Jaguar E-PACE is one Machine Nigerians will Love

By Bennett  Oghifo

Nigerians, particularly the young and mobile, now have the E-PACE, a cub in the Jaguar pride to own and love. The good thing is that the car is now in Nigeria, and can be configured to suit the owner’s lifestyle. Ask Coscharis Motors, the manufacturer’s representative in the country.

Recently, the E-PACE was released to journalists in sub-Saharan Africa to drive and feel during its media launch in Johannesburg. It was exhilarating, as the E-PACE lived up to its reputation as a Jaguar.

The drive crisscrossed parts of Johannesburg and Gauteng with beautiful scenery that accentuated the loveliness of the Jaguar E-PACE, fitted with an outstanding satellite system. The Cub, as it is fondly known, kept up, taking the distance as it spread its paws to give a pleasurable ride.

The appeal does not end with the driver, but transcends to other people who are held spell-bound. They will gladly book for a test-drive.

The E-PACE has good ground clearance fit for the Nigerian and sub-Saharan market and it was clear strategy to have the perfect cars for sub-Saharan Africa, since the launch of Jaguar into the sub-Saharan Africa market between 2011 and 2012.

The strategy is that these cars, the F-PACE, launched in 2016 and the E-PACE are the perfect cars for sub-Saharan Africa. “That was all part of getting the brand into the market and people trend and expose the Jaguar brand to a lot of our customers in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Mr. Nigel Clarke, Sales Operation Director, Jaguar Land Rover, sub-Saharan Africa, at the launch venue.

Many of these customers in sub-Saharan Africa, Clarke said were hitherto only tied to the historic motorsport element of Jaguar. 

They want to establish the brand and start taking on some of their key competitors like, Mercedes, BMW.

Clarke said the Jaguar brand has really been successful in some countries like Nigeria, Mauritius, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe and Kenya, and Angola, among others. It is slower in Nigeria and Angola because of the impact of the oil price. “But we are beginning to see some come back now; the oil price is slightly higher.

The Jaguar E-PACE, which is in the premium segment, has spectacular interior and exterior but it is competitively priced in sub-Saharan Africa. The car looks stunning with excellent design and engineering job, as well as advancement in technology, which result from the millions of dollars Jaguar Landrover invests in research and development.

On after sales services, the automaker’s partners in sub-Saharan Africa are investing in facilities with highly qualified technicians. Besides, the E-PACE, like other Jaguar products enjoys the 5-year extended warranty and the 5-year service plan.

The E-PACE design is unmistakably Jaguar, said Michelle, talking about the three key takeaways of the car. “The second is that Jaguar’s fourth car DNA is built into the E-PACE. It is part of the PACE family of performance SUVs. The E-PACE is the most predictable Jaguar yet. This baby is pretty baked with some technology.”

The Jaguar E-PACE is designed and built as a whole new car, and should not be confused as a smaller F-PACE. “It is full of character , attitude, it is swanky, it’s young and caters to a whole new audience. “It is a premium compact SUV in fastest growing segment,” Mitchell said. The E-PACE has an instantly recognisable grill.”

The E-PACE combines sports car looks with ingenious packaging to create a compact performance SUV with trademark Jaguar presence

The E-PACE blends sports car design with compact SUV practicality, removing compromise from the equation. The result is a car that will attract many new drivers to the Jaguar family and energise the entire market segment.

“We designed the E-PACE to be a Jaguar for active people who need space and practicality but see no reason to compromise on performance. Its proportions, stance and lines express the excitement of driving a car of this calibre.

“Compact SUVs need to provide intelligent answers to the challenges of everyday life and I believe that Jaguar’s combination of design purity and functional integrity provides the perfect solution. This is a vehicle with unmistakable character – a Jaguar sports car designed for our daily lives in a package that is as rewarding as it is practical.” Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar

The E-PACE combines the dynamic body language and proportions of a Jaguar sports car with the space, safety and practicality typically associated with a compact SUV.

Short front and rear overhangs place its large wheels at each corner and the teardrop graphic of the side windows, inspired by the F-TYPE, gives the newest addition to the PACE family a purposeful stance. The front view of the compact SUV reveals a confident, assertive face that showcases the shared DNA with Jaguar’s sports cars.

The E-PACE’s bold grille gives the vehicle an assertive attitude that is unmistakably Jaguar. Advanced Matrix LED headlights (optional) are similar in concept to those used on the F-TYPE sports car and feature Jaguar’s signature J-blade daytime running lights, which flow around the outer edges of the headlights.

Approaching from the rear, the taut surfaces and muscular haunches fuse with the sharp lines of the rear light clusters. The slim, blade-like rear lamps feature full LED technology and are another sign of the E-PACE’s shared DNA with Jaguar’s flagship sports car.

