Tag Archives: Jaguar

Jaguar J-Pace Could Pose Challenge to Tesla Model X

The I-Pace was Jaguar’s first all-electric model. The J-Pace is expected to be bigger – and may also offer hybrid and plug-in powertrain options.

With the launch of the I-Pace, Jaguar became one of the first automakers to deliver an all-electric model in luxury car territory. Now, the British brand is readying its second battery-electric vehicle, the even larger J-Pace.

Expected to arrive later in the 2021 model year, the Jaguar J-Pace will be go up against other premium midsize SUVs, such as the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE and, in particular, the Tesla Model X.

The automaker hasn’t said much about its plans for the J-Pace, just confirming that additional battery-electric vehicles are in the works. But set to be its second entry into the BEV market, it will be both larger than the current Jaguar I-Pace and longer range, thanks to a battery pack expected to store about 100 kilowatt-hours.

(Jaguar keeps celebrating E-type’s 60th anniversary with unique F-Type.)

That’s in line with the longest-range version of the Model X which can deliver an EPA-rated 348 miles per charge. But whether Jaguar’s electric driveline can match its rival’s efficiency remains to be seen. Currently, Jaguar gets an EPA rating of just 234 miles out of a 90 kWh pack with the smaller I-Pace.

The coming J-Pace will be comparable to the Tesla Model X, although the Model X has a longer range, but changes by Jaguar could change that.

The J-Pace, however, could manage a bit more as it will be using an all-new platform that also will underpin other Jaguar Land Rover battery-electric vehicles. That will include the next-generation Jaguar XJ, along with a future version of the Range Rover. JLR has confirmed the all-electric sedan but only hinted at full electrification plans for the Land Rover side of the company.

It has, nonetheless, made it clear that its future will involve electric drivetrain technology pretty much across the board. But that will include hybrid technology – and plug-ins, in particular – as well as all-electric vehicles.

Significantly, the new platform set to underpin the XJ and J-Pace has been designed to accommodate both full battery-electric drivelines as well as hybrid and traditional gas-powered systems. Some speculation centers around a possible debut of JLR’s new inline-six-cylinder engine with the launch of the J-Pace. Most likely, however, it would be used as part of a plug-in hybrid system with a smaller battery pack than the all-electric version of the J-Pace.

Whatever the final options Jaguar offers, it takes a distinctly different approach from the direction Jaguar took with the I-Pace, its first BEV. That model is offered only with a battery drive system.

(Jaguar offering new, but old electric vehicle: E-type Zero.)

Adopting a flexible architecture has its advantages: it allows a manufacturer to mix and match powertrains, depending upon market demand, without having to develop separate platforms.

The new J-Pace will likely share its platform and dimensions with the Range Rover Sport, but get a very different look.

But there are numerous compromises to such a design. All-electric architectures tend to resemble oversized skateboards, optimized to have motors, batteries and other key components mounted below the load floor. Among other things, they tend to have lower centers of gravity and good front-to-rear weight distribution. But that changes when you need space up front for a possible gas engine.

The Jaguar I-Pace, in particular, took advantage of its electric-only design by recapturing some of the space normally required for an internal combustion engine, repurposing it for passengers and cargo.

Nonetheless, the J-Pace is expected to pick up many of the distinctive design cues of the I-Pace, albeit with a somewhat longer nose.

It will offer more interior space and more high-line features, according to various sources. There will be an emphasis on technology, including a version of the Duo Pro touchscreen infotainment now offered on the most recent JLR entries. That system uses twin SIM-based communications systems to enhance its speed. One is used for such things as downloading mapping and traffic info, while also being able to handle smartphone-style over-the-air updates for the vehicle’s software.

(2021 Jaguar E-Pace gets “thorough freshening.”)

While Jaguar is expected to continue using internal combustion technology, how long it will do so is unclear. It may follow a path similar to that of Volvo which expects to continue relying on plug-in and BEV systems, at least through the end of the decade. But the British brand has begun signaling that it could go entirely electric beyond 2030. Considering that’s the year that Great Britain now plans to ban sales of new vehicles using internal combustion engines, that would clearly make sense.

2020 Jaguar XE P250 S Review – Close, but No Cigar

2020 Jaguar XE P250 S

2020 Jaguar XE P250 S Fast Facts
2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (247 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 269 lb-ft @ 1,300-4,500 rpm)

Eight-speed automatic transmission, rear-wheel drive

25 city / 34 highway / 28 combined (EPA Estimated Rating, MPG)

N/A city, N/A highway, N/A combined (NRCan Rating, L/100km)

Base Price: $39,900 (U.S) / N/A (Canada)

As Tested: $55,940 (U.S.) / N/A (Canada)

Prices include $995 destination charge in the United States and N/A for freight, PDI, and A/C tax in Canada and, because of cross-border equipment differences, can’t be directly compared. Because the XE is AWD only in Canada, we cannot make a direct comparison.

Ever since Jaguar launched the XE a few years ago, I’ve held high hopes for it. As much as I, like most auto journalists, dig the BMW 3 Series, I’ve always pined for more compact luxury sport sedan competition.

Mercedes has the C-Class, sure, and Lexus’ IS has often been a solid challenger, especially in certain trims. But the more the merrier, I say, and this particular Jag had a chance at contention.

