2020 Jaguar E-PACE

The compact SUV segment is quite populated and the E-Pace is joined by the Volvo XC40, the Lexus UX 200 and the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque to take on the competition. All cars are powered by a similar engine and produce relatively same power and performance. Let's see how the Jaguar fares against its likes.

The Jaguar E-pace comes in four trims - Standard, S, SE and HSE. There are two powertrain options that you can have your E-pace with and that is a 2.0L, Turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that comes in two states of tune – 248 hp (P250) and 296 hp (P300 R-Dynamic). In either configuration, the engine is mated to a 9-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive comes as standard across all trims. The lower powered engine is not offered on the HSE trim and the higher powered engine is not offered on the base trim. The R-Dynamic HSE trim is the highest trim you can get in the E-pace and its equipped to the brim.

We’d Recommend

We’d recommend you the P250 variant in its highest trim that is the SE. The P300 gets too expensive in its highest trim and does not make much value for money. The P250 is sufficiently powerful for the car and you wouldn’t really need the P300. The SE trim also comes very well equipped and hence makes the best value for money deal for the Jaguar E-Pace.

“Don’t mistake this E-Pace as some kind of Jag hot hatch. Anyone who tries to tell you this 300bhp 4x4 is some kind of XXL Golf R is talking cobblers. It sees off 0-62 in around six seconds, but the engine works hard to shift the steel E-Pace’s 1.9 tonnes, and unless slotted into Dynamic mode, it doesn’t make an enthusiastic noise about the fact” – Top Gear

The 2.0L, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine in the E-pace produces 248 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque at 1800 rpm. Well, it’s not as sporty as you’d expect a Jaguar to be but its gets the job done. Power delivery is smooth and linear. The R-Dynamic gets some more power and is a little more energetic per se, but nothing about the E-pace quite suggest some sportiness or that it’s a really fast car. It’s much more of an easy, pleasant cruiser than an outright performer.

The 9-speed automatic transmission is decent too. The gear changes are nice and quick but there tends to be some jerkiness sometimes. It’s not the most refined and Jaguar could definitely give it some more tuning but it’s pretty decent for it is and you’d be happy with it for most times.

When compared to the other cars in the competition, all cars are powered by 2.0L, 4-cylinder motors churning out almost the same levels of power except for the Lexus which is quite underpowered in the competition. Also, the Lexus uses a CVT gearbox while the others use conventional automatics.

Acceleration

The E-Pace does the zero to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds which is in fact, one of the slowest in the segment, better only than the Lexus UX 200 which is quite underpowered. While the acceleration is respectable for the segment, the Jaguar still does not inspire any sportiness. The R-Dynamic variant still does it better in under 6 seconds which is fast enough for the segment.

Surprisingly enough, the Evoque takes the crown here. Though it shares most of its components with the E-Pace, both these SUVs sit at opposite ends in terms of acceleration. The XC40 further tails the Evoque very closely which is further followed by the E-Pace. The Lexus is completely out of the league in this comparison, hands down.

Ride and Handling

The E-pace hasn’t been rewarded with the best of handling either. For a luxury compact SUV, the E-pace rides somewhat inconsistently. The ride is not unsettling per se, but the car feels jittery over undulations on the road, especially when equipped with the larger 20-inch wheels. It’s still better with the smaller wheels but there are cars with better ride quality in this segment.

The problem of the ride quality seems more to be because of the wheels than the suspension. On the handling front, body roll has been well contained but there still seems to be a very tiny amount of lateral movement. The steering is light and easy and it’s fairly precise. The car will go where you point it to but still there is no hint of sportiness from the steering either.

Where the E-Pace shines better than its rivals is in its off-road capabilities. Coming from JLR's stable, it shares the same platform as the Range Rover Evoque and naturally, it inherits some off-road credentials. With a ground clearance of 8.8 inches and AWD as standard across all variants, it can go places where other compact SUVs would rethink this proposition. It does not have any dedicated off-road modes. However, with dynamic all-wheel drive system can send up to 100% of the power to an individual wheel depending on traction levels. That said, the E-pace remains quite surefooted off the tarmac undoubtedly.

Braking

We do not have the braking distance for 60-0 mph of the Jaguar E-pace yet, but we can tell you that the brakes are really impressive in the E-pace. The pedals have the right amount of weight and they provide a good bite. Also the car maintains its composure well even under hard braking. In fact, the braking is one of the highlights of the E-pace.

The E-Pace's specs come out to be pretty average when pitted against the competition. Further worsening the case is the weight of the E-Pace which is expected to hinder its performance. Judging by the braking specifications, the Lexus seems to outperform every other contender here. And why not, it is the lightest and the most underpowered vehicle in this segment. The swedish giant should follow next while the British-twins are expected to be at last.

