Jaguar is surprising us over and over again. After the superb entry into the crossover SUV segment, the British car manufacturer prepares something even more radical for their standards. The British car manufacturer is working on the first-ever electric SUV. The fully-electric high-riding vehicle has been introduced in the concept for at the 2016 Los Angeles Show, yet yesterday we managed to catch a testing model that appears to be the 2019 Jaguar I-Pace.
Regardless of the fact that these two don’t look alike at all, the production-ready model will largely resemble the concept. Moreover, Jaguar promised it will keep almost everything untouched. The camouflaged SUV you see here is using the shell of the recently introduced F-Pace SUV, so they are probably testing the amazing powertrain.
Speaking of which, the 2019 Jaguar I-Pace EV will definitely get the concept’s amazing system under the hood. The powertrain actually comes with two 200 horsepower strong electric motors, one on each axle. According to the automaker, the total output is a whopping 400 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque and runs all four wheels. The SUV is getting the power from the 90-kilowatt-hour battery pack and will be able to cross around 220 miles on a single charging. The battery is hidden under the cabin floor of course.
Styling-wise, the concept has been largely influenced by the C-X75 mid-engine supercar, yet the production model could pick some cues from the F-pace. This especially refers to the rear hatch, which won’t be as aggressive as the carmaker previewed with the concept. On the other hand, the front end will definitely stay very streamlined, because the electric SUV needs to achieve good performance figures. Officially, the I-Pace will be able to speed up to 60 mph in around 4.0 seconds, which is a really impressive result. The carmaker managed to achieve this by lowering the center of gravity for around 4.7 inches in comparison with the F-Pace.
As for the camouflaged prototype, no matter it’s essentially the F-Pace’s body, there are some rather interesting cues. For instance, the bumper loses the air intakes, while the grille seems pretty redesigned. Still, the most evident changes are lowered roof and widened track, as well as significantly stretched wheelbase. This promises highly aerodynamic bodywork, just at the Coventry carmaker promised.
The 2019 Jaguar I-Pace is scheduled to arrive sometime in 2018, but it won’t come alone. The producer is also working on the all-electric sedan, which will probably use the same powertrain. We haven’t seen the prototype yet, but they promise to be sleek and coupe-looking.
