THE Jaguar I-Pace is one of the best electric cars on sale and that is no surprise since it was developed at a huge cost and tested all over the world in the harshest of conditions.

When it arrived a few years ago it won just about every award possible including World Car of the Year and it offers a superb combination of performance, range and luxury.

On top of all that it looks superb and boasts the practicality and versatility of a mid-sized SUV as well as being crammed with technology.

The I-Pace created an entirely new class when it arrived in 2018 and although several German rivals have now launched into the market, the Jaguar is still the one to beat.

It is powered by a 90kWh battery, which comes with an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty and drives two electric motors to provide four-wheel drive.

The system develops 396bhp and 696Nm of torque, which means it can reach 0-62mph in just 4.8 seconds and has a claimed range of 258 miles - don't expect to get that far if you are heavy with the right foot.

It may weigh a hefty 2.2 tons but the I-Pace handles and drives like a sports car rather than an SUV and it is really simple to use.

Press the starter button located to the left of the centre console and the I-Pace comes to life - hit D on the drive select and you're off reaching 30mph quickly in silence.

The steering and boy control really impress and you can turn into corners confidently at high speeds and the I-Pace remains very stable.

The I-Pace looks fantastic thanks to its squat, muscular stance and short overhangs and there is nothing else on the road that looks like it.

Inside the cabin looks more Jaguar-like and in this top-spec HSE form it features leather, polished wood finishes and aluminium. It is quite spacious and airy and easy to find a good driving position thanks to lots of adjustment in the seats and steering wheel.

Just about everything is controlled from Jag's latest Touch Pro Duo infotainment system comprising a 10-inch touchscreen on the dash and small five-inch display on the centre console. It looks neat and for the most part is easy and simple to use but you can get confused by the layers of menus and sub menus when you are trying to make changes.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available if you decide to bypass the Jag's decent system.

Passengers can enjoy lots of head and legroom and there are many storage areas inside the cabin as well as a flat 656 litre boot which can be boosted to 1,453 litres if you drop the rear seats.

The I-Pace bristles with all the latest safety equipment and has the full five star Euro NCAP safety rating.

It is great fun using all the power in the Jag's batteries but as with most electric cars it will be a pain if you want to go on longer journeys.

Home charging will as always make the most financial sense and a full charge will take about 12 hours from a 7kW wall charger. If you can find a 100kW fast charger then a 40 minute connection will give you a range of about 240 miles.

The price of charging is too complicated to work out as it depends on your supplier or location.