E-PACE can be specified in 11 exterior colours:

Caldera Red (First Edition only) or Fuji White (Solid);

Borasco Grey, Firenze Red, Caesium Blue, Yulong White, Indus Silver, Santorini Black or Corris Grey (Metallic);

Farallon Pearl Black or Silicon Silver (Premium Metallic)

 Beautiful details

·       The E-PACE is the first vehicle in its class to offer 21-inch wheels. The five split-spoke, diamond turned Satin Grey rims provide the ultimate wheel-to-body ratio and are among 12 options

·       Side fender vents in polished chrome, a signature Jaguar design touch, provide an element of premium detailing to the E-PACE. On R-Dynamic models, the vents are finished in satin chrome

·       The grille mesh features a 3D chamfering detail on its wide, flat hexagons motif to catch the light with Jaguar’s biggest-ever Growler grille badge at the centre, concealing the Adaptive Cruise Control sensors

·       Round tailpipe finishers are neatly integrated into the rear valance, providing a visual reminder of the vehicle’s performance, exhaust note and refinement, inspired by jet engine tailpipes

·       The large upper tailgate spoiler is a three-piece design that has been tuned for optimum airflow

 

First class cabin: space and practicality

The interior is further proof the E-PACE is a compact performance SUV. Its dynamic, modern, high-quality design amplifies the driving experience, while providing space and practicality for everybody.

Occupants are enveloped in premium materials, ensuring every touch point emphasises the sense of quality. Soft trimmed door casings with cool touch, satin chrome door handles, the beautifully crafted leather-clad facia and seat upholstery with twin-needle stitching all enhance the sense of luxury.

The interior focal point is a wraparound cockpit with the passenger grab handle forming the boundary of the driver console – a design concept directly inspired by the Jaguar F-TYPE. Its geometry provides a powerful visual connection with the doors while the seating position gives the driver an elevated ‘Sports Command’ driving position, offering excellent visibility while retaining a cockpit-like feel.

The E-PACE breaks with tradition by favouring a premium Noble Chrome treatment over traditional wood trim finishes. The understated metal finish for key details such as the gearshift surround, instrument panel, side vents and door pulls gives the cabin a contemporary premium character.

Primary controls, such as the sports gear shifter and drive mode selector, have been carefully designed to promote driver engagement. The sports car interior provides the blueprint with a sculpted tactility that reinforces the E-PACE interior’s sporty feel and tunes the driver into the driving experience.

Premium leathers are used on key touch-points such as the steering wheel, centre-console grab handle and gear shifter to enhance refinement, while the secondary controls have been made simpler and more intuitive. The 10-inch touchscreen for the Touch Pro infotainment reduces the number of hard switches while tactile and intuitive rotary dials operate the climate control functions. A 12.3-inch HD virtual Interactive Driver Display combined with the Thin Film Transistor (TFT) full colour Head-Up Display means the driver has all the information they could possibly need within their field of vision.

The interior balances the driver-focused design with a broad emphasis on overall usability and provides generous passenger and luggage space for five people with ingenious small item stowage solutions. The 8.42-litre centre console compartment can house four large water bottles, as well as configurable cupholders and trays; the lockable 10.07-litre glovebox offers secure storage, while 10.56-litre front and 8.26-litre rear door bins offer plenty of space for passengers. The E-PACE also demonstrates versatility with a configurable console stowage solution centred on smart device connectivity and customer experience.

 

A raft of beautiful details also show the fun and quirky side of Jaguar; on HSE models Jaguar ‘contemporary animal print’ designer labels are sewn into the shoulder hem of the front seats (in red on First Edition vehicles) and the same pattern is repeated on rubber mats in stowage areas.

 

Spot the inspiration

The Jaguar E-PACE features a number of details inspired by timeless automotive and design ideas:

·       Race circuit chicane – the distinctive shape of a chicane inspired elements inside and outside the new E-PACE – most obviously in the light signature of the rear LED lamps

·       Leica camera – the tactile rotary dials found at the centre of the lower dashboard are inspired by the precise controls of a classic Leica camera lens

·       Gestalt theory – the theory that describes visual perception and how people organise visual elements into groups or unified wholes, even when they’re not. The front console mats and seat labels (HSE only) deliver on this promise, with a Jaguar print visible from certain angles

·       Wildlife – the fun ‘Jaguar Cub’ graphic in the obscuration band of the windscreen and integrated into the puddle lamp projection have been incorporated solely to put a smile on customers’ faces

 

R-Dynamic design

For customers who want their E-PACE to make a clearer statement of its high-performance character, the R-Dynamic model has a series of visual enhancements inside and out.

On the exterior, a unique front bumper provides deeper outboard air intakes and includes fog lights to promote the vehicle’s sports car aesthetics.

Body-coloured sills and lower rear bumper surfaces with a Gloss Black rear valance give the vehicle a stronger sense of power and purpose. Satin chrome detailing on the front grille surround and the fender vents provides the finishing touches.

Inside, R-Dynamic models retain the E-PACE’s exceptional comfort and refinement. Sports-style seats with unique shoulder profiles and deeper bolsters are the most eye-catching addition. The R-Dynamic seats feature a unique and highly tactile Sportmesh finish and a selection of leather seat finishes in vibrant colours with contrast stitching to highlight the model’s sporty character.