At a Glance: Jaguar E-Pace HSE 240D AWD (2.0 D)

First off the bat, it’s posh in here isn’t it?

I’m wrapped in sumptuous Windsor leather in a stylish cabin. But look, full disclosure – I’ve already tested the R Dynamic version of this car just months ago (read it here). This was however an opportunity to revisit the playful cat in the more liveable HSE trim and better still, on a road trip between home and the appropriately named Diesel and Creme road house some 300km away in Barrydale – theoretically doable on a single tank thanks to the frugal oil-burner under the hood. This was going to be fun.

Our bags were packed, we were off and thanks to a buttery smooth suspension setting and gentlemanly refinement, in absolute comfort. Also, why take the Huguenot tunnel when there were roads to carve almost immediately? I refer to Dutoitskloof Pass where the Jag’s performance credentials could immediately shine through.

I refer to the 177kW and 500Nm that lives under that bright white bonnet, enabling it with a zero-to-hundred sprint in 7.4 seconds and a top end of 224kph. A hot hatch like experience folded into a grand tourer then, but with SUV compliance and outward visibility.

Soon the road went from a squiggle to bone straight, with the grand panoramas and vistas of the R62 wrapped around the E-Pace’s greenhouse, and sunlight filling the cabin. The turbocharged 2.0-litre diesel sounds good, purring all the while, burning at a rate of just 6.2l/100km and emitting 162g of CO2 per kilometre. I’m leaving the 9-speed automatic transmission to swap cogs on my behalf, leaving myself and partner to take in the views – the sign of a good cruiser.

At 4.3m long, 1.6m high and around 2m wide – nobody will mistake the E-Pace for its larger sibling, the F-Pace. Indeed, if anything the baby SUV would love to be likened to the F-Type, its far more svelte sibling sportscar. I won’t go quite as far as that but will say that for a compact SUV the E-Pace is a lot of fun to dial into Sport, grab a paddle and go!

It would be remiss of me not to mention that its 2-ton curb weight makes its presence felt constantly, but in no way ruins the experience. An experience augmented with connectivity technology such as Touch Pro and Connect Pro Pack with a 4G Wi-Fi Hotspots, Smart Settings, Online Media and Navigation Pro. It also features InControl Apps and a booming MeridianTM Sound System – and what’s a road trip without quality tunes?

Our test car came with the (standard) Driver Assistance Systems plus the Park Pack and Drive Pack so you get 310° Parking Aid, Rear Traffic Monitor and Park Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist, High-Speed Emergency Braking and Blind Spot Assist.

Reflection on a cool cat

The E-Pace remains a great car to live with on the daily and cuts a fine figure as it charges through Caledon, then Montagu and on through Tradouw Valley via a picturesque Tradouw Pass.

We arrive hungry but well rested, thanks to a car that appears sporty but is best measured in terms of comfort. The ride is firmer than I’d like on a tourer, and there’s no hiding its compact cabin proportions, but overall – the E-Pace performed as one of my favourite cars to climb in and cruise. The 2.0 diesel engine is the pick of the bunch and if you don’t spec yours to high heavens, an HSE like this one can be had as ‘cheaply’ as R770,000.

For a road trip companion like this, who wouldn’t be tempted?