New Audi Q8 e-tron vs BMW iX vs Jaguar I-Pace: practicality

Any of these luxurious electric SUVs would be great to spend a little time with – but which should you buy? Let’s find out...

Lawrence Cheung

Published16 June 2023

Space and practicality

Front space, rear space, seating flexibility, boot

Even if you’re really tall, you’re unlikely to struggle for head or leg room in the front of these cars – and that’s with the glass roofs that are standard in the Audi Q8 e-tron and Jaguar I-Pace.

Each provides generous storage space for phones and other odds and ends, with large cubbies in the doors, under the centre armrest and along the centre console. The BMW iX has an open area with a flat floor between the front footwells where you could stash a small bag.

Rear seat occupants are also well catered for in the Q8 and iX, with the latter just edging the former for the generosity of its head room (if you avoid the optional panoramic roof that’s part of the £3675 Sky Lounge Pack, at least). In the I-Pace, the lower roofline and small side windows might make taller occupants start to feel a little more claustrophobic. They’ll be fine in terms of leg room, but the iX and (even more so) the Q8 are more generous and let you stretch out just a bit further, despite foot room under the front seats being a little tight in the iX.

With the widest interior and a completely flat floor, the iX is the most accommodating for a middle passenger. At least the floor humps in the Q8 and I-Pace are quite low, so straddling them isn’t awkward. Unlike its rivals, the iX has reclining rear seatbacks to boost comfort, but they all come with fold-down centre armrests with integrated cupholders. The I-Pace also has a small storage compartment under the seat base.

Our contenders’ boots are practical and square in shape, with the Q8’s being the longest (by a small margin) and the iX’s the tallest. These two have room for eight carry-on suitcases beneath their load covers, versus the I-Pace’s seven. The Q8 and I-Pace have a small step at the boot entrance that’s absent in the iX, but loading or unloading items won’t be difficult in any of them.

All three benefit from versatile 40/20/40 split seatbacks, so you can fold the middle seat down to thread longer items (such as skis) through while carrying passengers in the two outer rear seats. The iX makes life the easiest, though, allowing you to fold the seatbacks down with the pull of a switch either in the boot or down by the rear seat base. The Q8 makes do with a pair of remote levers in the boot, but it benefits from having the flattest extended load floor when the seatbacks are folded down; there’s a slight slope in the others. The I-Pace is missing those remote functions, so you’ll need to go around to the side of the car to fold the rear seats down.

All three have shallow underfloor compartments that can accommodate charging cables, while the Q8 and I-Pace benefit from additional storage areas under the bonnet.