Jaguar has confirmed that the production-spec I-Pace
will premiere at March’s Geneva Motor Show. The eye-catching crossover is the
carmaker’s first all-electric vehicle and will directly rival the Tesla Model
X. Unlike the Tesla, however, the I-Pace won’t look like a bloated¬ sedan and
instead more closely resemble a sporty luxury car fitting of the Jaguar badge.
The road-going
I-Pace will be very similar to the original concept in terms of both its
interior and exterior designs. As such, the crossover will adopt very short
front and rear overhangs, allowing Jaguar designers to maximize interior space
and to keep the vehicle’s dimensions within a normal range.
One of the biggest question marks about the new
I-Pace relates to its powertrain. In concept form, the vehicle uses electric
motors at both the front and rear axles, producing a combined 400 hp and 700 Nm
of torque with permanent all-wheel drive. A 90 kWh battery was also featured,
as was a range of 500 km.
After taking a passenger ride in an I-Pace prototype
recently, Autocar reports that the SUV is very quick and Jaguar asserts that
the engineering will remain true to the concept. If that’s the case, no
significant mechanical alterations are to be expected.
European sales of the Jaguar I-Pace will commence
immediately after the car’s Geneva debut. Later in 2018, the I-Pace will launch
in the United States.