The E-Pace can munch 21 miles in a gallon of fuel in the city. Come to the highway roads and the mileage bumps upto 28 MPG. Clearly, this happens due to scarce use of clutch and transmission as major part of the trip is covered at a constant speed usually. These numbers combine to give out an overall mileage of 24 MPG which is still respectable for a vehicle that weighs over 4000 lbs.

Fuel Economy does not necessarily seem to be in Jaguar’s favor here as even the Range Rover Evoque follows the same suit. As expected from the lightest and the least powered vehicle - The Lexus, emerges as a champion in this department. The other three vehicles offer similar figures but the XC40 inches slightly ahead of the JLR vehicles in this comparison. The Range Rover Evoque follows next leaving the Jag at the last.

For a kick off, the materials are just consistently better. There are great fillets of polished, ice-cool metal encircling the outermost vents, the scalloped door inserts, and the pistol-grip gear selector that’s been chosen instead of the hateful rotating knob that makes life difficult every time you need a three-point turn or to parallel park.” – Top Gear

Design

The interiors of the E-Pace are quite well laid out. The have been made to look sporty and you can clearly see the F-type’s interior in here. The dashboard slopes down beautifully and the passenger and driver are separated from each other by a handle bar that runs down to the center console, then sweeping towards the driver, making everything look like it is driver focused.

It gets a large 10-inch infotainment system in the center with the AC vents above it and a band of switches for the music system below it. The climate controls looks very cool with the screen integrated within the dials itself. It’s very easy and convenient to use as well. Fit and finish and quality of materials are good but there are a few bits of cheap plastics used here and there.

The E-pace also gets a digital instrument cluster with three virtual dials and they can be configured to show various information. There is plenty of usable storage spaces all in the cabin and finally, the steering wheel feels pretty good too.

Seating and Comfort

The E-pace is pretty spacious on the inside with good amount of headroom and legroom in both the front and rear seats. The seats themselves are very comfortable and they come wrapped in leather that further escalates the lux-appeal of the cabin. There’s also a central arm rest on the rear bench and it is wide enough to serve both occupants on either sides. 

The Lexus comes out to be a bit shy in this comparison here. It is the smallest vehicle of the lot and this becomes even more evident on the inside too. It has the least passenger volume of the lot. The Volvo, on the other hand, sits at the top of the competition here with the E-Pace following it closely enough. The Range Rover isn't very far either.

Interior Features

• Leather steering wheel
• Loadspace cover
• Two-zone Climate Control
• Centre console cubby box
• Twin front cupholders and center console armrest
• Start-up sequence with movement, dials and lighting
• Second row air vents
• Interior lighting
• Analogue Dials with Central TFT Display
• Light Oyster Morzine headlining
• 8-way manual front seats
• Metal treadplates with Jaguar branding
• 10 speaker Sound System
• 10" Touch Pro
• Dynamic Volume Control
• Voice control
• ECO driving style assistant

Infotainment System

The TouchPro system in the Jaguar E-Pace in pretty nice. It's a touchscreen unit and the screen itself is pretty large one (10.1-inch). While the system is pretty good to use, it’s certainly not as slick and smart as the systems from Mercedes, BMW or even Volvo. The graphics could have been a little better but the system, otherwise, responds adequately to touch and commands and is pretty convenient to use. However, the screen is prone to picking up glare from the sunlight and it becomes very difficult to see then.

Cargo Capacity

The E-Pace's cargo bay is one of the best in this segment. With a cargo capacity of 24 cu.ft with all the upright seats, hauling your weekend-getaway luggage is a piece of cake. The boot has pretty nice details like a separate storage under the cover, net storages around the sides, tethering points and even a 12 volt socket making it one of the most practical boots in the segment. Furthermore, the low-slung height and the wide-opening tailgate complements the loading/unloading factor.

The Jaguar E-pace has the largest boot in the competition, hands down. Even its twin - The Evoque struggles to keep up with it. Infact the Evoque sits at last of this comparison. Surprisingly, the Lexus emerges out to be one of the most capable contenders here, ofcourse, after the E-Pace followed closely by the Swedish giant.

“This is a handsome car, recognizable as a Jaguar thanks partly to the teardrop roofline, dropped nose, and aggressively arched lights. Even though the E-Pace's tall, sturdy, compacted body seems incongruous to the long, low, lithe models that made the name Jaguar shorthand for sensuous design.” – The Drive

Design

The Jaguar E-pace is certainly a handsome looker. At first glance, you can immediately identify it as the F-Pace’s younger brother but if you look closely, you’d notice the sportier bits inspired from F-type like, the ovoid shaped headlights and taillights and pronounced arches. The front is dominated by a typical Jaguar like grille flanked by two large air intakes on either sides finished in a honeycomb mesh. The ovoid headlights with L-shaped LED DRLs on top look very smart indeed.

