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What better tribute for a motor journalist than to try out an English car the day after the death of Queen Elizabeth II? This is the question we asked ourselves on Friday, September 9, 2022, when we went to Jaguar-Land Rover in Argenteuil (Val-d’Oise) to take possession of a Jaguar E-Pace P200 Flexfuel. Yes, you read that right, this Jaguar model accepts Bio-Ethanol-E85. The promise, of course, is to combine the comfort and performance of a high-end SUV with low running costs, as at the time of writing the average price of E85 at service stations is pegged at something more than €50. euro cents
A model as imposing as elegant
Jaguar E-Pace | Photos of our test of the P200 Flexfuel model in R-Dynamic SE finish+26
Jaguar E-Pace P200 FlexfuelCredit Photo – Autonews
All nice and clean in the parking lot, our E-Pace P200 Flexfuel is making a splash. With its coupe-like looks, this compact SUV, 4.40 meters long and 1.98 meters wide, looks good. Its design contrasts with the rather bland styling shown by SUVs in general. Huge with this grill open, the front face is impressive. The rear shows a sportier look, with these two large exhaust pipes dug into the shield. The Hakuba Silver livery is quite stylish. Once the general inspection is done, we set off for Normandy, for a week at the wheel of this E-Pace that drinks Superethanol-E85.
Our test vehicle is full and the on-board computer announces a range of about 450 kilometers. We have to travel about 350 of them to our destination, specifically the small town of Rocheville, in the Cotentin (Manche). So we hit the freeway straight to start this journey, quickly activating adaptive cruise control. But not autonomous driving, since unfortunately this E-Pace is not equipped with it.
Disabled by its large wheels and tires.
Jaguar E-Pace | Photos of our test of the P200 Flexfuel model in R-Dynamic SE finish+26
Jaguar E-Pace P200 FlexfuelCredit Photo – Autonews
Requires E85 engine, consumption is high. Especially since this Jaguar E-Pace Flexfuel is heavy, weighing 1,847 kilos. And our test model is mounted on gloss black 20-inch wheels which, while very nice looking, certainly increase fuel economy as they are fitted with 235/50 R20 Pirelli P Zero tyres. Result: even driving very moderately with the regulator, it is difficult to go below 11 l/100 km. At most, arriving from the N13, consumption is set between 10 and 10.5 l/100 km.
Despite some traffic jams in the Caen conurbation, we reached our destination without too much difficulty. After having tested the motorway far, wide and wide, now it’s time for the small departmental local roads and the streets of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin to finish refueling and see how many kilometers can really be covered with the 57 liters of the Deposit. . In the first case, the consumption of this E-Pace Flexfuel is rather between 12 and 13 l/100 km, carefully and sometimes allowing you a few moments of pleasure.
He just wants to pick up the pace.
Jaguar E-Pace | Photos of our test of the P200 Flexfuel model in R-Dynamic SE finish+26
Jaguar E-Pace P200 FlexfuelCredit Photo – Autonews
With a 200-horsepower Ingenium 2.0 turbocharged four-cylinder unit under the hood, you might have thought this E-Pace Flexfuel would lack power. Nope! The E85-powered SUV is more of a crime spree. Quite sporty, even twitchy, it makes you want to hit the right pedal to feel its rather muscular acceleration. As the manufacturer’s data promises, it shoots from 0 to 100 km/h in about 8.5 seconds. Let’s move on to the 48V hybridization announced by Jaguar, which is actually frankly anecdotal. The on-board computer doesn’t actually even mention it.
Sitting behind the wheel of this Jaguar E-Pace Flexfuel, we’re pretty well set up and maintained anyway, but suspension comfort is firm. Even steep in certain asperities that are legion on the Norman roads. It is therefore a fairly versatile model, which knows how to distill a dose of pleasure when asked. Even in Comfort mode, its nine-speed automatic transmission downshifts with ease. It is necessary to activate the Eco mode to slow down the acceleration and control its consumption a little more. However, there is no point in hoping to drop below the 10l/100km mark, unless you adopt pachydermic driving. Drivers looking for sportiness can activate a manual mode and change gear via the paddles on the steering wheel.
