The I-Pace finds its feet with Editor Challen and the Jaguar Remote app proves surprisingly handy.

Jaguar I-Pace R-Dynamic HSE Black EV400

P11d (BiK): £77,440 (2%) Range: 292 miles (claimed) On fleet range: 249 miles Efficiency: 2.5mpkWh

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As shown by our budding road test assistant, Bruno the cockerpoo, the Jag’s boot is cavernous

Whether it’s large items of furniture being moved to their new home, a load of stuff for the tip, four bags ahead of a lads’ trip to Prague, or Bruno the cockerpoo, the I-Pace’s boot has been in huge demand recently. Thankfully, it’s pretty cavernous, which means no problems when it comes moving a lot of things around very quickly.

I’ve made no secret about the size of the Jag, but the majority of the time it’s a positive, not a negative. Moving forward from the boot, there’s a load of space for rear passengers – typically the growing Challen Jnrs – and it’s exactly the same upfront.

Staying in the rear though, the next generation have discovered the rear heated seats. A drop in the temperature has meant they’ve been working overtime – and very efficient they are too. From my perspective, the same can be said of the steering wheel heater – still my favourite technological ‘innovation’ in the automotive world for a long time.

Staying on the tech theme, the infotainment system continues to impress, with seamless connectivity to multiple devices and an easy-to-operate menu screen. At a time where technology advances so quickly – especially in cars – it’s encouraging to see that the Jaguar system in the I-Pace remains effective and dependable. The shortcuts are sensible and the menus don’t leave you puzzled as to how to complete relatively simple tasks. Sometimes you just want to get in and drive, without repeated taps of a screen purely to make you comfortable and/or ready for a long drive.

However, the ‘leaving the car unlocked’ issue has taken a turn – I’ve had a couple of alerts from the Jaguar Remote app asking me if I want to lock the car, but it’s locked already!

Economy-wise, lots of short journeys have taken their toll and we’re running at 2.5mpkWh now. Not great when compared with some of the competition out there for the I-Pace.

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The Jaguar Remote app comes to the rescue if the doors are left unlocked

The I-Pace might be one of the ‘original’ EVs on the market, but it still offers pretty much everything you would expect from a new model on the block. That’s partly down to connectivity attributes and over-the-air software updates, which ensure that everything onboard the Jaguar is kept up to date, enabling a seamless driving experience.

As I mentioned before, it was almost ahead of its time when it burst onto the scene and the design has not dated like other cars – ICE or EV.

After living with the BMW iX1 for a while, the I-Pace takes comfort levels up a notch (you may have read Mr Wikner’s comments about the ride quality of the German machine).

Despite rolling on 22-inch wheels, the big Jaguar is smooth over some relatively rough roads, which pleases me and my variety of passengers – human and canine. The performance is good, considering we’re talking about a car with a gross vehicle weight of 2,670kg. It’s not lightning quick, like some other EVs, but a zero to 60mph time of 4.5 seconds is not to be dismissed. Plant your foot on the throttle and there’s an instant response – thankfully the regenerative braking kicks in when you lift off helps ensure that not all of those valuable miles are used up too quickly.

There have been a few niggles, specifically the sound system, which has now twice decided to function using just one of the speakers. I’m not quite sure why, but the old ‘turn it off, leave it for a bit and then turn it back on again’ routine has done the trick on both occasions.

The other thing that I’m struggling with is – as stupid as it sounds – locking the doors when I park up on the driveway. It’s not difficult – it’s simply a press of a button – but I just, on occasion, forget to do it (maybe because the past few cars have locked as you walk away from them). Thankfully, the Jaguar Remote app comes to the rescue (or, occasionally, messages from members of the family) and alerts me to the situation.

Again, it’s a quick press of another button (within the app) and the car is safely secured. No excuses for keeping it locked now, then…

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Ahead of its forthcoming reinvention as an all-electric brand, Jaguar has given its I-Pace a refresh, five years after the car first burst onto the scene. It’s testament to the design, engineering and marketing departments at Jaguar that the big battery electric vehicle doesn’t feel its age – probably something to do with the fact that it seemed almost ahead of its time when it was launched.

Back then, the choice of electric vehicles was minuscule, compared with the many models on the market now. But it still holds its own as a very well-appointed, comfortable and useable electric vehicle. Upgrades for the MY24 version bring a refresh of the exterior – including a new front ‘grille’ – and a WLTP driving range of up to 292 miles. Inside, the infotainment system is slick and the mobile connectivity is seamless – I seem to have defaulted to using Android Auto and Google Maps, in place of the car’s sat nav.

That’s no slight on the in-built system, though – more an illustration of a) how well the smartphone connectivity works and b) how long it’s taken me to make the best use of the technology! Another great feature is the inclusion of a ‘old’ USB charging point, as well as the useless-to-me (because I don’t have the right cables) USB-C one. Wireless charging is great, but it’s not the fastest.

The Jaguar and I have done a fair few long journeys since it arrived, but a full recharge isn’t troubling the WLTP figure – the best yet has been 249 miles. But that figure has risen since the big Jag arrived, so I’m not too concerned just yet! There is a lot to get into regarding features, functions and options, which I will be sure to cover the next few months. Right now, it’s time to prepare for another airport run!