[THE INVESTOR] Jaguar Land Rover Korea on Sept. 5 said it has started receiving preorders for its first electric vehicle I-Pace in the country, much before its planned debut next year.
Prospective buyers can preorder the sport utility vehicle -- based on the Jaguar F-Pace -- on its website, according to the local unit of the British luxury carmaker. The I-Pace SUV will hit the market in the second half of next year.
Boasting a 380 kilometers range on a single charge, the I-Pace is expected to go toe-to-toe with Tesla’s Model X SUV. Tesla Korea has said its luxury Model X SUV, which boasts a driving range of 400 kilometers, will arrive in the market sometime before the year-end.
The I-Pace, equipped with 90 kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery, can be charged 80 percent in about an hour and 30 minutes on a high-speed 50 kilowatt charger. The new car, powered by twin 200 horsepower electric motors on each axle, delivers 400 horsepower and 71.4 kilogram-meter torque, giving 0-100 kmh dash time of an impressive 4 seconds.
The floor price of the luxury EV ranges from 100 million won (US$88,067) to 120 million won.
By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)