€37 per full tank, with a range of 450 kilometers
Jaguar E-Pace | Photos of our test of the P200 Flexfuel model in R-Dynamic SE finish+26
Jaguar E-Pace P200 FlexfuelCredit Photo – Autonews
A few days after our arrival at the Canal, the time has come to refuel to continue testing our E-Pace Flexfuel. The tank screams hunger, and the on-board computer indicates a remaining range of about 30 kilometers. We’ve done 410 since we borrowed the car, so that’s pretty much what he told us initially. Head to the Super U service station in Bricquebec-en-Cotentin, which distributes bioethanol-E85 at €0.65 per litre. That’s about a full tank at €37 for an imposing, high-end vehicle, which doesn’t really focus on fuel economy. The price seems ridiculous, at a time when, without State aid, the price of gasoline usually exceeds €2. It is true that there are SUVs that run on E85 without consuming as much, but the gluttony of the E-Pace Flexfuel is largely offset by the price of refueling.
Once the tank is full, it is in the city that we continue to test this E-Pace Flexfuel. The SUV is quite pleasant to use there, with its light steering and frank accelerations that allow it to get out of all situations. Despite the imposing size of the vehicle, parking is easy thanks to the readability of the reversing camera. This clearly shows the direction of the E-Pace when reversing, unlike other competitive models where countless lines make this image difficult to read. That’s a good thing, since the narrow rear window is almost useless.
A very greedy model in the city.
Jaguar E-Pace | Photos of our test of the P200 Flexfuel model in R-Dynamic SE finish+26
Jaguar E-Pace P200 FlexfuelCredit Photo – Autonews
Where the problem is in the level of consumption in urban areas. If we’re not careful, the Jaguar E-Pace Flexfuel’s appetite can skyrocket. Then there are crazy figures, such as 16 l/100 km or even 23 l/100 km on short city trips. In short, the machine is designed above all to hit the road with very satisfactory comfort, taking advantage of a plush interior. As is the case with the R-Dynamic SE finish of our test model, which sold for €62,511. The interior is really very stylish, with an instrument panel that cleverly blends analog and digital, as well as a leather-covered dash with white stitching. We also find these same stitching on the leather seats.
Leather, there is also on the steering wheel, on the gear lever and on the center armrest that falls well below the elbow. The headliner and pillars are covered in Alcantara, and the center console is in lacquered plastic. Well-integrated, smooth and responsive, the 11.4-inch touchscreen is, however, very prone to fingerprints. The most manic will have to resign themselves to cleaning it regularly. The rest of the cabin is punctuated by fairly narrow rear seats, which can nevertheless accommodate tall people, provided you’re not on a long-hour drive. Jaguar has clearly opted for the trunk, whose cargo volume varies between 601 liters in normal position and 1,386 liters with the rear seat folded down.
€65 of bioethanol-E85 to travel approximately 1,000 km
Jaguar E-Pace | Photos of our test of the P200 Flexfuel model in R-Dynamic SE finish+26
Jaguar E-Pace P200 FlexfuelCredit Photo – Autonews
At the end of our week of testing, we are back on the N13 and the A13 motorway. We entered our Parisian destination on Waze via Apple CarPlay and left for about 3h30 by road. As on the outward journey, the E-Pace Flexfuel proves to be more comfortable on the road. Driving quietly, even exceptionally we managed to establish an average consumption of 9.5 l/100 km. That’s when you take a coffee break right before you hit the road. So, at an average of 107 km/h, consumption is around 11.5 l/100 km. We have a good quarter of a tank left when we return the car, so we fill up the rest of the tank at the Esso de Pont d’Argenteuil station, which sells E85 for about 71 eurocents a litre. The pump marks €28.38, so traveling just under 1,000 kilometers in a Jaguar E-Pace Flexfuel will have cost us about €65.
Our opinion
Jaguar E-Pace | Photos of our test of the P200 Flexfuel model in R-Dynamic SE finish+26
Jaguar E-Pace P200 FlexfuelCredit Photo – Autonews
It may seem strange to afford an SUV for €62,511 while wanting to save money at the pump. However, this is what the Jaguar E-Pace Flexfuel promises without lying. Powerful, quite comfortable and terrifyingly sexy, this station wagon from across the Channel allows you to enjoy a luxurious and fast vehicle without being too fussy about the price of a full tank. So certainly, its autonomy is quite low and its consumption figures can be scary, especially in the city. But the ridiculously low price of the E85 largely compensates for these small punctures, already well erased by the pleasure of driving such a car.
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From Argenteuil to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, then the other way around, our tester-journalist tested the fuel consumption and range of the Jaguar E-Pace P200 Flexfuel, whose E85 and hybrid engine wants to allow you to drive in a luxury SUV without breaking the bank. bomb
