The Jaguar I-Pace electric crossover is getting a new base model—in Europe, at least.
The new EV320 model gets the same 90-kilowatt-hour battery pack as the current I-Pace (dubbed EV400 in Europe), with the same range, according to Jaguar's Netherlands media site.
It's priced at 65,990 euros—equivalent to $77,900 at current exchange rates. That includes the 21% value-added tax (VAT)—suggesting a price of about $64,000 on U.S. terms, which is cheaper than the I-Pace's current $69,500 base price, not counting destination.
The model effectively lowers the base price of the I-Pace by about 20,000 euros in Europe.
However, the EV320 gets less-powerful electric motors, producing a combined 316 horsepower. That's 78 hp less than the EV400 model. Jaguar estimates a zero to 62 mph time of 6.4 seconds, compared to 4.5 seconds for the EV400.
Jaguar has only confirmed the EV320 for Continental Europe, and hasn't discussed bringing the new base model to the United States. The automaker is already introducing a list of significant improvements to the I-Pace for 2021. Those models arrive in Europe soon and in the U.S. later in the fall.
Jaguar I-Pace EV320 (European-spec model)
Changes include a more powerful, 11-kilowatt onboard charger, and a new infotainment system.
In the meantime, the I-Pace has already benefited from over-the-air updates—some of them informed by Jaguar's Formula E and I-Pace eTrophy racing involvement.
Although the I-Pace hasn't been selling well, a price drop might help it find a stronger position in the U.S. market, and Green Car Reports has reached out to Jaguar Land Rover on the possibility. Part of the reason for the slow sales is that the I-Pace is priced closest to the Audi E-Tron and Tesla Model X, while being a considerably smaller model more closely aligned with the Tesla Model Y and upcoming Audi Q4.
In a strange mix of interests, Magna Steyr, which builds the I-Pace in Austria, might also be used to build the Fisker Ocean—to start at $37,499 before federal $7,500 EV tax credit eligibility.