You get that certain feeling about a new vehicle sometimes, just by the way people talk about it — a sense that it could occupy an important place in auto history.
Of course, that doesn't mean it'll break sales records. Think of the Chrysler Airstream, the Citroen DS21, the second-generation Nissan Pathfinder, the Honda Prelude and General Motors' EV1. But they were all ahead of their time. And maybe the Jaguar I-Pace is, too.
It's intriguing when, without prompting, designers talk up a rival vehicle. And I can't help but notice that it's happening with this electric crossover that launches next month in Europe and comes to the U.S. in the fall. The I-Pace debuted as a concept 15 months ago at the Los Angeles auto show, and it continues to grow on people whose opinions we respect.
The latest affirmation comes from Fiat Chrysler design boss Ralph Gilles, who told Automotive News Canada: "I'm a big fan of [the] I-Pace. It's interesting to see how electrification is bringing a new aesthetic."
Wherever designers gather these days, the subject of electrification comes up, and they keep citing the I-Pace as an example of where electrification will take crossover styling.