Honey I shrunk the F-Pace?

It was inevitable that the next SUV to come from Jaguar would take influence from its very first, the F-Pace, but we'd argue that this new E-Pace looks even more like the Jaguar F-Type than its big brother does. The squat proportions help, as it's much shorter than the F-Pace.

Does that mean a small interior?

Well, hard to say until we sit in it for ourselves, but the wheelbase is generous and Jaguar's designers have clearly placed a lot of emphasis on interior versatility and space efficiency. Of course, the E-Pace is as likely to be bought by singletons and couples so the front seats are definitely the place to be. The driver's area is clearly marked out and there's a huge amount of technology available, including a 10-inch touchscreen as standard, a 12.3-inch TFT screen instead of analogue instruments and a large head-up display system.

And what's under the bonnet?

A range of five different powertrains. The 2.0-litre diesel engines produce 150hp/380Nm, 180hp/430Nm or 240hp/500Nm, while the turbocharged petrol engines are offered in 249- and 300hp states of tune, the latter dispatching the 0-62mph sprint in 6.4 seconds. Only the 150hp diesel can be had with front-wheel drive (which helps its 124g/km emissions rating), so all other cars have all-wheel drive as standard. A nine-speed automatic can be had with all power outputs, and the six-speed manual gearbox is only offered with the two lower power diesels.

How much will it be?

Prices start at £28,500 and order books are open right now. The E-Pace is offered in S, SE and HSE specifications, with the R-Dynamic interior and exterior upgrade available across the range. For the first year of production there will also be a highly specified First Edition available, featuring 21-inch alloy wheels no less.

Shane O' Donoghue - 13 Jul 2017