Used 2022 Jaguar E-PACE

The 2022 Jaguar E-Pace brings a certain style and driving experience to the luxury small SUV/crossover class. These attributes are common to all Jaguar vehicles — no matter their size, shape, or purpose — providing credible alternatives to the usual German offerings that dominate almost every luxury category.

The E-Pace is based on the same platform as the Range Rover Evoque, but starts at a lower price.

What’s the difference between the 2022 Jaguar E-Pace and the Jaguar I-Pace? It might have been a good idea to have saved the E-Pace name for an all-electric vehicle, but the E-Pace has a choice of combustion-based drivetrains (although one is augmented by a mild hybrid system). The I-Pace, meanwhile, is Jaguar’s premium small crossover propelled solely by electric motors — and it is considerably more expensive.

Where is the 2022 Jaguar E-Pace built? Not in England, which might be surprising given that Jaguar is an English marque. But the E-Pace is built by Magna Steyr in Austria. Not a household name, granted, but this facility also makes the Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV and the BMW Z4 sports car. So the E-Pace is in some high-class company, standing it in good stead for reliability and resale values.

The typical Jaguar suspension is uncannily comfortable, yet with laudable agility and control. The 2022 E-Pace has this typical Jaguar suspension. And exploiting its talents can still be achieved with the lesser of the two engines. It makes a decent 246 horsepower.

This drivetrain employs brake-based torque vectoring. What happens is that it will apply subtle braking to the inside rear wheel to help the E-Pace track around corners in an efficient and stable manner.

The more powerful 300 Sport has what Jaguar calls an Active Driveline, which accomplishes the same goal, but by regulating how much power goes to each rear wheel through the all-wheel drive system. In either case, the driver doesn’t really feel it happening. They just think they’re really good at this driving thing.

Another feature that might flatter the driver is All Surface Progress Control, standard equipment and one of the many upsides of having Land Rover as a sister company. In slippery conditions like wintry roads or wet grass, this acts like a low-speed cruise control, governing inputs like throttle and braking. The driver only has to concentrate on steering.

As desirable as the 300 Sport might be, some buyers may not want to spend that much. If that’s the case, a P250 SE with the optional adaptive suspension ($1,450) could fit the bill.

It’s not going to mean much to many Americans, but the “cricket ball” stitching on the gear shifter is a pleasant little touch that evokes the beloved English national game, a sedate summer affair and perhaps the only sport where the players stop for afternoon tea.

Such consideration for the finer things in life extends to the 2022 E-Pace’s standard leather upholstery with embossed Leaping Cat symbols in the headrests, comfortable seating, and the serene cabin in general. If rear passenger space is a major consideration, the BMW X1 is more accommodating.

A new addition for 2022 is a metal scuff plate in the P250 SE, which prevents the top of the rear bumper from getting scratched while loading things in and out of the cargo area. Speaking of cargo, luggage space behind the rear seats is 23.7 cubic feet. Fold them down to create 48 cubic feet. That’s all pretty good for the class.

Jaguar really does have a special knack of neutralizing the boxiness that accompanies typical SUV/crossover designs. Each to their own, of course, but the 2022 E-Pace has arguably several positive aspects to its appearance.

One of those might be the newly standard black contrasting roof on the 300 Sport, which is also optional with the P250 SE. Any buyer of the 300 Sport who doesn’t want this feature can have the body color at no extra cost.

A couple of other changes for 2022 mean that 22-inch alloy wheels are no longer offered and Ostuni Pearl White metallic paint replaces Yulong White metallic. And before we leave the subject of color, Fuji White is the only standard paint choice. Most others cost $650, but a couple (Carpathian Grey and Silicon Silver) come in at $1,350.

ACTIVITY KEY
Looking like a fitness tracker, this waterproof and shockproof bracelet allows the driver to splash around in the surf or crawl up a rock face without having to bring their regular car keys along.

MERIDIAN AUDIO SYSTEMS
Meridian is a well-respected British manufacturer of fine audio equipment. Jaguar and Land Rover offer these systems in all of their new vehicles.

At its entry level, the 2022 E-Pace P250 comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights/taillights, rain-sensing wipers, heated side mirrors, keyless entry/ignition, perforated leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, self-dimming rearview mirror, and 40/20/40 split/folding rear seats.

The infotainment system includes Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, wireless charging, phone signal booster, satellite radio, two USB ports, a 12-speaker (including one subwoofer)/400-watt Meridian audio system, and a curved 11.4-inch touchscreen.

Among the driver assistance features are front/rear parking sensors, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assistance.

Buyers choosing the 2022 E-Pace in P250 SE trim gain premium LED headlights with automatic high beams, self-dimming driver’s-side mirror, 19-inch alloy wheels, powered tailgate, configurable 12.3-inch driver information display, navigation, Wi-Fi, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

The 300 Sport is the most powerful version of the 2022 E-Pace, and adds an adaptive suspension, 20-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, nicer leather upholstery, and a head-up display.

The P250 SE and 300 Sport are eligible for various extras such as 21-inch alloy wheels, fixed panoramic roof, tow hitch receiver, ClearSight rearview mirror (see the Safety Technology section below), heated/12-way power-adjustable front seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, 360-degree camera system, hands-free tailgate operation, Activity Key, and a 15-speaker (including one subwoofer)/650-watt Meridian surround-sound system.

Apart from different paint choices, the base P250 doesn’t qualify for many options. The P250 SE may also be ordered with an adaptive suspension, fog lights, and the head-up display. The 300 Sport offers heated/ventilated/16-way power-adjustable front seats.

The P250 drivetrain in base and SE versions of the 2022 E-Pace consists of a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, a 9-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive as standard. As the 250 number hints, this setup makes 246 horsepower.

The same engine and transmission are in the 300 Sport, but output is boosted to 296 horsepower. It also employs a mild hybrid (MHEV) system to smooth out the stop/restart function that saves a few drops of fuel instead of otherwise idling at, say, a stoplight. It also provides a little extra accelerative kick.

Premium gasoline is required for both engines.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (P250, P250 SE)
246 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
269 lb-ft of torque @ 1,300-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/26 mpg

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (300 Sport)
296 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
295 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/26 mpg