Jaguar I-Pace

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johnd
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Post by johnd »

Great shame that they didn't use the eponymous feline snarl :) , which you can hear to some extent in in:



But a little more prominent in:



(But not sure which car the latter one was intended for... either the title or the editing is screwed up)
Macan SD (Rhodium) www.porsche-code.com/PH4H6XU3 June 2016

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Col Lamb
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Post by Col Lamb »

SAC1 wrote: Thu Oct 18, 2018 9:52 am "Nine months before the law makes it compulsory for manufacturers to fit new electric and hybrid cars with Audible Vehicle Alert Systems, Jaguar reveals the noise of their first electric car—the I-PACE—and it’s not what you would think."

www.petrolprices.com/news/noise-of-elec ... uld-think/
That is downright wierd.

Many thanks for posting the link.
Col
Macan Turbo
Air, 20” wheels, ACC, Pano, SurCam, 14w, LEDs, PS+, Int Light Pack, Heated seats and Steering, spare wheel, SC, Privacy glass, PDK gear, SD mirrors, Met Black, rear airbags
Deleted User 1874

Post by Deleted User 1874 »

They might as well just imitate a diesel rattle or chavvy exhaust note like BMW M3s have. Just when towns and cities might become a little quieter you can always trust legislation to f*** it up. Also need to address super quiet ICE vehicles too. A lot of modern luxury cars are more or less silent at very low speed.
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Mistertoad
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Post by Mistertoad »

A nice V8 rumble would be nice 8-)
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johnd
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Post by johnd »

Not sure whether this is of any interest here but had an extended I-Pace test-drive yesterday and which I've summarised for another forum elsewhere. Here's a verbatim copy, which I haven't looked to edit at all - obviously everyone here knows the Macan already, so look past the Macan comments:
Had my long-awaited (due to uncooperative local dealer) I-Pace test drive yesterday - a dealer further away lent me one for a couple of hours, which was what I've been needing to arrange. Car was an SE without air on 20" wheels. And this was the first EV I've ever driven.

The word I'd use to sum up the experience would be underwhelming. Don't get me wrong - it's a good car and fully lives up to its billing in most respects (I guess the jury is still out to some extent on the range/efficiency issue, but that probably wouldn't be a deal-breaker for me). Maybe my expectations were too high, but it's left me in two minds as to whether or not to finalise my order.

A couple of words of background: I'm looking for a 4WD small-medium SUV type vehicle to replace my current Macan SD (diesel and PASM but no air) which will be coming up to 3 years old and so time to change. One problem for me is that the Macan is a tough act to follow - it does set a benchmark in this type of car for build-quality, ride, road-holding and quietness (with a decent wedge of 3l diesel torque thrown in for performance). But ideally I'd like something half a size smaller than the Macan - I don't need massive space and the Macan is just a bit chunky for parking, narrow country roads etc and while the road-holding is excellent, something slightly smaller and hence more chuckable would be good.

So, on size grounds alone I-Pace would be no different to the Macan. Obviously I know this already - in part it reflects that there aren't many premium smaller SUV/crossover cars with strong performance out there. Right now, the only competitor out there that I can identify is the 2019 Q3, but that's not in the showroom yet and even the top 230PS version's performance is less than I'd like. (An SQ3 would be more interesting, but it's not confirmed yet and potentially 1-2 years' off. The equivalent RSQ3 (for those that know their Audi numbering) would probably be a step too far.) But the Q3 is only eg 4 weeks' away from its showroom appearance and could be a different but equivalent sort of compromise to the I-Pace.

All that said, I can see that EVs are the future hence my strong interest in I-Pace. And part of me wants to drive the future asap. But given the rather underdeveloped nature of the present charging network in my part of the UK, plus the fact that the I-Pace drive-train doesn't appear to be properly optimised as yet, I am debating whether now is the right time to jump to an EV, or whether to plan for it as my next replacement, rather than the current one? Very much still musing about this.

But to sum up the road test experience:
  • Performance aside, the I-Pace didn't do anything better than my current Macan in terms of ride, road-holding etc (but that's a high standard to match). Maybe the steering was a little sharper but that's probably it. Even noise levels at any speed above eg 30-40mph were not noticeably different.
  • The I-Pace ride was noticeably worse - really quite unsettled on poorer roads, uncomfortably so even. I think Air would be an essential option if I do go ahead with I-Pace
  • The screens and user interface left me unconvinced. There is a definite lag to response, but actually I could live with that - you just need to get used to taking an action and then pausing eg half a second before making a second input. It's more that it seems to be technology for technology's sake (or maybe for lower cost). It just didn't add anything to the driving experience. But maybe this isn't the whole story - there are a lot of settings to configure on a modern car and a software screen is probably the best way to do this (or at least in combination with a limited number of high-quality physical buttons/knobs). Perhaps what I'm trying to say is that I didn't find the In-Pace UI especially intuitive. First impressions on something like this probably are significant but doubtless ease-of-use would improve with more familiarity.
  • One particular criticism I would make is that a letterbox display for the satnav map really isn't ideal. If anything, this should be portrait, ie to show more detail in the direction you're heading (rather than off to both sides), but failing that then a square display is probably the best compromise.
  • Performance is undeniably impressive and this would be one of my main reasons for buying an I-Pace. My main need would be for overtaking performance. I didn't really try anything heroic being out for the first time in an unfamiliar car, but no doubt that this would be excellent. I was left wondering though whether a 0-60 in eg the 5-6 second range is 'all' I'm really looking for- anything more would be nice to have but probably never going to be used in anger.
  • Quick comment on regen: Easy to get used to one-pedal driving with regen=high, but comfort for my passenger definitely deteriorated with more abrupt and less easily anticipated changes in speed. Hopefully this is something that would improve with practice, but first impressions are that it's great for the driver, but perhaps less so for passengers.
That probably sums up my main impressions. The I-Pace is an excellent car but, electrickery and performance aside, probably no better than my current Macan and with ride definitely worse. Thanks for reading, if you have been - I guess in large part this review is as much to organise my own thoughts and conclusions as anything else. You'll gather that I'm still debating whether the size and downsides of running an EV are outweighed by the attractions of the car. Maybe I'll wait until I've seen a 2019 Q3 before a final decision.
Macan SD (Rhodium) www.porsche-code.com/PH4H6XU3 June 2016

