Jaguar unleashes futuristic I-PACE on streets of London in electric vehicle debut.. we take it for a spin

HANG on. Cut. Someone clearly hasn’t read the script.

Jaguar is supposed to be bad, not good.

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We’ve seen the ads with Ben Kingsley and Tom Hiddleston playing Bond-style villains.

And now we’re meant to believe Jaguar is all sweetness and light?

“It’s good to be . . . good.”  Well, it’s true.
I’ve just driven Jag’s first all-electric sports car, the I-Pace. The car that makes Jag future-proof. Zero emissions but 100 per cent awesome.

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I must stress this is the prototype — hand-built, one of one, worth £1million-plus — so I wasn’t tooling around.

But I can tell you it is hovercraft smooth and has buckets of thrust, banging out 0-60mph in four seconds.

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You want more numbers? OK, it has twin electric motors producing 400hp and 700 Nm of torque. That’s exactly the same torque rating as the F-Type SVR.

And this is a cheerleader for the polar bear preservation unit, remember, not a flame-spitting V8. And the range? Tesla territory. Up to 310 miles with an 80 per cent charge in 90 minutes.

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Hmmm. Not quite there yet, is it?

Charge time is still the Achilles heel for electric cars, as well as the lack of charging points. But all that will change in time. Other observations. The I-Pace cabin is predictably brilliant. As quiet as a library.

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And because there are no oily bits it has plenty of S, P, A, C and E. Room for five and all their luggage. It also blends modern equipment (three display screens, huge glass roof) with lots of little nods to Jaguar’s heritage, including “Jaguar, Coventry, Est. 1935” on seat labels and the walnut dash.

Tesla can’t play that card.

Design boss Ian Callum said: “This is the start of a new era for Jaguar. Transportation will change more in the next ten years than it has in the past 50 years and we’re prepared for that change.”

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The I-PACE is expected to be officially revealed late this year

He’s right too. And he’s hit the target with his first shot.

The I-Pace will be revealed in production spec in September and will hit showrooms in 2018, priced around £60,000.

Alongside the F-Type with that meaty 5-litre super- charged V8.

It’s good to be good and bad. There’s a lid for every pot.