By definition, any Auto Express Car of the Year has to change the automotive industry for the better and force its competitors to re-evaluate – and that’s just what Jaguar’s I-Pace has done in 2018.

The world is on the cusp of a step change when it comes to personal transport, and the I-Pace gives us the ability to peer into the future. It’s a premium electric car that doesn’t demand much in the way of compromise, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with technology.

As Jaguar’s first effort at an electric vehicle, it’s a triumph. It offers performance that would humble some sports cars, practicality to shame some SUVs and the premium image many buyers seek.

The integration of new technology with a long list of attributes that makes the I-Pace an award winner has been executed exquisitely. With speed, comfort, refinement and practicality, it covers so many bases so adeptly that its merits are obvious. And the fact Jaguar has achieved this with new technology in an all-electric vehicle first time out should be applauded.

The I-Pace draws on the company’s heritage when it comes to technological innovation. Way back in the fifties, the brand was ahead of the curve with enormously important advances such as disc brakes, and more than 60 years later it’s the first premium manufacturer to fully exploit the potential an electric car can offer.