an option. The system can project large, full-color graphics onto the windshield directly into the driver’s sightline.

Three trims levels are offered for each engine tune with the range-topper being the E-PACE First Edition, priced from near $55,000.