Jaguar I-PACE Gets More Bling — A Lot More Bling!

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Jaguar is fond of pointing out that the Jaguar I-PACE was the first all-electric performance SUV, and that’s how it opened up its most recent news release about the brand’s flagship electric vehicle. I was going to say that was a noteworthy achievement, but then it crossed my mind — why wouldn’t the Tesla Model X qualify for that title? The Model X can go from 0 to 60 mph in an insane 2.6 seconds, making it the quickest SUV in the world, and it arrived long before the I-PACE.

What I think Jaguar meant to say is that the I-PACE was the first all-electric performance crossover. Indeed, it was, and it is well deserving of praise for that. However, with the Tesla Model Y now on the market, and racking up mouth-watering reviews, the I-PACE needed some new bling in order to grab buyers’ attention and earn some ink in automotive news outlets. So, that’s what it got.

And not just a little bit more bling — a lot.

This week, Jaguar announced that the I-PACE is getting a significantly upgraded touchscreen, significantly upgraded navigation that seems to match or possibly even beat Tesla navigation (though, I’d have to test it out to confirm, and Jaguar still lacks the extremely helpful Supercharger network), over-the-air software updates, improved charging, new driver-assist technology, and a somewhat new design.

Jaguar notes that the I-PACE has won a whopping 80 awards globally, “including 2019 World Car of the Year, World Car Design of the Year and World Green Car.” It didn’t win 2019 CleanTechnica Car of the Year, as the Hyundai Kona EV won that title. It is a superb electric vehicle, in my opinion, but it’s not priced for large-scale sales, which puts it down a few notches in my book. After all, you can build an amazing, cutting-edge electric crossover and price it in a range accessible to a large number of buyers.But Jaguar didn’t. Its starting price in the UK is £65,195, in the USA it’s $69,850 — and that’s for just 234 miles of range. On to the upgrades, though.

Pivi Pro Infotainment

21st century screen!

This is the I-PACE’s new infotainment system, which will come to other Jaguar models later, keeping the I-PACE the cutting-edge Jaguar. It includes a “12.3-inch high-definition virtual instrument cluster, 10-inch and 5-inch upper and lower touchscreens and multi-function, haptic rotary controllers.”

“As intuitive to use as a smartphone, Pivi Pro is fast and responsive with enhanced EV navigation that can show you if nearby charging stations are available or in use, what they cost, and how long it will take to charge (market-dependent).”

Apparently, with the previous I-PACE infotainment system, you couldn’t pan and zoom on the screen like you can with an iPad, iPhone, or Tesla touchscreen. You now get that ability. Furthermore:

“The 12.3-inch HD instrument cluster now features completely revised graphics to give an even clearer indication of battery state of charge, while changes to the predictive range calculation algorithm will deliver a more accurate and consistent estimate of vehicle range, while being more reflective of an individual’s driving style.”

Super smart navigation

Perhaps most notably, the I-PACE’s navigation is getting an intelligence boost and the crossover is getting over-the-air software updates.

“The navigation uses self-learning algorithms to optimise routing, voice guidance even knows to remain quiet when you’re travelling through areas you know, and maps will always be up to date thanks to software-over-the-air (SOTA) functionality.”

That second feature is a cool one my Tesla Model 3 doesn’t even have, and the first one may be too. I’m not sure of Tesla’s navigation system learns or not.

Additionally, the I-PACE gets the same capabilities (assuming quality is the same) as a Tesla when it comes to smart navigation and charging!

“Simplifying the process still further is Pivi Pro’s ability to automatically add charging stations to your route, if needed. The system will select the optimum chargers to minimise total journey time. On long drives, Pivi Pro can also show you the predicted charge level on arrival at each waypoint.”

This is the first non-Tesla I’ve seen getting these features.

Additionally, if the I-PACE lets you put more than one stop/destination into the navigation, that beats a Tesla! This is one feature that has been requested for a long time but is still inexplicably absent. You can only put one destination at a time into the Tesla navigation system. The car will tell you where to supercharge along the way if that’s needed (it’s been able to do so for several years), but you can’t, for example, tell it that you want to first go to grandma’s house, then to a Target, then to a Whole Foods, and then to Disney World. Hopefully the I-PACE can now do that but, it’s not clear. I’ll ask Jaguar for clarification.

Wireless charging … for your phone

You can also get a wireless phone charger, as an option. You also get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto or Baidu CarLife. Plus, you get more streaming features and complimentary 4G WiFi:

“Customers need no longer be concerned about data usage or buying a SIM, as the I-PACE comes with a dual modem embedded SIM (eSIM) and complimentary 4G data plan which enables unlimited music streaming via Spotify, Deezer or Tunin and map, weather, calendar and traffic updates simultaneously.”

Safety

The new I-PACE has new cameras that help you avoid blind spots or blocked views from passengers.

“Visibility is significantly enhanced with a new 3D Surround Camera that provides a 360-degree digital plan view of the surrounding area and potential hazards, visible through the central touchscreen.

“Inside the cabin, the ClearSight rear view mirror improves vision and convenience by ensuring the driver always has an unobstructed view of the road behind, even with three people in the rear seat or with the 656-litre luggage compartment loaded up to the roof.

“ClearSight uses a wide-angle, rear-facing camera linked to a high-resolution screen within the frameless glass mirror. A small toggle switch on the mirror allows the driver to switch seamlessly between the view from the standard mirror and the camera feed.”

The I-PACE got the maximum 5-star EuroNCAP safety rating in Europe. What more can you ask for?

Charging

11 kW onboard charger is now standard, providing 53 km/33 miles of range per hour according to the WLTP rating system.

100 kW fast charger will add 127 km/78 miles in 15 minutes (WLTP).

Exterior Design

“The exterior design is enhanced with a new Atlas Grey grille tip finish and customers benefit from an enhanced paint palette, new range of wheels, and a luxurious new Bright Pack option, available on all models in the I-PACE range.”

The I-PACE has various other improvements as well, including an improved sound system and some bigger wheels (as an option). Check them out here or ask a local dealer to help you learn more and experience an I-PACE!

There’s a lot to love about an I-PACE. I’m confident I personally wouldn’t choose one over a Tesla Model Y (or Model X for that price), but I can certainly see why some people do and can appreciate the decision. Also, I’m more tempted than ever to take one on a test drive!

Full disclosure: When I opened this press release, I figured it was going to be about some minor updates and it would be lame to cover. I’m very happily surprised that I pushed forward and got to know more about the considerable improvements in the 2020 Jaguar I-PACE.

All images courtesy Jaguar.


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Zachary Shahan

Zach is tryin' to help society help itself one word at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director, chief editor, and CEO. Zach is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has presented about cleantech at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, and Curaçao. Zach has long-term investments in Tesla [TSLA], NIO [NIO], Xpeng [XPEV], Ford [F], ChargePoint [CHPT], Amazon [AMZN], Piedmont Lithium [PLL], Lithium Americas [LAC], Albemarle Corporation [ALB], Nouveau Monde Graphite [NMGRF], Talon Metals [TLOFF], Arclight Clean Transition Corp [ACTC], and Starbucks [SBUX]. But he does not offer (explicitly or implicitly) investment advice of any sort.

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