“The best Jaguar cabin in years” was how one tester described the I-Pace’s interior, a claim that – for the most part – is entirely warranted.
Material selection is key here. Gloss black and metal panelling sit alongside leather-upholstered surfaces and slick digital touchscreens for a sense of slick modern sophistication.
However, if you look a little closer, there are one or two areas where Jaguar might have done a little better. The tray that covers the cupholders in the centre console, for instance, is made from a kind of plastic that has no place in a car costing upwards of £60,000, and there are one or two other material low points among the car’s minor switchgear.
These low points are few and far between, however. The I-Pace sets standards on perceived quality and material richness that would impress anyone.
The car’s ergonomics are also very good. Optional ‘performance seats’, while firm, provide plenty of lateral support, while their 14-way electronic adjustability and memory settings streamline the process of settling in behind the wheel. The seats up front are heated and cooled, while seat heaters in the rear are also included, helping justify the £3940 asking price for the uprated seats.
Those in the back reap the benefits of that ‘cab-forward’ design and lengthy wheelbase too; there are executive saloon levels of leg room on offer, while head room isn’t in short supply even with the £960 fixed panoramic roof optioned. The boot, meanwhile, is a useful 656 litres, while under the bonnet there’s an additional 27-litre storage bin. Good luck fitting anything other than a laptop bag in here, though. It’s worth noting that a Model S offers more, with a 690-litre boot and a 150-litre storage area at its nose.
The infotainment system is arguably the weakest aspect of the I-Pace’s entire cabin. While the integration of the twin screens into the upper and lower dash fascia has been executed very tidily indeed, the responsiveness of the software along with a lack of intuitiveness are ultimately the system’s undoing.
There’s a noticeable degree of lag between input and response that might be acceptable on a more run-of-the-mill infotainment system but needs to be ironed out when applied to a vehicle costing in excess of £60,000.
These grumbles aside, the level of features that you get with the system is at least acceptable. DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity, satellite navigation and a rear-view parking camera are all included as standard.
That said, Jaguar doesn’t make specifying Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatibility an option, which seems like a missed opportunity owing to their superior intuitiveness. Meridian sound systems are standard across the board, with an 825W surround sound system available as a £600 option.
