Jaguar has made leaps in expanding its U.S. sales in the past two years but its volumes are still very little compared with the luxury giants, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. The presence of an all-wheel drive throughout its range is where part of Jaguar's sales can be attributed to, having attracted more buyers in four-season states. The F-Pace crossover was sold at a wildfire rate, proving that critical crossover sales are becoming to any carmaker's endpoint and the more affordable E-Pace should continue its momentum.
A close look at the 2018 Jaguar E-Pace crossover prototype's dash-to-axle ratio, how far forward the front wheels are, will show that the hood is too stubby to hide a longitudinally mounted engine. The E-Pace may likely ride on a variation of the front-drive-based platform which sits beneath Jaguar Land Rover's Land Rover Discovery Sport (derived from the Range Rover Evoque). This should secure the position for the E-Pace's interior packaging, which is a weak point in both the larger F-Pace and the XE sedan.
Like the Discovery Sport and the Range Rover Evoque, the 2018 Jaguar E-Pace, according to car and driver (shows pictures of the spied model), will use a turbocharged inline-four, likely derived from JLR's new Ingenium engine family. A ZF-sourced nine-speed automatic transmission would be standard and will squeeze out the most from whatever engine Jaguar installs; all-wheel drive, of course, shall be included.
Jaguar shall reveal the production of E-Pace sometime in early 2017 prior to putting it on sale by the end of the year. If the E-Pace's competition is any indication, the pricing may begin in the low-to-mid-$30,000 range.
Given its specs, competition for the 2018 Jaguar E-Pace would include: Audi Q3, BMW X1, Infiniti QX30, and Lexus NX.
According to car, it may not necessarily be called the Jaguar E-Pace since Jaguar Land Rover has also applied for trademarks for the names I-Pace, I-Type, and EV-Type. Whatever its final name tag would be, early indications are that the E-Pace will be revealed sometime in late 2017 and will go on sale in 2018.
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