New Jaguar E-Pace vs BMW X1

New Jaguar E-Pace vs BMW X1 – space and practicality

The X1 ranks well for both front and rear space, so even if you're tall you should have enough room to stretch out. There's also plenty of space for your odds and ends, with cubby holes dotted around the interior as well as large door bins. In the back, two adults can sit comfortably side by side, although three adults will struggle over long journeys.

It's a similar story in the E-Pace, because Jaguar has upped its game when it comes to storage, even offering a neat space for multiple iPads between the front seats. Those in the front have lots of space, and as long as passengers in the rear aren't more than six feet tall they'll have enough leg room.

Where the X1 inches ahead over the E-Pace is in seating flexibility, because its seats split and fold in a 40/20/40 fashion, compared with the E-Pace's 60/40 set-up. The X1 also pips the baby Jaguar on overall boot space, but in reality you'll be able to get a couple of suitcases, a folded buggy or a large weekly shop in either car without much trouble. Additionally, the E-Pace offers space underneath its boot floor if you don't go for a spare wheel.

New Jaguar E-Pace vs BMW X1 – costs

Here's the benchmark, then. The most efficient BMW X1 you can buy is the sDrive18d 2.0-litre diesel with a manual gearbox, which returns a claimed 68.9mpg and emits 109g/km of CO2. By comparison, the most efficience E-Pace, the 2.0-litre i4 150 diesel – again with a manual gearbox – returns 60.1mpg and emits 124g/km of CO2. So, the E-Pace will cost you more in terms of fuel, as well as being £20 more expensive to tax in the first year.

As we've said, both cars are very well matched on price, with just £40 separating their entry-level prices. And there's not much between them when you look slightly further up the range, either: the 178bhp 2.0-litre diesel E-Pace with four-wheel drive – the engine option which is likely to be the biggest seller – will cost you from £30,790, while the X1 xDrive20d is just £80 more.

It's only at the more exensive end of the spectrum where the E-Pace becomes significantly more expensive than the X1, with the range-topping HSE model fitted with the most powerful engine priced from £50,710, compared with £37,780 for the most powerful X1 in M Sport trim.

New Jaguar E-Pace vs Jaguar F-Pace

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