Jaguar E-Pace Review 2026

The Jaguar E-Pace is a stylish small SUV that now shares a platform with the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque. It's been given quite a heavy mid-life facelift to make it more competitive against cars like the BMW X2, Audi Q3 and Volvo XC40 – but is it enough to justify its high price tag?

One of the most significant updates for the 2021 Jaguar E-Pace includes the addition of a new flagship plug-in hybrid model badged the Jaguar E-Pace P300e. This combines a little 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo engine with a 108PS electric motor on the rear axle and a 15kWh battery, giving it an electric range of up to 34 miles.

The PHEV is also the quickest Jaguar E-Pace in the range, although it doesn't feel quite as sprightly as its combined 309PS and 6.5 second 0-62mph time suggests. It's a sportier choice than a Volvo XC40, though, with sharp steering and a relatively firm suspension setup.

If you're not ready to splash a serious amount of money on a plug-in hybrid, you can still buy a Jaguar E-Pace with a conventional petrol or diesel engine. These are 2.0-litre units, available with a choice of manual and automatic gearboxes as well as two- or four-wheel drive.

Most Jaguar E-Pace models are now badged R-Dynamic, which comes with desirable tech and some snazzy exterior highlights. You can also opt for one of a variety of option packs (S, SE and HSE) allowing you to pick and choose desirable features.

The cabin has a clean, uncluttered design although – on pre-facelift models (that's those sold before 2021) – it wasn't quite up to the standard you'd expect for a premium SUV.

A new infotainment system was added to the E-Pace in 2021. With its 11.4-inch touchscreen display, this is much better than the older 10-inch system, which wasn't the most user-friendly. The later system comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, too, allowing you access to your phone's apps through the car's media display.

The latest updates mean the Jaguar E-Pace is easier to recommend than before, although we still think a Volvo XC40 does the whole 'non-German small SUV' thing better. You may also wish to look at the Lexus UX – which is also sold as an electric vehicle and is likely to be more dependable on the reliability front than the Jaguar E-Pace.

The Jaguar E-Pace is marketed as a sporty choice in the world of small premium SUVs. In truth, though, it's quite big and heavy, which means it simply isn't as agile as something like a BMW X2. You'll notice it leaning quite a lot on twisty roads, although the communicative steering will give you the confidence to press on. Most models feature four-wheel drive, so there's plenty of grip on offer. That's a good thing if you regularly drive in rural areas or live somewhere that gets hit hard by sub-zero temperatures.

All E-Pace models we've driven have been fitted with fairly bulky alloy wheels, and that's not a great thing for ride quality. You'll notice bumps in the road, and even the optional adaptive suspension doesn't seem to make a huge difference. If comfort's a priority, look at the Volvo XC40 instead.

Rearwards visibility is pretty poor but, that aside, the E-Pace is perfectly easy to drive around town. It's much smaller than the F-Pace, so slotting it into tight parking spaces doesn't pose too much of an issue. All models come with a 3D surround camera, too, able to offer a variety of different perspectives on your parking.

The E-Pace engine line-up features the usual mix of 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. Don't bother with the entry-level D165 model unless you're on a tight budget (in which case, buy a Skoda Karoq) – it comes with a manual gearbox and sends power exclusively to the front wheels.

The rest of the range features all-wheel drive as standard as well as mild-hybrid tech and a slick nine-speed automatic gearbox (or an eight-speed with the PHEV – we'll come on to that).

Diesels might be out of fashion but we rate them in the E-Pace for their mix of gruntiness and economy. The D200 is the one to go for if you cover a lot of motorway miles or expect to tow a caravan; its 204PS output (and 430Nm of torque) means it'll cover 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds – brisk enough for a car like this.

City dwellers will be better going for one of the two popular petrol models, each using a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit and badged the P200 and P250 (with 200 and 249PS respectively). There's also the sporty P300 model, which uses the same four-cylinder engine but with power boosted to 300PS. It's quick on paper – accelerating to 62mph in 6.9 seconds – but it's not all that exciting in real life. A downsized F-Pace SVR it is not.

Then there's the E-Pace P300e plug-in hybrid. This uses a small 1.5-litre petrol engine combined with an electric motor, and it's actually the quickest of the lot. It'll transition smoothly between petrol and electric power, surging to 62mph in as little as 6.5 seconds when required. It's great for building up speed on motorway slip roads or making the most of overtaking opportunities.

As you'd expect from a premium SUV like the E-Pace, the baby Jag's loaded with kit intended to prevent a crash. There's an emergency braking system as standard across the range (ready to apply the brakes if it detects an impending collision), while Lane Keep Assist will nudge your steering if you start to stray from your lane. There's a whole host of airbags, while Isofix points on the outer rear seats helps with fitting child seats.

Buy one with the S specification pack and you'll get Traffic Sign Recognition and Adaptive Speed Limiter, while the SE adds Blind Spot Assist and Rear Traffic Monitor. These are also available as part of the optional Blind Spot Assist Pack, as well as the Driver Assist Pack (which also adds Adaptive Cruise Control and the Rear Collision Monitor).

