2018 Jaguar E-PACE First-Drive Review: Grace, Pace, and Space
The roads began to get tight and narrow.
The roads started to become even more challenging. But that was fine with us, as the E-PACE was a very willing companion. While the acceleration impressed around town, the chassis and handling dynamics impressed when the going got twisty. In these very tight and technical mountain roads, the E-PACE was in its element. Despite weighing 4,175 lbs as tested, this Jaguar cub offers a driving experience that belies its size. It’s a truly agile little beast.
Likewise, the E-PACE’s strong driving dynamics are matched by the level of stability and driver confidence it offers up. During my drive the weather was typically European, which is to say rainy. Despite the wet conditions and mild temperatures, at no point did my drive partner or myself ever feel like we were in over our heads. An impressive sentiment considering that neither of us had driven these roads before, nor did we know where we were even going. Oh, and we got into a little dogfight with the Borasco Gray E-PACE in the chase pictures. Again, I won’t incriminate either party, but no one was dawdling.
An equal measure of credit has to be given to the brakes.
The standard E-PACE comes with disc brakes that measure 12.8″ up front and 11.8″ out back. If you upgrade from the standard 17″ wheels to 18s or larger (21-inch wheels are available), the front brake rotors get a notable upgrade, from 12.8″ to 13.7″. To that end, never once did the brakes exhibit any sort of fade, or reduction in stopping power. I say this even after hours of non-stop charging through the Corsican mountain roads.
Though, sadly, our hard-charging ways met a bit of an obstacle when the inclement weather got worse as we ascended further. So, our pace (pun intended) slowed down a bit, and we had more time to reflect on the E-PACE.
It’s very handsome, very agile, very charming, and, assuming you keep the options-list modest, very competitively priced. For the mom or dad who wants a fun family hauler, the E-PACE ticks a lot of boxes. It’s much more affable and lovable than an Audi, and it seems to better understand the concept of sporty more than a contemporary BMW SUV. If those are character traits you value, then the E-PACE makes a lot of sense.
Eventually, we were in the clouds (where I filmed the intro segment!) and it was time to go back down to sea level. We could either turn around and go back the way we came, or, after some quick-studying of the map, keep on and explore more new roads. The choice was obvious.
Move over to the next page to read the dramatic conclusion for the Jaguar E-PACE.
