Jaguar F-PACE Red

The shift away from diesel is evident in the new engine line-up, which now has just two power options here. All petrol and diesel engines get mild hybrid assistance (branded MHEV), bar the entry level version of the diesel. This is the only E-Pace available with a manual gearbox and front-wheel drive, too, but doesn’t seem to score any notable benefits in efficiency or associated running costs so is likely there to bring the entry price down. The mild hybrid technology and other improvements have boosted power a little across the board, which is welcome because we found the weight of the E-Pace had the previous ones struggling a little. So far we’ve only driven the P300e PHEV, which is an interesting comparison with the most powerful P300 Sport from the regular petrol range. While they share the same horsepower figure the P300e has a lot more torque than the P300 and shows better performance figures. It can also cover just over 30 miles on electric power alone, though you have to really nurse the throttle to avoid waking the petrol engine. While our short test route flattered the hybrid system experience shows that once you’ve exhausted the battery on these cars efficiency plummets and official claims of over 100mpg become a distant dream. This isn’t to single Jaguar out here – it’s the same with all plug-in hybrids – but make sure you buy with your eyes open if saving fuel is your primary goal.