Jaguar E-Pace Review (2017-2024)

What is the Jaguar E-Pace?

Very few car companies have as storied a history as Jaguar. The British manufacturer has long held a reputation for luxury and performance thanks to countless iconic road and racing cars, but that’s not enough in the 21st century. The public wants the big, fast, luxury cars, sure, but there are many more who fancy the Jaguar look and feel, but also need something practical and relatively affordable.

Hot on the heels of Jaguar’s larger F-Pace SUV came the smaller E-Pace, released in 2017 and facelifted in late 2020. It was marketed as a small family SUV with the heart of a sports car, and a driving experience to match. A range of cutting-edge technologies went into the E-Pace, from lightweight materials to complex active mechanical bits which, Jaguar hoped, would make the tall SUV drive more like a sports car.

Mechanically, it has a lot in common with sister company Land Rover’s Range Rover Evoque, and it plays rival to other premium compact SUVs such as the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA and Volvo XC40.

Inside, you’ll find a smart-looking interior that doesn’t feel quite as good as it looks – some materials aren’t as premium as those found in competitors – but it’s at least comfortable to sit in.

How practical is it?

From a practicality point of view there’s a decent amount of space for adults in both the front and the back, with more than enough headroom and legroom. Back seat space is slightly impeded by the transmission tunnel that runs through the centre of the car but, by small SUV standards, the E-Pace is pretty roomy.

Rivals have even more space, however, and some have more flexibility in the rear seats, which can fold and recline, unlike in the Jaguar. Boot space is very good at 577 litres for the pre-2021 models and 601 litres for anything after that. That’s more than you get in the Range Rover Evoque, the BMW X1 and the Volvo XC40.

What's it like to drive?

If you’ve been in any of the E-Pace’s close rivals, you’ll likely be disappointed by the ride quality. Compared to the XC40 or the Evoque, there’s a distinct lack of the cosseting feel that you might expect from a luxury SUV, and you’ll feel the lumps and bumps in the road, especially in cars with larger wheels. The handling is decent, but because other Jaguar models set a very high benchmark in this regard, the E-Pace is still a little disappointing. It’s solid and composed, but if you’ve experienced other Jaguars – even the bigger F-Pace – then it feels heavy and less agile by comparison.

The E-Pace launched with a range of 2.0-litre diesel and petrol engines, denoted by P or D before the model name. The D150 has 150hp, and you can also get a D180 with 180hp and the D240 with 240hp. On the petrol side, the P250 has 250hp and the P300 has 300hp. A third petrol engine, the P200, was introduced in 2018 with 200hp, and while it has a good amount of power, you have to rev it quite hard to make the most of it. Manual gearboxes are available, but most E-Paces are sold with nine-speed automatic transmissions. You can have your E-Pace with front-wheel drive, or with all-wheel drive, which has a rear-wheel bias to give it more of a sports car feel.

These days, the engine range has been slimmed down to one diesel, the D200 with its 204hp 2.0-litre turbodiesel, and a couple of petrols. The P160 has a 1.5-litre turbo with 160hp with front-wheel drive, while the P250 has a 2.0-litre unit with all-wheel drive. The P300e, meanwhile, is a plug-in hybrid that combines the P160's engine with an electric motor to deliver 309hp. It is very brisk, but like most PHEVs, it feels very heavy on the brakes, and is a fraction less wieldy that other E-Pace models in the corners.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

Trim levels get a little bit complicated. Basically, there’s the E-Pace, and then there’s the E-Pace R-Dynamic, which has an extra sporty look by way of sports seats inside and a more aggressive bodykit outside. Then you can choose between S, SE and HSE specifications to create, for example, the E-Pace HSE, or the E-Pace R-Dynamic SE.

Early E-Pace models get Jaguar’s Touch Pro infotainment system, which has a 10-inch touchscreen in the centre of the dash, while HSE models and above get a digital instrument panel rather than traditional analogue dials behind the steering wheel. The infotainment system looks great and is quick to respond, although the touchscreen interface means it can be hard to change settings while driving. Some rivals have a dial-based system, which is much easier to use.

Only cars from late 2019 onwards have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is worth keeping in mind if you want to connect your smartphone. A new infotainment system, called Pivi Pro, was introduced in late 2020, and it's much better than the earlier system, with smarter graphics, quicker responses, superior screen sensitivity and a much more intuitive operating system.

Jaguar E-Pace running costs

While the D150 front-wheel-drive manual car has the best fuel economy, they’ll be thin on the ground compared to all-wheel-drive, automatic models. That will take the MPG figures down into the high-30s, which is about the same as the more powerful D180 AWD Auto.

The petrol engines will drink fuel much faster, with the P200 managing an official figure of 30.1mpg, and the P300 28.3mpg. Cars released after the end of 2020, as they have revised engines that generally make them easier on fuel. You're looking at around 36mpg for the P160 and 40mpg for the D200. The plug-in hybrid model has the potential to get brilliant fuel economy if you use it correctly, but it will be very thirsty indeed if you don't. Either way, you'll still struggle to match the official WLTP figure of almost 200mpg.

All E-Paces were first registered after 1 April 2017, which means they fall under the revised Vehicle Excise Duty rules and will cost £150 a year in tax. However, cars that cost £40,000 or more – including options – when new will attract a £325 surcharge. Diesel-powered D150 FWD manuals made after mid-2019 received RDE2 emissions certification, which means they avoid a VED diesel surcharge.

Insurance groups start at 24 and go up to 42 out of 50, which is on the high side compared to some rivals.

Servicing is due every year and 16,000 miles for petrols and two years and 24,000 miles for diesels. Jaguar servicing tends to be on the pricey side compared to rivals, but you can get a fixed price service plan, even for cars out of warranty.

Jaguar E-Pace reliability

Jaguar and reliability aren’t words that have historically gone well together. Independent surveys often place the British brand towards the bottom of the manufacturer rankings, but in fairness that’s often true of other premium manufacturers as well.

The JD Power 2019 Vehicle Dependability Study put Jaguar fourth last overall, but both Audi and BMW were below it. Jaguar also fared badly in the 2019 What Car? Reliability Survey, and finished below Audi, BMW and Volvo in that. Perhaps more worryingly, that survey found the E-Pace to be the least dependable family SUV on sale. More than ever, it’s important to look for a car with a full service history and, perhaps, that’s still in warranty. Jaguar offers a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty, which isn’t bad for the premium end of the market as some rivals have a 60,000-mile limit.

Common problems reported by owners include some issues with brake discs wearing and corroding, and numerous issues with the infotainment system, as well as interior rattles. Some people have reported that the reversing camera can get pushed into its housing, usually by people trying to open the boot and pressing the wrong thing. Make sure you check any car you test drive. Also listen for a whine on acceleration, which could indicate a problem with the car’s balance shaft, which would necessitate an engine rebuild.

There have been five recalls on the E-Pace at the time of writing, with issues including a defect on reversing lights, a risk of fuel leaks, wrong specification fuel hose brackets and worse CO2 emissions than required, as well as problems with the driver’s seat frame. All of the issues should have been sorted by the time a car goes on sale secondhand, but it’s still worth checking with a Jaguar dealer to see if the car you’re looking at was affected and any issues rectified.