The I-Pace story is an intriguing one, and a tale that will continue to evolve as Jaguar embarks on its electric future. Because this EV SUV was so good from the get-go that it once could have been the perfect springboard for a bold, brave new Jaguar without combustion. We all love to play hypothetical history with the British car industry, so what might have happened if Jaguar had gone all in on EV soon after its launch? It would have been interesting, that’s for sure, which is probably more than can be said for the direction actually taken.
The electric car landscape has changed so much since 2018 that it’s sometimes hard to remember the impact the Jaguar had. Before there was an Audi e-tron, Mercedes EQC, BMW iX or even Tesla Model Y, the I-Pace launched. It was a courageous move by Jaguar, to create an all-electric SUV on bespoke architecture, but what a prescient decision it now looks. Moreover, the I-Pace was better looking than all of them, certainly as good (if not preferable) to drive and initially competitive on range, charging and efficiency. Because there weren’t that many other luxury EVs around at the time.
The fact the I-Pace was largely left unaltered after such a groundbreaking, award-winning start remains a mystery. This is the car that should have been celebrated and optimised, not ignored. There’s only ever been one powertrain option, bizarrely; imagine how much more popular the I-Pace could have been with a single motor car to increase range or an SVR to demonstrate what a fast Jag could be without a V8.
But it wasn’t to be. This must make selling new I-Paces hard, because the fundamentals haven’t changed very much; nowadays selling EVs at Jaguar money with 100kW charging, 400hp and 292 miles of WLTP range isn’t the pull it once was. The advantage for a prospective buyer is that the secondhand ones look like bargains, not least because there aren’t substantial changes to miss out on.
Take this I-Pace as an example. It’s the cheapest we could find with the 2021MY refresh, the most significant change and the one that introduced 11kW onboard charging alongside the much improved Pivi Pro infotainment instead of the original system. It’s the more desirable era, and it’s here for sale at £18,599. That’s BMW i3, Kia Soul EV and MG money.
Perhaps it’s not the world’s most perfect I-Pace. ‘S’ spec gets you everything that might be needed, albeit not the massive wheels and air suspension some will covet; it goes without the desirable pano roof or upgraded sound system as well. That being said, the 19-inch wheels here look far better than the 18s an S once came on (and we think were dropped for the facelift), it’ll ride nicely with that sidewall, and this interior doesn’t look drastically different to an HSE bar more leather. Fuji White outside may put some off also but, again - £18k. There are Teslas, Audi e-trons and Skoda Enyaqs at comparable money, but the smart, suave Jaguar does feel quite hard to ignore.
It’s showing 60,000 miles, and the first MOT was passed without an advisory last year. There’s no mention in the advert about service history, so that would be worth chasing up, though there’s obviously less to be concerned about compared to when a 400hp Jaguar had a supercharger and eight cylinders. A battery health check would be ideal as well, because a car that’s covered 60k and only ever fast charged is a different prospect to one with a few more miles that’s only ever been trickled along on 7kW at home.
But without wishing to ram the point home too much, this is a Jaguar I-Pace, with the useful mid-life facelift, for a couple of grand more than a Dacia Spring - Britain’s cheapest new EV. The car has been on sale long enough now for a wealth of knowledge to be built up in buying guides and forums to deal with issues; if Jaguar’s future perhaps doesn’t look amazing, then it’s hardly like being a Fisker Ocean. You don’t often see the I-Pace on affordable, used EV SUV lists - for a good deal less than £20k, now perhaps it should.
SPECIFICATION | JAGUAR I-PACE
Engine: 2x147kW motors, 90kWh battery pack
Power (hp): 400 (total)
Torque (lb ft): 512 (total)
0-62mph: 4.8sec
Top speed: 124mph
Consumption: 2.82-2.47mi/kWh (MY2021 range)
Range: 253-292 miles (MY2021 range)
Year registered: 2020
Recorded mileage: 60,972
Price new: £65,195 (2020)
Yours for: £18,599
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