Cub Sport

Jaguar’s second SUV after the F-Pace is as sporty as any compact crossover out there.

GUTS. Yup. It takes lots of it for a carmaker to organise a media drive for an SUV at a location where one of the most iconic tarmac rallies is held annually.

The Tour de Corse, a round of the World Rally Championship, takes place in Corsica, an island blessed with gorgeous beaches and some of the best driving roads in the word.

Jaguar did just that with its second SUV, the E-Pace, and it had every reason to do so. From the onset, the British brand designed the compact SUV to be sporty.

The shape of the small SUV is inspired by the F-Type coupe, which is among the sexiest sports cars available today.

The E-Pace follows suit with its longish bonnet (which ends at the brand’s signature oblong grille and slim headlights), sleek windows, high shoulder line, bulging wheel arches and dual exhaust tailpipes (one on each end of the rear bumper).

When viewed from the side, it’s easy to see the “F-Typeishness” in the E-Pace, especially the top half of the car. The two-door’s styling cues are all there. Overall, the silhouette of the new SUV is arguably the sportiest in the segment right now and Jaguar has hit a home run in this department.

The sportiness extends into the well-appointed cabin as well. Suitably sporty features include double-stitched leather upholstery, figure-hugging front seats with high seatbacks, rotary dials for the climate control which turn with a tactile analogue feel, stainless steel pedals with rubber inserts, deep-set driver’s instrumentation meters, and a grab handle which “envelopes” the gearlever console, touchscreen and central blower vents.

The impression of being in a sports car is further enhanced by the highish window sill and smallish rear windscreen. The latter is a definite disadvantage while reversing the vehicle, but the rear camera helps to mitigate this.