Jaguar wants you to know that their E-Pace SUV has gone through hell and high water, as well as from the Arctic Circle to the deserts of Dubai. All part of a 25-month testing program getting ready for the reveal of the subcompact SUV later this month.
That's hell as in the Green Hell, and high water as in a 50 cm deep pool at their test facility. The E-Pace completed more than 400 laps of the Green Hell, the legendary 20.9 km/h Nürburgring race track. The course is full of bumps, twists, bends, and hills that challenge every component of a vehicle while it drives flat-out.
For high water, the E-Pace was parked in a 50 cm deep pool. Engineers then left it there for an hour with the engine off and the doors open. After an hour, the SUV was started and driven out. If it can handle that, it should be fine with that big puddle on the way to the office.
More than 150 prototypes underwent more than 120,000 hours of testing during the regimen that also included -40° in the Arctic circle, extreme altitudes in China, and 48°C in the deserts of Dubai. Extreme testing of new vehicles is common, to help show that they can handle what drivers throw at them every day, but this is a good look at some of the lengths to which automakers will go to ensure that a vehicle meets their requirements.
The Jaguar E-Pace luxury subcompact SUV will make its global debut on July 13th.
