Jaguar is giving its all-electric I-Pace an update for the 2022 model year — though you’d likely need to slip inside to notice all the changes in store.
While the battery SUV gets a modest tweak to its grille, the real focus is on technology, the 2022 Jaguar I-Pace getting a faster onboard charger, along with the brand’s latest infotainment system and new safety gear.
The I-Pace now will be offered in a single, premium HSE trim package, meanwhile. That move reflects the modest sales for Jaguar’s first all-electric model, but I-Pace anchors the British brand’s plan to shift entirely to battery-electric vehicles by 2025.
Few design changes
You’ll have to look closely to spot the difference between a 2021 and 2022 Jaguar I-Pace. What the marque describes as a “more distinctive design” comes down to the new, Atlas Grey finish of its grille pins.
But there’s more to the new BEV when you look at the technology Jaguar is adding or updating.
Among standard features, the I-Pace gets the latest version of the Jaguar Pivi Pro infotainment system. For 2022, motorists will find it easier to reach menus handling virtually all key functions. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard, and two phones can be linked simultaneously to the Bluetooth system.
Easier, quicker to charge
The navigation function now makes it easier to find charging stations along your route — and even displays the amount of time the I-Pace will need to be plugged in.
Meanwhile, a new onboard 11-kilowatt AC charger will speed up charging times, though Jaguar isn’t yet offering specific numbers.
The twin sim-card design of the Pivi Pro allows background functions to run, even while making calls or streaming content. Among other things, that allowed Jaguar to enhance the I-Pace’s ability to use over-the-air, or OTA, updates for software, including the infotainment and battery management systems.
Other new technologies include a 3D surround camera, as well as the camera-based ClearSight rearview digital mirror. The 2022 I-Pace also features a standard cabin air ionization system, something that could connect with potential buyers at a time of COVID.
The single, HSE trim will now start at $69,900 before delivery fees of $1,150.
A groundbreaking role
The I-Pace became the first long-range European battery-electric vehicle when it debuted in 2018. Despite winning numerous awards, including World Car of the Year, demand has been modest, at best. Only 32,166 were sold in Europe through the end of 2020, another 4,533 in the U.S.
Yet the electric SUV remains a critical part of the line-up, Joe Eberhardt, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover’s North American operations, said during a visit to Detroit last month.
If nothing else, it sets the stage for the shift to all-electric propulsion planned by the British marque. It plans to offer nothing but pure battery-electric vehicles by 2025.
Sibling brand Land Rover won’t be far behind, introducing six BEVs of its own by mid-decade. The first will come to market by 2024. All-electric models are expected to generate 60% of Land Rover’s volume by 2030, the company predicts. “It’s time to re-imagine the next chapter for both brands,” JLR Chief Executive Officer Thierry Bollore said in February.
I love the classic Jags, but I’m afraid their days are numbered. Are they on anyone’s shopping list anymore?