Following in the footsteps of the recently launched Jaguar F-Pace, the Jaguar E-Pace will continue the British brand’s assault in the realm of crossover SUVs. Internally known as the X540, the E-Pace will slot in just below the F-Pace in the Jaguar lineup. The estimated time of arrival is next year, with European sales expected to begin early in 2018.
As you can tell from the image above, the new model is wearing Range Rover Evoque clothes. Other than slightly remodeled bumpers and a different underbody, there’s little in the way of visual differences between this prototype and the Evoque lying around in showrooms. Our spy photographers have checked the license plates with the DVLA and confirmed that this mule is registered as a Jaguar.
The 2017 Jaguar E-Pace represents a first for Jaguar regarding propulsion. While the F-Pace claims the title of first Jaguar SUV ever, the E-Pace is expected to spawn a fully electric variant, the first EV in the leaping cat’s existence. Due to the easily observable radiator up its nose, this prototype isn’t an electric vehicle. Compared to the Evoque, the wheelbase of the E-Pace appears to be longer and the rear track wider.
There is little information available regarding Jaguar’s EV ambitions, but one thing is certain: the British company trademarked I-Pace and I-Type, and our intuition tells us those are not Apple products. It’s too soon to tell if Jaguar will use an aluminum chassis for the E-Pace of if the new model will be based on a variation of the Range Rover Evoque’s age-old LR-MS platform. Considering that this platform can trace its roots back to the Ford-sourced architecture of the Land Rover Freelander 2, we sure hope that Tata Motors-owned Jaguar won’t choose old bones on grounds of saving money on production.
Under the hood of the 2017 Jaguar E-Pace, you’ll find an assortment of Ingenium engines. In plain English, we’re offered the choice between a 2-liter gasoline-fed engine and a 2-liter turbo diesel. Provided that the E-Pace won’t come as standard with a six-speed manual, the ZF nine-speed automatic transmission will take care of cog-swapping duties. It's still not known if production of the E-Pace will be handled by the Magna-Steyr facility in Graz, Austria, or Jaguar’s soon-to-be-built £1 billion plant in Nitra, western Slovakia.
The 2017 Jaguar E-Pace represents a first for Jaguar regarding propulsion. While the F-Pace claims the title of first Jaguar SUV ever, the E-Pace is expected to spawn a fully electric variant, the first EV in the leaping cat’s existence. Due to the easily observable radiator up its nose, this prototype isn’t an electric vehicle. Compared to the Evoque, the wheelbase of the E-Pace appears to be longer and the rear track wider.
There is little information available regarding Jaguar’s EV ambitions, but one thing is certain: the British company trademarked I-Pace and I-Type, and our intuition tells us those are not Apple products. It’s too soon to tell if Jaguar will use an aluminum chassis for the E-Pace of if the new model will be based on a variation of the Range Rover Evoque’s age-old LR-MS platform. Considering that this platform can trace its roots back to the Ford-sourced architecture of the Land Rover Freelander 2, we sure hope that Tata Motors-owned Jaguar won’t choose old bones on grounds of saving money on production.
Under the hood of the 2017 Jaguar E-Pace, you’ll find an assortment of Ingenium engines. In plain English, we’re offered the choice between a 2-liter gasoline-fed engine and a 2-liter turbo diesel. Provided that the E-Pace won’t come as standard with a six-speed manual, the ZF nine-speed automatic transmission will take care of cog-swapping duties. It's still not known if production of the E-Pace will be handled by the Magna-Steyr facility in Graz, Austria, or Jaguar’s soon-to-be-built £1 billion plant in Nitra, western Slovakia.