The facts
2021 Jaguar E-Pace P300e R-Dynamic S PHEV
TESTED 1,498cc, three-cylinder petrol with belt-driven starter/generator and eight-speed automatic gearbox, front-wheel drive, plus a rear-mounted electric motor driving the back wheels
PRICE/ON SALE from £45,995/now
POWER/TORQUE
197bhp engine, 107bhp electric motor, total system output 305bhp @ 5,500rpm and 398lb ft @ 1,600rpm
TOP SPEED 134mph
ACCELERATION 0-62mph in 6.5sec
EV RANGE 34 miles
FUEL ECONOMY 141mpg (WLTP), 48.2mpg on test
CO2 EMISSIONS 44g/km (WLTP)
VED £0 first year, £465 next five years, then £140
VERDICT For a company car user, these expensive twin-motor cars can make sense. And if you make short journeys and charge the battery between them, it will save a lot of fuel and CO2. These are compromised cars, though, which shows in the weight and dynamics.
The E-Pace looks the business and its interior is pleasingly understated and classy, but it got off to a poor start – and with only four years before Jaguar goes all-electric, there’s not enough time for it to catch up.
TELEGRAPH RATING Four stars out of five
The rivals
Toyota RAV4 PHEV, from £47,395
Bolting a massive battery to a family SUV is certainly fun, but at times the RAV4’s grip and handling aren’t really up to the torque spike. What’s more this is a near 50 grand family SUV, which means that even for company car users it’s an expensive proposition.
Citroen C5 Aircross PHEV hybrid, from £37,815
Just front-wheel drive for the C5, which uses the same 1.6-litre petrol and 13.2kWh lithium-ion based hybrid system as the Vauxhall Grandland X and Peugeot 3008 and 508 plug ins. Electric range is officially 40 miles with CO2 emissions of 32g/km. Clever seating means the cabin is more flexible than standard C5, but the battery takes a 120-litre bite out of the boot space so it’s just 460 litres.
Peugeot 3008 Hybrid 225 Allure Premium, from £38,010
Same 222bhp powertrain as the Citroën C5 Aircross (though four-wheel drive is available with the ‘4’ model), but while the interior isn’t as spacious (the boot is 395 litres) it’s better equipped and more lavishly finished. The ride isn’t as good, either, but the handling is much tauter, with a claimed 222mpg, 30g/km and an EV range of just under 40 miles.
Ford Kuga PHEV, from £33,005
Not without its teething problems, although issues with overheating while charging have also affected BMW with its PHEV rival. With a 2,488cc four-cylinder engine and an epicyclic transmission similar to that of the Toyota, the Kuga’s 222bhp drives the front wheels only. Claimed EV range is 35 miles, with 201.8mpg and 32g/km. Good looking, nice to drive and the top-spec Vignale version is well specified.
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