Photo: Jaguar
A new concept car usually spends about a year on tour, jumping from one major motor show to the next. To maximize its appeal, some manufacturers change the color on the second or third debut, and that's precisely what Jaguar has done to the I-Pace.
The all-electric crossover preview was first presented during November 2016's Los Angeles Auto Show. And since then, it's never been shown at a European event, making its arrival in Geneva kind of a big deal.
Red paint instead of silver might not be important from an engineering point of view. But every Jaguar needs to appeal to the emotional side of the brain first and the rational second. The tone itself is called Photon Red, and it will remind everybody of the day they first set eyes on the F-Type R Coupe.
Jaguar has done color swaps in the past. For example, the C-X17, which was the preview of the F-Pace, was shown in blue and then a coppery brown at the Guangzhou Auto Show. Likewise, the C-X75 supercar boasted silver, blue and orange.
But the I-Pace is more than just a concept; it's palpable insight into a five-seat production car that will be on the road in 2018. This will be Jaguar’s first-ever battery-powered electric vehicle and opens a new chapter in the history of the British brand.
“The I-PACE Concept is a radical departure for electric vehicles. It represents the next generation of battery electric vehicle design. It’s a dramatic, future-facing design – the product of authentic Jaguar DNA matched with beautiful, premium details and British craftsmanship," Ian Callum, Jaguar Director of Design, said.
From some angles, it looks more like a D-segment hatchback than ever before. But after the runaway success, it's had with the F-Pace, Jaguar is wise to aim this car at crossover buyers.
The bits that really matter are the two electric motors that deliver a combined 400 horsepower and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft). Most manufacturers have given their EVs around half or a third of that, but Jaguar is clearly going after the people who might have bought a Tesla.
But while Tesla holds about half a million Model 3 reservations, Jaguar can only boast 350 deposits on the I-Pace. And the market is only going to get more crowded, with the Audi e-tron, electric BMW X3 and Mercedes EQ all expected to come out in the next few years.
Red paint instead of silver might not be important from an engineering point of view. But every Jaguar needs to appeal to the emotional side of the brain first and the rational second. The tone itself is called Photon Red, and it will remind everybody of the day they first set eyes on the F-Type R Coupe.
Jaguar has done color swaps in the past. For example, the C-X17, which was the preview of the F-Pace, was shown in blue and then a coppery brown at the Guangzhou Auto Show. Likewise, the C-X75 supercar boasted silver, blue and orange.
But the I-Pace is more than just a concept; it's palpable insight into a five-seat production car that will be on the road in 2018. This will be Jaguar’s first-ever battery-powered electric vehicle and opens a new chapter in the history of the British brand.
“The I-PACE Concept is a radical departure for electric vehicles. It represents the next generation of battery electric vehicle design. It’s a dramatic, future-facing design – the product of authentic Jaguar DNA matched with beautiful, premium details and British craftsmanship," Ian Callum, Jaguar Director of Design, said.
From some angles, it looks more like a D-segment hatchback than ever before. But after the runaway success, it's had with the F-Pace, Jaguar is wise to aim this car at crossover buyers.
The bits that really matter are the two electric motors that deliver a combined 400 horsepower and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft). Most manufacturers have given their EVs around half or a third of that, but Jaguar is clearly going after the people who might have bought a Tesla.
But while Tesla holds about half a million Model 3 reservations, Jaguar can only boast 350 deposits on the I-Pace. And the market is only going to get more crowded, with the Audi e-tron, electric BMW X3 and Mercedes EQ all expected to come out in the next few years.
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