Causing considerable interest already, the Jaguar I-PACE all-electric performance SUV has won the What Car? 2018 Reader Award, securing it the title of the most anticipated new car of 2018.
What Car? have shared with MotorMartin that their readers chose Jaguar’s first all-electric model from a shortlist of 12 cars due to go on sale this year, including new models from Tesla, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. The award was presented in London last night.
I-PACE, Jaguar say, combines a supercar silhouette with sports car performance and five-seater versatility. Jaguar’s designers and engineers have used the new electric vehicle architecture to tear up the rule book on usability. I-PACE occupies less road space than conventional mid-size SUVs, yet offers more room for passengers and luggage than models in the segment above.
Ian Callum, Jaguar Director of Design, Explained to MotorMartin recently that: “The I-PACE is a radical departure for electric vehicles. It’s the product of authentic Jaguar design DNA matched with the most advanced electrification technology and British craftsmanship. Winning this award endorses our decision of dramatic, future-facing design and is a great testament of customer reactions to our first-ever battery-powered electric vehicle.”
Steve Huntingford, What Car? Editor, commented to MotorMartin: “Ever since the reveal of the Jaguar I-PACE Concept in late 2016 we’ve seen it garner a huge amount of interest from our readership. SUV sales show no signs of slowing down, and zero emissions vehicles are only set to get more and more popular, so the I-PACE is entering the market at exactly the right time. It certainly won’t be the only all-electric SUV going on sale in 2018, but as our Reader Award proves, it’s the one that most of our audience is excited about seeing.”
The I-PACE will be the newest member of Jaguar’s ‘PACE’ family of SUVs, joining the F-PACE and recently launched E-PACE. The F-PACE has won more than 70 major global awards, and became the fastest-selling Jaguar ever, selling more than 100,000 since it went on sale in April 2016. The Jaguar E-PACE compact performance SUV is also available to order now, priced from £28,500.
Pricing and specifications, Jaguar say, will be announced in March 2018, when order books will open for full configurations. Thousands of potential customers have already pressed the ‘I want one’ button on www.jaguar.co.uk to place a deposit or register a strong interest.
And who can blame them?
Where will you go?