to be launched, packaging a long-range battery into something stylish, lavishly appointed and enjoyable to drive. So, has time been kind to this EV pioneer?Each of these cars comes with two motors , so they have plenty of muscle and you’ll find making a clean getaway remarkably easy.
Don’t go thinking that the iX’s muscular performance comes at the cost of a poor real-world range, either. As well as having a huge battery , it proved to be the most efficient on our test route, returning 2.6 miles per kilowatt hour , versus a disappointing 2.2 miles/kWh for the Q8. And the I-Pace? Well, it’s the only car here that doesn’t get air suspension as standard, but this was fitted to our test car as an option , along with 22in alloys . In this spec, it feels slightly fidgety at times, yet its suspension also lacks that final bit of control that you get with the Q8, resulting in more of a pogo effect over speed bumps. Don’t get us wrong: it’s still pretty comfortable overall. But in this company it’s third best.
Lift off the accelerator pedal in any of these cars and a regenerative braking system will put energy that would otherwise be wasted back into the battery, with the side effect that you slow down more quickly than you would in something powered by a petrol or diesel engine.