Sunday Drive by Hormazd Sorabjee: The way it makes you feel
The Jaguar I-Pace luxury EV costs a bomb, but puts a big smile on your face as it brings back the joy of driving
Electric cars? Yes, we know they are the greatest thing on wheels, they promise to save the planet and every carmaker and his uncle are rushing to make them. But after all the hype, India is far behind in the EV race. Right now, in June 2021, you can count the number of electric cars available on one hand – yes, there are just five models to choose from! So, every time an electric car comes along, which is far and few between, we are of course very excited.
This time, however, I am doubly excited because it’s a car I’ve driven before in the UK and one that I quite fell in love with: the much-acclaimed Jaguar I-Pace, which has won many international awards. But just how good is it on Indian roads? Does it live up to its top-billing? And more importantly, how much do you get for the bank-busting ₹1.2 crore price tag?
Urban legend
Electric cars thrive in the city where they give you more range than on the highway. It’s unbelievable how the I-Pace zaps gaps in traffic, rocketing off from traffic lights like a scalded cat (or should I say, a jaguar). It is blisteringly fast for something that weighs 2.2 tons and a 0-100kph time of 4.8 seconds puts it in the league of pedigreed sports cars.
Propelling the I-Pace are two electric motors (one each for the front and rear pair of wheels) that produce a combined 400hp and around 700Nm of torque. All that power and torque is served up instantly and without a fuss.
Sounding board
What’s special about the I-Pace is the way it sucks you into the driving experience and it’s this engaging character, something you don’t associate with clinically efficient EVs, that left me smitten. The steering, for one, is accurate, has a nice heft with none of the disconnected feel you associate with EVs. The 50:50 weight distribution makes the I-Pace well-balanced and agile and should you dare to venture a long distance on the highway (away from a charging point), you’ll find the I-Pace is a hushed cruiser. It’s eerily quiet and even road noise is low.
Adding a dose of emotion, but in an artificial kind of way is the synthesised engine sound that’s piped through the speakers. Jaguar calls this feature ‘Active Sound Design’ and you can select three ‘engine’ notes.
All the cool
There’s no shortage of features. In fact, there’s a surplus of them, which I suspect has overwhelmed the infotainment system which feels a bit sluggish to operate. The 360-degree camera which gives you every possible view makes parking really easy. There’s lots of EV-related data crammed into the infotainment system, so you know exactly how the car is performing. There’s also a ‘precondition mode’, which allows you to preset a time for the car to start, like a wake-up alarm.Another cool touch is the ‘clear sight mirror’ which switches from a standard mirror to a digital monitor fed by a camera in the rear tailgate for an unobstructed view.
Cabin quality is really good and the standard of materials and the overall finish is the best yet on any Jag. Space is good for four adults but luggage space isn’t as generous. What distinguishes the I-Pace is the way it drives, the way it looks and the way it makes you smile. This is the luxury EV to have.
The views expressed by the columnist are personal
From HT Brunch, June 27, 2021
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