Jaguar and Land Rover appear to be in a bit of a financial pickle at the moment. But that doesn’t​ stop them from still being one of the most luxurious vehicles on the market and therefor carrying that luxury price tag. Now I​ know I​ usually mention the price at the end butI’ll​l just note here that this little jag starts at $65k and that’s before we add some of the additional goodies. But lets factor in that the one I​ have here for review the Jaguar E-Pace in the R-Dynamic SE, which stands​ for​r the second​d-highest​t trim level available in Australia, so even the $65k version is actually pretty good.

SE D180 Performance Specs

Performance: 132 kW / 395 Nm
Engine: 2L Diesel
Combined Co2: Zero emissions
Average consumption: 6.0 (L/100km)
Top speed: 205 km/h
Acceleration 0-100km: 9.1 seconds 

…the engine in the E-Pace we reviewed was the D180, which means it is a 2 L diesel with 132 kW of power and a healthy 430 Nm torque. I know the numbers sound confusing, and that’s because the 180 is supposed to stand for horsepower rather than kilowatts.

The engine is paired with the ZF 9HP 9-speed gearbox. I know that more gears is usually seen as better, but honestly, until they have something that is as efficient and as reliable and as just awesome as the 8HP I’d stay with that one. Now, our love for the 8HP aside, the 9HP is smooth and fast and it helps this engine use just 6 L per 100km officially.

The Drive

OK, now, as I’ve said, there are more powerful options for this vehicle, but the D180 is good enough for most drivers who need a small SUV. The gearbox keeps the engine in comfortable revs at all times and the torque is pretty good and comes in very low. I mean obviously the P300 would be more fun, but this is still good.

The interior of the E-Pace in this trim is very nice, practical, with soft materials, good space, ​and this awesome panoramic roof. The E-Pace was tested by ANCAP in 2017 and it got 5 stars. Not much has changed since, so this is a pretty safe car. Just some of the things that I have here are configurable auto​-lock​k, adaptive cruise control with speed limiter, queue assist, blind spot assist, lane keep assist, intelligent emergency braking, keyless entry and much more.
So, what’s it like? Well, its fantastic, but you have to like it to actually decide to buy one. Being a small SUV not many people will buy it for practicality purposes and with a starting price of over 65k,​ it’s not cheap. On the other hand, it’s pretty luxurious, especially in higher trim levels, it offers good interior practicality and lush materials and there is a healthy choice of engines on offer ranging from good enough to pretty awesome, albeit all of the same size.