Jaguar E-PACE hits SSA market in grand style

The Jaguar E-PACE is a five-seat compact Sport Utility Vehicle that packs the design and performance of a Jaguar sports car into a spacious, practical and connected all-wheel-drive vehicle.

Trademark Jaguar driving characteristics and stirring design put the brand’s sports car DNA in a practical design packed with advanced technologies.

The E-PACE, the newest member of Jaguar’s SUV family following the F-PACE performance SUV and I-PACE Concept all-electric SUV, takes design inspiration from the F-TYPE sports car.

The exterior design is characterised by the distinctive Jaguar grille, muscular proportions, short overhangs and powerful haunches while optional 21-inch alloy wheels give the E-PACE a bold and purposeful stance, instantly communicating dynamic agility. Jaguar sports car DNA is also evident in the fast sweep of the roofline and the distinctive side window graphic.

Speaking at the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) media launch in Johannesburg, South Africa, Global Product Marketing Director, Jaguar Land Rover, Finbar McFall, said: “Demand for SUVs and Crossovers is growing, particularly in China, with the market predicted to increase globally by 23 per cent by 2020.

Jaguar is at the forefront of this demand with our expanding PACE family of SUVs. We are attracting incremental customers, typically couples and young families who are used to being connected and want practicality and stand-out design. E-PACE delivers on all three counts.”

“We have launched in Mauritius, We will be launching in other parts of the SSA in the next two months,” McFall said.

Digital connectivity can be found throughout the cabin, ready for every need of the modern family. There are up to four 12-volt charging points and five USB connections.

The E-PACE has exceptional interior space. The compact SUV is 4,395mm long with short front and rear overhangs of 882mm and 832mm respectively.

Its 2,681mm wheelbase seats five in absolute comfort and yields a generous rear legroom of 892mm while the large luggage capacity of 577 litres is made possible by the vehicle’s sophisticated Integral Link rear suspension architecture.

Under the bonnet, E-PACE is endowed with a range of powerful and efficient Ingenium petrol and diesel engines. The 221kW Ingenium petrol turbo engine powers E-PACE from 0-100km/h in just 6.4 seconds, before reaching an electronically-limited top speed of 243km/h. E-PACE doesn’t sacrifice performance for efficiency – customers can opt for the 110kW Ingenium diesel engine, which returns economy of just 5.6 litres per 100km.

Every E-PACE is equipped with all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission, and high-output models are also available with Active Driveline – a technological first for Jaguar. This intelligent set-up combines phenomenal traction with Jaguar’s unmistakable rear-wheel-drive character. The system’s torque-biasing capability delivers optimal stability, dynamics and fuel efficiency in all conditions.

New chassis hardware, including the Integral Link rear suspension layout, has allowed Jaguar’s engineers to maximise interior space and deliver the responsiveness and agility required without compromising ride comfort.

Every E-PACE features the latest generation of Jaguar’s Touch Pro infotainment system as standard. Natural voice control technology, a 10-inch touchscreen interface and a customisable home screen make interactions with the system quick, simple and highly intuitive.

An optional 12.3-inch full colour digital TFT instrument panel and choice of two premium audio systems developed with Meridian put the E-PACE on a par with vehicles from the class above when it comes to interior technology. Also available is a next-generation Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) Head-Up Display technology.

The E-PACE is also the only vehicle in its segment available with an innovative wearable Activity Key, allowing the driver to lock the main key inside the vehicle when enjoying outdoor pursuits such as running or cycling.

Standard specification on each E-PACE includes the Touch Pro infotainment system, LED headlights and a rear-view camera system, as well as advanced driver assistance systems including Cruise Control and Speed Limiter, and Front and Rear Parking Aid.

The E-PACE is available with Standard, S, SE and HSE specification packs, in core or R-Dynamic body styles. Customers have a choice of two diesel engines, with outputs of 110kW and 132kW, and two petrol engines, producing 183kW and 221kW, respectively.

The Jaguar E-PACE is now available in Jaguar’s sub-Sahara Africa markets. Customers can build their own Jaguar E-PACE using the configurator on the Jaguar website. All new Jaguar cars come with a five-year Care Plan*: a five-year/100 000km service plan and a five-year/150 000km warranty, as standard.

The E-Pace is to compete with the likes of Audi Q5, BMW X1 / X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC.

Besides, the vehicle is expected to arrive showroom in Nigeria through Coscharis Motors but not available in Mozambique, Senegal and Ivory Coast.

The E-PACE combines the dynamic body language and proportions of a Jaguar sports car with the space, safety and practicality typically associated with a compact SUV.

Short front and rear overhangs place its large wheels at each corner and the teardrop graphic of the side windows, inspired by the F-TYPE, gives the newest addition to the PACE family a purposeful stance. The front view of the compact SUV reveals a confident, assertive face that showcases the shared DNA with Jaguar’s sports cars.

The E-PACE’s bold grille gives the vehicle an assertive attitude that is unmistakably Jaguar. Advanced Matrix LED headlights (optional) are similar in concept to those used on the F-TYPE sports car and feature Jaguar’s signature J-blade daytime running lights, which flow around the outer edges of the headlights.