Jaguar Wins European Car of the Year for the First Time Ever
The winner of the Car of the Year contest has been announced in Geneva. In 2019, it’s the Jaguar I-Pace electric crossover. It’s the first time a car by this British brand has won this award.
What merit of the expensive Jaguar I-Pace won the favor of the jury who has almost always considered a reasonable price one of the main award criteria? First of all, it is about the technical innovations allowing this electric car to cover the distance of 470 km on a single charge. And it only takes this car 45 minutes to charge to 80% capacity. However, even if this amount of time is not available, 15 minutes of charge with a 100 kW power supply will give you an additional 100 km of range.
The car is equipped with two electric motors delivering a total output of 400 hp. The torque can reach its maximum value of 700 Nm. Thanks to this, the crossover demonstrates great dynamics: it can accelerate to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. These figures are not typical of electric cars. Maneuverability and steerability of the vehicle have also proved to be top-level. Among the disadvantages, the experts noted the too high price and high dependence of the battery charge on the driving style.
Ranked second was the Alpine A110 sports coupe. Presented at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show and symbolizing the rebirth of the famous French sports car brand, the car was just one step away from victory. But the lack of space (there are only two seats in the passenger compartment) and the high price counted against this finalist.
And the third best was the Kia Ceed. Nominated for the contest was the third generation of the model. Among other advantages of the car, the specialists noted a variety of body styles. In addition to the five-door hatchback and estate car, the ProCeed sports wagon is available to customers.
The final shortlist compiled back in November 2018 also included the Ford Focus, Citroen C5 Aircross, Peugeot 508, and Mercedes-Benz A-Class.
The jury evaluated the cars based on such criteria as the price/quality ratio, technical innovations, design, comfort, safety, steerability, economy, compliance with environmental requirements, performance, functionality, and car owner satisfaction. Considered eligible are only new models released not earlier than twelve month prior to the award.
It should also be noted that electric cars have won this award only once: in 2011, the Nissan Leaf appeared to be the best.