Jaguar is getting ready to take the Tesla Model X by the horns with the all-new I-Pace.
Previewed by a concept that debuted last year in Los Angeles, the final production version of the electric SUV hasn’t been shown to the public yet, but this hasn’t stopped the automaker from putting it into production, as reported by AutoNews.
In charge with putting it together is Magna Steyr’s Austrian plant, where assembly has already commenced, before the first units of the I-Pace will arrive in showrooms across Europe by the end of the year, and after it will make its world premiere at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. Jaguar will also bring it in the United States, but don’t expect it sooner than the second half of 2018.
“The acceleration is unbelievable; it is faster than Tesla. You press the accelerator and it pushes you back into the seat. The steering is very agile and nimble, and you don’t feel the mass of the car”, said Magna Steyr’s President of Vehicle Technology and Engineering, Karl-Friedrich Stracke.
“The chassis performance is gorgeous. It’s unbelievably quiet. There is some fine-tuning going on with the suspension, but that’s normal work. I am 100 percent certain it will challenge a lot of cars on the market today.”
Underpinned by a dedicated electric platform, the Jaguar I-Pace is expected to pack 400 horses and 516 pound-feet (700Nm) of torque, which should allow it to reach 60mph (96km/h) in some 4 seconds. Its 90kWh lithium-ion battery pack is believed to provide it with a total driving range of 220 miles (350+ km).
Note: Jaguar I-Pace Concept pictured
PHOTO GALLERY