When Euro NCAP crash tested the Jaguar E-Pace in 2017, it was awarded a maximum five-star safety rating. This includes an impressive 86 per cent score for adult occupants, and 87 per cent for children.

Thanks to its hefty weight and four-wheel drive as standard across most of the range, the Jaguar E-Pace makes a decent tow car. The D200 can tow the most, with an official braked towing capacity of up to 2000kg. Most other models can lug up to 1800kg, while the P300e is rated to tow up to 1600kg.

For an SUV, the Jaguar E-Pace actually feels quite small and claustrophobic inside. It's meant to give off a sporty vibe, like an F-Type, but the cabin just feels a bit dark and unpleasant compared to, say, a Volvo XC40. That's surprising as you do actually sit fairly high up compared to alternatives like the BMW X1 and X2.

There's a reasonable amount of room up front and plenty of storage for your odds and ends. Things aren't so great in the back, where legroom isn't particularly generous and three adults sat side-by-side will be rubbing shoulders.

Jaguar says the E-Pace can carry up to 577 litres of luggage which sounds impressive, but that's all down to the unique way the brand measures its boots. The E-Pace's boot actually has less useable space than most rivals, while the high lip means it's not all that accessible.

Of course, if you need more space, you can drop the rear seats easily enough. The latest models split 40:20:40, leaving an almost-flat surface when dropped. That's very useful if you plan to carry big objects.

Your perception of the Jaguar E-Pace's interior might depend on your expectations. We jumped into it after driving the bigger, pricier F-Pace and it felt noticeably downmarket by comparison. You might expect that to be the case, but the Volvo XC40 doesn't feel like a budget XC60; nor does the Mercedes GLA feel like a pound-shop GLC. We reckon the Range Rover Evoque has a better finish, too.

If you're trading up from a mainstream competitor like the Skoda Karoq, though, you might find the E-Pace's interior to be more than plush enough. You'll find plenty of soft-touch leather swaithed around the cabin, while the plastic (although a bit too widespread) feels soft to touch.

When the Jaguar E-Pace first went on sale in 2018, all models came with a 10-inch Touch Pro infotainment system. This did the job, with navigation as standard, but its lacklustre graphics and confusing menu layouts meant it simply wasn't as good as systems available in rival models. You couldn't bypass it using your phone, either – Apple CarPlay and Android Auto weren't available.

If you want the latest technology, we'd look for a later (post-2021) E-Pace with the new Pivi Pro media system. This is standard on S models and above and is leagues ahead of the old system, with an 11.4-inch display featuring sharp graphics and lightning quick responses. Smartphone integration in the form of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, too - so you can stream your Spotify soundtrack or navigate using Waze without having to use your phone.

If you buy an SE or HSE model, you'll get an interactive driver display in place of analogue dials behind the steering wheel. Just like the premium media system, this is brilliant, with sharp, clear graphics displaying everything you could possibly need. For the ultimate in in-car entertainment, look for a model with the premium Meridian sound system. This is almost worth opting for an HSE model alone.

Prices for the most basic of Jaguar E-Pace start in the region of £32,500 – quite a bold figure, when you can pick up a Volvo XC40 for less than £26,000, while a BMW X1 can be picked up for less than £31,000.

At least you get a decent amount of kit for your money, though. Things like the 11.4-inch touchscreen media system are standard across the range, as well as a 3D surround camera, LED headlights and 17-inch alloy wheels. And, thanks to the wonders of depreciation, you can save a heap of cash by looking at the used market. A year-old E-Pace could be yours for as little as £27,000, while early examples are now dropping below £20,000.

R-Dynamic models look a bit more stylish, with bigger alloy wheels (18-inch and upwards depending on specification pack), bespoke exterior styling and sports seats. You'll pay a premium, though – in its most basic form, an R-Dynamic starts from £34,000.

You can soon start spending serious wedges of cash if you start looking at the more desirable engines and specification packs. An E-Pace D200 S, for example, starts from around £39,000. The plug-in hybrid P300e starts from £46,000, while the P300 Sport is more than £47,500. 

The Jaguar E-Pace isn't particularly competitive in the running costs stakes. Four-wheel-drive, automatic gearboxes and petrol power aren't a great combination for running costs – with even the relatively sensible P200 and P250 models struggling to achieve more than 30mpg in the real world.

If you're reluctant to hammer the credit card with trips to the petrol station, the diesel models fare a little better. The two-wheel-drive D165 returns up to 46.9mpg in WLTP fuel economy tests. This almost sounds impressive until you realise the equivalent BMW X2 is good for mid-50s mpg.

The 141mpg figure of the P300e sounds almost unbelievable. Just like all plug-in hybrids, though, it's heavily dependent on how it's driven. It can travel for up to 34 miles under electric power alone – which is impressive, and far enough to cover a short commute or the school run. Keep it topped up with electricity and it'll barely use any fuel at all.

Fuel costs aside, the Jaguar E-Pace shouldn't cost you any more to run than any of its competitors. VED (car tax) will cost £145/year for hybrid models and £155 for the rest of the range, while those with a list price of more than £40,000 will be subject to an extra £335/year for the first five years.