Real mpg at Fuelly
Deleted User 1874

Post by Deleted User 1874 »

Sounds like the iPace probably isn't the ideal car for you. I would be interested to drive one myself to see how it compares to my Tesla. The Tesla UI is at least very responsive and intuitive and the large portrait display is no gimmick, providing a great split screen view of map and media.

The upcoming Tesla Model Y might fit your bill for a smaller SUV with decent performance, but probably not available until 2021/22. I agree that small premium performance SUVs are pretty thin on the ground right now.
johnd
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Post by johnd »

Peteski wrote: Sat Oct 20, 2018 7:16 pm Sounds like the iPace probably isn't the ideal car for you.
My problem (and of course very much a first world problem) is that my ideal car doesn't exist at present so, as usual I guess, what I choose next is bound to have an element of compromise. If I go EV then there's nothing other than I-Pace that appeals right now. So my dilemma is I-Pace or another fossil car, as Bjorn would say.

And just re-scanning my test review above, I probably should have been clearer that I do think I-Pace is pretty good, but Macan is a pretty tough benchmark to judge against. If I choose I-Pace then the spec certainly would include air, so my comments about ride are probably irrelevant. Performance is going to beat my SD all ends up. And what is difficult to judge on a fairly brief acquaintance is the screen UI - in all probability it needs some weeks of daily use for proper familiarisation and, once you know where everything is, it may all end up feeling entirely logical and easy to use.
The upcoming Tesla Model Y might fit your bill for a smaller SUV with decent performance, but probably not available until 2021/22. I agree that small premium performance SUVs are pretty thin on the ground right now.
Yes, Model YD (if they're not all to be D) would certainly have been of great interest. But I need to choose now and not in 3 years' time.
Macan SD (Rhodium) www.porsche-code.com/PH4H6XU3 June 2016

Real mpg at Fuelly
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Post by Deleted User 1874 »

Sounds like your decision will come down to the value you see in the EV drivetrain. For me that was a game changer. When I test drove a diesel Cayenne the drivetrain left me completely cold and I ended up not even bothering with a large sporty SUV at that point. But for others the diesel Porsches seem perfectly fine. All comes down to your performance expectations vs cost and practicality. A diesel has obvious pros and cons vs petrol, but for me EV has far more pros than cons compared to any ICE equivalent. So many that I wouldn't even consider going back and I know that's a common view from people taking the plunge.
johnd
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Post by johnd »

Peteski wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 9:24 am Sounds like your decision will come down to the value you see in the EV drivetrain.
Yes, I know what you mean, though perhaps perversely I tend to look at it as potentially being rid of the disadvantages of diesel/ICE rather than positive benefits of EV. I'm thinking of things like needing to be at least a little thoughtful to avoid DPF/GPF issues or the dreaded stop/start, which still occasionally catches me out eg at roundabouts or other junctions (yes I know I could try to remember to turn it off every time I use the car but can't be bothered with that and it is sometimes useful in queues). But thinking about just how messy and complicated and old-fashioned an ICE plus gearbox etc is vs the relative simplicity of an EV drive-train does also encourage me towards the EV.

But for me personally (and I know it's a bit of an odd preoccupation to many) size is a significant factor. I ran a CR170 Yeti for 5 years or so , which was (IIRC) a 4.3m vehicle with footprint and weight to match. I need a 4-seater for occasional use but don't often travel more than 2-up and nor I do regularly need to cart loads of stuff around. The Yeti had plenty of space up-front, but was quick and nimble on the road and relatively easy to thread through narrow gaps or to park. A less slab-backed car would need some extra length, but 4.5m long and overall size/weight in proportion seems more than adequate for me (in other words eg 911-sized in footprint) and gives a car with better dynamic characteristics on the road. Anything bigger seems unnecessarily gross and inefficient (unless of course you really need the extra space for family/lifestyle). Just my personal PoV of course.

I'd really like to buy another Porsche - the brand experience, engineering, build quality etc seem at least as good as any other make. But they just don't make any model now that would be an acceptable compromise for me.

So I think my choice is down to I-Pace (if EV pro's win over EV drawbacks & size) or a 2019 Q3 45 TFSi if the decision goes the other way. Right now the decision is balanced 50/50 - I need to find a way of coming down one side or the other (but I've got maybe 2-3 weeks' grace until the new Q3 potentially hits the showrooms).
Macan SD (Rhodium) www.porsche-code.com/PH4H6XU3 June 2016

Real mpg at Fuelly
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Wing Commander
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Post by Wing Commander »

John, did you see the recent review of the i-Pace on Fifth Gear? :)
Simon

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