JAGUAR has sprung a surprise by pulling the covers off this dramatic looking all-electric SUV which, on paper at least, promises to blend sports car performance, zero emissions and a 220 mile range, writes William Scholes.
Called the I-Pace, it is for now a concept car which gets its public debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week, but Jaguar says it will have a production version ready to get acquainted with your nearest charging point in 2018.
It's a very different style of vehicle for Jaguar - "supercar looks, sports car performance and SUV space, in one electric package," it says - and all the more eyebrow-raising because the company doesn't have a strong track record in getting into new or growing sectors of the market with any sort of alacrity.
Headlines include four-wheel-drive courtesy of electric motors on both axles and a 90kWh battery.
Each motor makes the equivalent of 197bhp and 258lb/ft, giving a sports car-challenging total of 395bhp and 516lb/ft - enough to shift the two tonne-plus I-Pace from 0-60mph time in 4.0 seconds.
Plugged into a 50kW DC rapid charger, the I-Pace's battery can be charged from flat to 80 per cent in 90 minutes.
The I-Pace gets what's known as a 'skateboard-style' chassis, meaning all the batteries and motors are mounted low, under a flat floor.
The absence of a traditionally bulky engine and gearbox arrangement has allowed the designers to give the car a very un-Jaguar short bonnet, thus maximising interior space.
Jaguar claims seating for five and a decent 530 litre boot - not bad for something with the footprint roughly the size of a Jaguar XE or BMW 3 Series saloon.
Prices are likely to start in the region of £50-£55k, which is par for the course for a premium SUV these days.
Rivals including BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz have similar offerings in their plans, but the real rival, especially in the US market where Jaguar hopes to prosper, is Tesla.
Tesla has a substantial head start in the electric vehicle market in the US but, beyond wealthy early adopters, is less well known in Britain and Ireland.
It has cheaper models on the way, but whether they can tempt buyers from established brands in sufficient numbers remains to be seen - Jaguar will be hoping not...
