FUTURE FORWARD

WORDS Joshua Brosnahan PHOTOS Kallum Harris

Avenues handed over the reins of Torque Talk to Tom Newfield – who took Jaguar’s I-PACE out for a ‘day in the life’ of a busy restaurateur.

With Earl Bistro, Welles Street and recent pop-up Otto Delicatessen, in The Yard under his belt, you can imagine Tom does a lot of inner-city urban crawl on a daily basis. Not to mention with a couple of other exciting projects due to appear next year – he’s regularly a busy guy, with plenty on his plate. And it sounds like the I-PACE was right up his alley.

The new five-seater I-PACE is a pure battery-electric vehicle that’s a thrill to look at and even more thrilling to drive. Scooping awards such as World Car of the Year, World Car Design of the Year, and World Green
Car, the I-PACE has made an impact with 30 accolades awarded, so far. We would say it’s the car of the future, but it’s already here.

Tom describes his first time driving an electric car as ‘quite something’.

“I always thought you could spot an electric car – most of them aren’t this impressive looking. The I-PACE has a massive amount of torque! On one hand, it’s got grunt, and I don’t even feel like I pushed it to capacity. On the other hand, it’s quiet when you’re driving, and it feels so safe and secure on the road.”

Delivering 100 per cent of its impressive 696Nm torque immediately, the I-PACE will do 0–100km in 4.8 seconds.

Jaguar clearly knows how to make phenomenal cars. It’s got eight decades of experience in doing so, without resting on its laurels. The British firm has embraced all-electric transport and simply made it happen. I-PACE’s standout design was led by Ian Callum, one of the titans of modern car design.

With a range of 470kms, it has addressed the ‘range anxiety’ that some might feel with an all-electric vehicle. With a 50kW fast charger, you can be back on the road from 0 to 80 per cent capacity within 90 minutes.

Tom describes the technology in the car as ‘future-forward’.

“I love the idea of the Jaguar In-Control app. Being able to review the car’s charging status and range at a glance and cooling or heating your vehicle to the desired temperature, even when I’m in one of the restaurants.”

Seamlessly integrated technologies make controlling I-PACE’s features and staying in touch with the digital world simple. Whether it’s on the two-touchscreen duo-infotainment system and the Head-Up displays or on your smartphone, everything you need is never far away.

“I look for a car that’s well designed, spacious, responsive and accessible – all things that make my life easier and more enjoyable on a day-to-day basis. Whether you’re after an electric car or a luxury SUV, the I-PACE feels like it could be a very appealing choice.”

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