Jaguar E-Pace

Following the success of Jaguar's first SUV, the F-Pace, the Jaaaaaaaag that puts the sport back to the sports utility vehicle because not only it looks good to look at, it's surprisingly agile and sharp indeed, the British luxury car maker added a new SUV much to the dismay of Jaguar enthusiasts even for a masked mob leader who called himself Jaguar, only this time, it's a little different than the Jaguars we are familiar with.

2018 Jaguar E-Pace

It's called the Jaguar E-Pace and this is the first time they've made a small crossover that can compete against the likes of Mercedes's GLA, Audi's Q2, and BMW's X1 and while the Germans are clawing their way to the top with their record-breaking sales, this newcomer from Jaguar is ready for a riposte against the Germans because it is a Jaaaaaag.

First, let's get to know the styling and while this is like a mashup between the F-Type and the F-Pace, the E-Pace is surprisingly smaller than its F-Pace brother and when you put them side-by-side, the F-Pace is like a lion while the E-Pace is like a cub that is about to be thrown to the cliff by its father lion, or should I say jaguar because it is a Jaguar. Considering it a painful rite of passage...

2018 Jaguar E-Pace interior

2018 Jaguar E-Pace interior

The interior is pretty much basic for a Jag. Of course, the sat-nav works like it means it, the climate control works like it should, the instrumental panel, the steering wheel, everything works like it should and because it is basically a five-seater, it would be unwise to use it as a family car because that will ruin the sweet spot of the second-row seat. Oh wait. The E-Pace doesn't need to be used as a family car because...it's a Jaaag. Instead, you can go with your plutocratic ways to make use of the E-Pace's conveniences while on the go such as taking your mates after work, occupy the seats, especially the boot, with everything you've bought at the thrift store, you can do whatever you want in this crossover Jag without somebody yelling at you and it's as easy as hitting a baseball with a giant bat that cavemen used. Although not pretty to look at, it's not half bad to make use of it.

2018 Jaguar E-Pace

Now time for something alarming on the performance side because when I said alarming, it really is because the E-Pace is the first front-wheel drive Jaguar since the lackluster X-Type and this is something you should better be away from it because having learned out lessons from the X-Type saloon in the past, it really doesn't work and it really doesn't perform what a Jaguar should be so instead, how about opting for the one with the all-new Active Driveline AWD system because with such feature, it's like having two cars in one and because of its recalibrated drivetrain thanks to science, it behaves like a rear-wheel drive under normal conditions and then goes multipurpose on any conditions it gets through, be it tarmac, gravel, and snow. It can be as crazy as using a Subaru for your own gymkhana spoof but it behaves pretty much like its big brother, the F-Pace, and this AWD system is a real winner for this Jaaaaaaag.

Apart from the AWD system, the E-Pace features a specifically made chassis courtesy of its Integral Link rear suspension, which is surprisingly compact and driver friendly, along with is lightweight suspension geometry that makes it work like it should.

Under the hood, the E-Pace comes with a choice of a 2.0L diesel and a 2.0L petrol engine with different configurations, mated with either a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed AT. The range-topping HSE's 2.0L petrol engine produces 300PS of power and 400Nm of torque, capable of going 0-60mph in 5.9 seconds and onwards to 151mph, less than what the Germans allowed to do. Ouch.

While taking on a leisurely cruise on the city streets, the E-Pace isn't half bad and because being a Jaaaag, this one is a real head turner. It even comes with a wide array of cutting edge safety tech so you and the car can be fully aware of the surroundings while heading to your ideal point of interest like the mall, the restaurant, or even your favorite thrift store to buy some useless objects for no reason.

Pricing? The E-Pace starts at 28,500 Pounds (2.1 million PHP) plus on road costs so that is somewhat 250 pounds more than the XE saloon and that makes it the ideal bargain luxury crossover of the year. Yes, the pricing is accessible enough for anyone who wants a Jag but keep in mind that while the E-Pace impresses in its AWD drivetrain, a well-balanced choice of engines, interior, and design, the front-wheel drive offering is somewhat disappointing because it might end up on the wrong side of the park like what happened to the X-Type. Nevertheless, Jaguar's on the roll for making cars that can outpace the Germans with the E-Pace and because crossovers are the dominant species in today's motoring, looks like they're going bullish about this new model right now.

Available colors: Fiji White, Santorini Black, Yulong White, Corris Grey, Indus Silver, Firenze Red, Caesium Blue, Borasco Grey, Farallon Pearl Black, and Silicon Silver

Photo: Jaguar Land Rover