Test drive: Jaguar I-Pace, electric heaven

I’ve always wanted a Jaguar. As a young child, I dreamed off the flat-rocket lines of the E-type, the regal curves of the Mark 2, and the majesty of the XJ6.

I never did get one – they formed an integral part of my toy collection, but the real thing was always beyond my budget. And they still are.

But this week – nearly half a century after my childhood Jaguar fantasies – I finally got to drive one. And not just “any old” Jaguar, but its newly released (in Australia at least) fully electric i-Pace.

And, well, wow.

Or, to use the more technical jargon of one of the more experienced auto journalists among those on Wednesday’s test drive south of Sydney: “It’s a bloody amazing car.”

How did it compare with the other Jaguar cars (unlike me, he had actually driven some). “It kicks them in the arse.”

And that’s generally the view you get of any electric car you drive and compare it with its ICE (internal combustion engine) equivalent, be it a Tesla Model S or X versus Audis and BMWs, or a Nissan Leaf or Hyundai Ioniq against other family sedans.

EVs have a common thread – the superior handling, response, control and acceleration deliver a sense of joy and satisfaction that is hard to imagine until you’ve driven one.

Read the full story on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle-dedicated site, The Driven…

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