To be discontinued after the 2024 model year, the Jaguar E-Pace has been hit with a safety recall. A little over 2,400 units produced for the United States market feature passenger airbag modules with out-of-specification deployment door weakening cuts.
By out of specification, the automaker means deployment door weakening cuts that haven't been sufficiently weakened. This condition may result in the airbag tearing upon deployment, increasing the risk of injury in a crash. A torn airbag could also result in hot gasses burning the passenger's face.
The facia airbag deployment door panel bears part number M9C304320 in the parts catalog. Slovakia-based IAC is the supplier of said panel. Following multiple reports of abnormal passenger airbag deployment from the supplier, Jaguar Land Rover started investigating this problem in September 2021.
Vehicle-level tests were started in September 2023, and testing continued through April 2024. Better late than never, JLR and IAC singled out the inadequately weakened panel as the root cause of the abnormal deployments. With this understanding, the British company made the decision to recall all potentially affected vehicles.
No later than May 2, dealers nationwide will be instructed to replace suspect passenger airbag modules and their associated components. Notification letters will be mailed on or about June 14. In the meantime, owners can get in touch with their preferred Jaguar dealership for additional information. Alternatively, owners can determine whether an E-Pace is recalled or not by running the 17-character VIN on the automaker's US website.
Photo: Jaguar
Affected crossovers were assembled from November 11, 2020 through August 31, 2022 by Magna Steyr in Austria. Twinned with the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport, the E-Pace starts at €59,900 in the Republic of Austria. The lowliest specification available is the R-Dynamic S P270e, which is a plug-in hybrid. At the very top of the range, the R-Dynamic HSE D200 mild-hybrid turbo diesel is a ludicrous €85,580.
In the United Kingdom, the most affordable specification is the aforementioned turbo diesel in R-Dynamic S flavor at £43,220 on the road. Over in the United States, the 2024 Jaguar E-Pace comes with a four-cylinder turbo gasser dubbed P250.
P as in petrol, and 250 as in 250 metric ponies or 246 mechanical horsepower. The 2.0-liter engine develops a very respectable 269 pound-feet (365 Nm) of torque, helping the P250 hit 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in 7.0 seconds.
Unfortunately, $49,500 excluding freight is a bit pricey. Considering that Jaguar will stop making internal combustion vehicles in June 2024, why not spend $49,900 on the nicer-looking and better-equipped 2024 Range Rover Evoque S P250?
In the first instance, Jaguar's forthcoming Jaguar Electrified Architecture will underpin a four-door GT with a maximum WLTP range of 700 kilometers (430 miles) and a starting price in excess of £100,000 (around $124,500). Two more vehicles will use the aforementioned platform, with both of them expected to be crossovers. Given time, Jaguar targets 50,000 deliveries per year. All three will be assembled at JLR's Solihull plant.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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