At least, that was my thought based on a limited drive at a media event, although I didn’t get a great bead on handling, since this mini-junket took place near downtown Chicago. I do remember thinking the interior design, especially the gauges, looked old and tacky – too old and tacky for a luxury vehicle, even one that’s relatively affordable.

Fast-forward a bit. The XE’s insides have been updated and modernized, and the powertrain lineup has been enhanced. I finally had my hands on one for a week, instead of 20 minutes, and I was curious to see where the XE fit in the luxury sport-compact sedan class.

2020 Jaguar XE P250 S

We don’t have the resources for instrumented testing here at TTAC, unfortunately, but I can report that on public roads, the XE performs well. It’s swift to accelerate, sharp to handle, and the ride is sports-car stiff. It does flirt with the harsh side of the line.

[Get new and used Jaguar XE pricing here!]

It felt a tad lighter on its feet than the all-wheel-drive 330i xDrive I’d driven previously, no doubt in part because my XE tester was rear-drive. Indeed, the XE is lighter than both the rear-wheel and all-wheel-drive 330i. Gee-whiz electronics involving the various drive modes no doubt helped, and yes, Dynamic mode is more fun. Oh, by the way, you Canuck readers can only get the XE with AWD.

I was having a hard time finding fault with the XE, even with the base engine – a 2.0-liter turbo four that makes 247 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic gets the power to the rear wheels.

The Jag even looks sleek and sexy, a real head-turner, even in grey. Jag has built a winner, I thought.

2020 Jaguar XE P250 S

Then my family ruined the buzz.

See, this was pre-pandemic times, and I had to drive my parents across town. Along with some stuff. At that point, I realized how cramped the rear seat and relatively low on space the trunk is.

That’s a problem, because sports sedans, even compact ones, still have sedan in the name. Buyers have kids, and pets, and in-laws, and friends to haul around. As well as the stuff we all accumulate in modern life. Pet carriers, car seats, groceries, luggage, the usual. Jaguar designers seem to have been so focused on making a good driver’s car that they forgot about the passengers. It’s not just a seating issue, as the cargo space is less than what BMW offers.

The numbers, on paper, are close, at least when it comes to rear-seat room, but that didn’t seem to help in the real world. To be fair, I didn’t have rear-seat passengers with the last 330i I drove, but it did feel a bit roomier when I parked my tall and overweight frame back there to take pics.

At least the interior is modernized, bearing the highly digital experience that has become familiar across JLR’s lineup over the past few years. A well-integrated infotainment screen sits on top of a mostly digital HVAC display, with two big knobs for temperature adjustments and a volume knob being the only knobs in sight. It’s a good look, and not terribly difficult to learn, but I do wonder how expensive repairs will be once the warranty expires.

2020 Jaguar XE P250 S

The gauges are also digital, and the steering wheel buttons are haptic touch and light up only when needed. It’s a bit corny, but it works, aesthetically. Again, I do have concerns about future repair bills. And not just because of the history of electronics and British cars.

It’s a pretty little thing, with sloping, rounded lines and a minimalism that keeps things simple. It’s a cliché to talk about Jaguar sports cars looking like jungle cats on their haunches, ready to pounce, but it sort of fits here. It’s a sleeker look than what the 3 Series offers, and I rather like the 3 Series’ classic lines. More importantly, it doesn’t go too far in the direction of bro racer, as the IS arguably does.

My test vehicle came with standard features such as 18-inch wheels, torque vectoring, moonroof, leather seats, dual-zone climate control, push-button start, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, USB, lane-keep assist, and driver-condition monitor.

A Technology Pack ($1,950) added a rearview-mirror camera, head-up display, and wireless cell-phone charging. A Drive Pack ($1,700) brought forth blind-spot assist, adaptive cruise control, and high-speed emergency braking, while a Dynamic Handling Pack ($1,615) tacked on a rear spoiler, adaptive and configurable dynamics, 350-millimeter front brakes and red brake calipers. Another package ($1,365) added navigation, Wi-Fi, traffic-sign recognition, and adaptive speed limiter. Keyless entry and a power gesture-activated trunk were part of yet another package ($1,200), along with an electronically adjustable steering column and extra power outlets. Yet another option pack included a heated steering wheel ($620), and a different package added parking aids such as a 360-degree camera ($600).

Other options included black exterior styling touches ($375), satellite radio ($300), premium audio ($800), 19-inch wheels ($1,400), power-folding mirrors ($360), the grey paint job ($610), heated and cooled front seats ($1,500), and uplevel leather seats ($650)

All told the car cost $55,940, including the $995 destination fee.

2020 Jaguar XE P250 S

The XE is a sleek sporty sedan that does a lot right, and could serve as an alternative to the usual suspects – unless you need to haul rear-seat passengers or a lot of cargo often. It’s a good car with one big flaw.

Flawed as it may be, its on-road dynamics make up for it quite a bit. Perhaps not enough to move this Jag into serious contention for compact-luxury class supremacy, but it’s not an also-ran, either.

That will be good enough for some. Which may be good enough for Jaguar.

[Images © 2020 Tim Healey/TTAC]

 

 

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