E-Pace will be first Jag built overseas – but still powered by Black Country engines

The company is having the car made in Austria and in China because its car plants in Solihull, Castle Bromwich and Halewood are at almost full capacity.

But the four cylinder diesel and petrol power plants for the car will run off the production line at Jaguar Land Rover's engine manufacturing centre (EMC) on the i54 site in Wolverhampton.

Already employing 1,400 people the £1 billion factory is currently being expanded to 2 million sq ft, doubling its size as it gears up to take on even more work for the West Midlands-based luxury car maker.

The new car was launched in spectacular style, recreating a barrel roll scene from a 1970s James Bond film at London's ExCel centre.

The E-Pace SUV vehicle successfully completed a 15.3-metre long jump while conducting a 270-degree roll.

It was based on a similar manoeuvre carried out by Roger Moore's James Bond character in The Man With The Golden Gun.

Stunt driver Terry Grant was behind the wheel of the E-Pace as it earned a Guinness World Records title for the furthest barrel roll in a mass-produced vehicle.

JLR has struck a deal with Austria's Magna Steyr car manufacturing business in Graz to make the E-Pace. Magna Steyr is already due to make JLR's all-electric I-Pace from next year.

Additionally, the car will be produced exclusively for the Chinese market at Chery Jaguar Land Rover's state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Changshu. It will go on sale in China later in 2018.

Jaguar said the E-Pace "combines sports car design and agility with everyday SUV practicality". It is based on the best-selling Jaguar F-Pace, but more compact and with a price tag starting from £28,500 in the UK.

Ian Callum, director of design at Jaguar, said: “Established Jaguar design principles ensure the E-Pace is immediately recognisable as the sports car of its class. Our new compact SUV combines the interior space, connectivity and security that families expect with the kind of proportions, purity of design and performance not usually associated with such a practical vehicle”

One of the most technically advanced Jaguar's, the E-Pace's 10-inch touchscreen connects customers to their favourite apps, including Spotify. Jaguar Land Rover’s InControl system allows you to keep the vehicle secure by tracking it on your smartphone, automatically alerts the emergency services in case of an accident and allows you to check fuel levels and mileage remotely via a smartphone or smartwatch. Customers can warm up the car, cool it down and even start it remotely using InControl.

Digital connectivity can be found throughout the cabin, ready for every need of the modern family. There are up to four 12-volt charging points and five USB connections as well as a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot for up to eight devices.

Despite its compact size, Jaguar says the car can seat five in 'absolute comfort with generous rear legroom'. The large luggage space is made possible by the vehicle’s sophisticated Integral Link rear suspension architecture and can fit a pushchair, a set of golf clubs and a large suitcase

The E-Pace comes with a range of powerful and efficient Ingenium petrol and diesel engines, all made at the i54 EMC. The 300PS Ingenium petrol turbo engine powers the sporting SUV from 0-60mph in just 5.9 seconds (6.4 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint) before reaching an electronically-limited top speed of 151mph. For customers who want the ultimate efficiency, the front-wheel drive 150PS Ingenium diesel delivers CO2 emissions of 124g/km.

Alan Volkaerts, vehicle line director for the Jaguar E-Pace, said: “The Jaguar E-Pace provides the best of both worlds: Jaguar sports car dynamics with compact SUV practicality. The latest addition to our growing Pace family provides comfort, interior space and leading stowage solutions allied to engaging handling and Jaguar Land Rover’s latest Ingenium petrol and diesel engines.”

The E-Pace is also the first Jaguar to feature the company’s next-generation Head-Up Display technology. The advanced display can project up to 66 per cent more information onto the windscreen using large, full-colour graphics with enhanced clarity. Essential information including vehicle speed and navigation directions are in full view at all times, with alerts and updates for the infotainment, safety and convenience features all projected directly into the driver’s eyeline – reducing the need to look away from the road.