Electric vehicle fans can take a sneak peek at the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace at Armstrong Prestige Dunedin this weekend.
The five-seater sports car is one of the first in the country to arrive as a demonstration model, and is touring dealerships before the first shipment arrives mid-year.
Armstrong Prestige Dunedin Jaguar Land Rover brand manager Ben Reed said the Jaguar I-Pace Roadshow provides a chance for customers who have paid deposits on the I-Pace, which starts at $159,900, to experience it in person through test drives.
Among its many features, the Jaguar I-Pace is equipped with an Audible Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) to address the absence of any engine noise.
The system warns visually impaired and other vulnerable road users that it is approaching at low speed.
The brand’s engineers developed a sound that can be heard at speeds up to 20kmh that exceeds the 56dB(A) minimum required by forthcoming European legislation— the strictest in the world — for all new EVs from July 2019. The sound is emitted from a speaker located behind the front grille, can be heard in every direction and cannot be disengaged.
The alert increases in pitch and volume in line with the speed of the vehicle and, when in reverse, is accompanied by an additional tone that indicates the change in direction.
The I-Pace accelerates to 100kmh in 4.8 seconds and with a range of up to 470km, it has been popular internationally, securing more than 30 awards.
It also has a Kiwi connection, with Auckland’s Simon Evans winning the inaugural Jaguar I-Pace eTROPHY race, in Saudi Arabia, last year.
The Jaguar I-Pace is on display at Armstrong Prestige Dunedin today from 9am to 5pm and tomorrow from 10am to 4pm.
- by Catherine Pattison
- Photo: Supplied
