Jaguar E-Pace SUV ‘testing for 25 months’

150 prototypes have been taken around the world to be thrashed

Jaguar E-Pace testing Walters ArenaThe new Jaguar E-Pace baby SUV will be revealed next week (13 July) and ahead of the debut, some of the firm’s 150-strong prototype test fleet have been shown in action. 

Jaguar says it has been testing the new E-Pace, a rival to the Audi Q3 and BMW X1, for more than two years and its engineers have conducted trials on four continents. It’s all to ensure the new baby Jag SUV hits the ground running, free from faults and gremlins. 

This is important: some are suggesting the new E-Pace could in time become Jaguar’s best-selling model.


More Jaguar news on Motoring Research: 

  • New Jaguar E-Pace small SUV teased
  • Gorillaz app will help you get a job at Jaguar Land Rover
  • 600hp Jaguar XE SV Project 8 is the most powerful Jag ever

Plentiful miles have been conducted at the Nürburgring (engineers have counted more than 400 laps) to nail the handling and help Jaguar achieve its aim of creating a dynamic, entertaining driver’s SUV. But it’s also been driven in -40 degrees C and +48 degrees C during more than 120,000 hours of testing. Over 500 engineers have worked on the Jaguar E-Pace test programme. 

“Our team of world class engineers and dynamics specialists have meticulously tuned and developed a true Jaguar,” said Graham Wilkins, Jaguar E-Pace chief product engineer. He says the firm has delivered “a compact performance SUV that is true to Jaguar’s performance DNA”. 

Jaguar’s conducted durability as well as dynamics tests. One challenge consisted of driving an E-Pace into the middle of a 0.5m deep pool of water, turning off the engine and opening all the doors. The car was then left for an hour… before being stated back up and driven out. 

Watch the video for an early dynamic look at disguised prototype Jaguar E-Pace. Want to see the real thing? Come back at 8pm next Thursday, 13 July, for the car’s full global reveal in London. Motoring Research will be there and bringing you all the action – live. 

Video: Jaguar E-Pace SUV prototype testing

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Richard Aucock
Richard Aucockhttps://www.richardaucock.co.uk/
Richard is director at Motoring Research. He has been with us since 2001, and has been a motoring journalist even longer. He won the IMCO Motoring Writer of the Future Award in 1996 and the acclaimed Sir William Lyons Award in 1998. Both awards are run by the Guild of Motoring Writers and Richard is currently vice chair of the world's largest organisation for automotive media professionals. Richard is also a juror and Steering Committee director for World Car Awards and the UK juror for the AUTOBEST awards.

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