Move over to the sides and you’d notice the pronounced wheel arches. The compact dimensions gives it a great silhouette and when equipped with the 21 inch wheels, it looks really handsome. The eye-shaped window line smoothly gives way to the sloping window line at the rear.

The tail lamps are from the F-type and the sloping window line gives it a very athletic and sporty look. Dual exhausts on either sides of the bumper with black mesh surrounds complete off the look. The rear is simple but still looks very smart. It’s a very handsome looking SUV, in fact, it could sell by its looks alone.

Exterior Dimensions

The E-Pace is one of the heaviest vehicles in the segment. As much as you think of it as a drawback, the E-Pace's heavy weight enables stupendous stability on the roads. Apart from the weight factor, it also flaunts the highest ground clearance of the lot. That said, the E-Pace ticks all the right boxes that you might expect from an SUV.

The Jaguar E-Pace is the heaviest vehicle of the lot. It is also the widest car in the competition. It’s not the longest as that goes to the Lexus UX200. It also benefits from the highest ground clearance which gives it better off road capabilities. The overall proportions of the car are really nice. It’s just behind the Volvo for the wheelbase which translates to good amount of space inside.

Exterior Features

• LED headlights
• Automatic headlights
• Rear fog lights
• Manual tailgate
• Chrome side vents
• Grained Black grille with Chrome surround
• Body-coloured bumpers
• Grained Black door claddings
• Heated door mirrors
• Electric windows with one-touch open/close and anti-trap
• Heated rear window
• Rain sensing windscreen wipers
• Approach illumination
• Tailgate spoiler
• JAGUAR script and leaper
• 3-flash lane change indicators

The 2020 Jaguar E-Pace has not yet been tested by wither NHTSA or IIHS and we cannot offer you their ratings yet. However, the E-Pace comes pretty well loaded with safety technology such as ABS, EBD, Lane Keep Assist, and cruise control. It also comes with a driver alertness monitor which notifies when the driver is fatigued and should take some rest in case he/she is dozing on the driver seat which is a really cool feature.

Safety Features

• Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
• Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD)
• Emergency Brake
• Front airbags, with passenger seat occupant
• Front side airbags
• Full length side window curtain airbag
• Customer Configurable Autolock
• Rear ISOFIX
• Seat belt reminder
• Passive front head restraints
• Cruise Control and Speed Limiter
• Driver Condition Monitor
• Lane Keep Assist
• Rear Camera
• Front and Rear Parking Aid
• Passive suspension

Jaguar E-Pace vs Volvo XC40

Both cars are very close on paper in terms of power and torque figures but the Volvo XC40 is actually quicker to 60 mph than the E-Pace. The Volvo also has the better balance ride quality and handling whereas the E-Pace does not have a very good ride quality. Both cars look amazing from the outside but it’s the interiors of the Volvo which feels more special and its better equipped as well. Finally, the E-Pace is more expensive than the Volvo which means the XC40 is a better car at a cheaper price and hence, is our choice

Jaguar E-Pace vs Lexus UX200

The Lexus UX200 may be quite underpowered in comparison to the E-Pace but it does pretty well what it does. It has good body control and a good ride quality as well. It looks very stylish and quite apart. The interiors are good but the infotainment system could have been better. It has way better fuel economy than any of its competitors. On the other hand, the Jaguar is quite more powerful and much faster. If horsepower is not your concern, then the UX200 is the most sensible buy at a reasonable price but the E-Pace seems worth it for the extra power and performance it comes with.

Jaguar E-Pace vs Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

The Range Rover Evoque just received a fresh update this year and it looks smarter and sleeker than before. Better than the E-Pace? Perhaps not. However, the Evoque has best in class interiors and technology with this new update. It’s also the fastest to 60 mph and is expected to ride and drive much better than before. Being a range rover, the Evoque has proper offroad capabilities and there’s no beating the Evoque at that. Yes, it costs a little more than the E-Pace but considering all that’s on offer in the new Evoque, it seems every bit worth it and would be our pick of the two.

The Jaguar E-Pace is a pretty good car but it’s not the best in class. It looks very stylish, has good interiors and is decently well equipped in this segment. What lets it down is its ride quality and as a compact luxury crossover, it was expected to excel in this department.

Another drawback for the E-Pace is that the price can escalate quickly with just a few options. However, the E-Pace comes with a good engine which produces good amount of power and performs well in the segment as well. It’s a good daily driver and but the competition still seems to be a step ahead. In the end, it’s only a decent package that is worth your consideration.