Everyone, it seems, wants an SUV.

That’s why Jaguar launched the F-Pace, and why it’s been joined by a little brother, the E-Pace.

What’s clear from the moment you clap eyes on the firm’s compact SUV is that it isn’t simply a shrunken F Pace clone. Designer Ian Callum has taken his inspiration from, surprisingly, the company’s two-seater sports car and so the shape of the grille and the front and rear lights are all subtle nods to the gorgeous F-Type.

In fact, the overall styling is more overtly sporty than the F-Pace. The window line kinks sharply at the rear three-quarters, swooping up to meet the roofline as it tapers aggressively into a chunky bootlid spoiler and every model in the range is fitted with twin exhausts.

If you fancy something sportier still, R-Dynamic models, being reviewed here in HSE 300PS petrol-powered guise, wears automatic LED headlights with signature daytime running lights, LED rear lights, 20in alloy wheels, body-coloured door claddings and a unique front bumper and gloss black finish grille.

Inside the R-Dynamic adds bright metal pedals, metal treadplates with R-Dynamic script, sports seats with contrast stitching, soft-grain leather-bound steering wheel and satin black gearshift paddles.

While the passenger space is a pleasant and comfortable place to while away the hours there is, perhaps, a little too much uninspiring black plastic on display. There’s nothing wrong with quality of the polymers – they’re high-grade and tactile – but faced with a broad, flat dashboard made of the stuff, the cabin can start to feel a little underwhelming.

Fortunately there are plenty of interior colour scheme options to help inject a little visual excitement. My test car was decked out with Eclipse Windsor leather sports seats with Reims Blue contrast stitching and Ebony/Eclipse interior. In a world where colours don’t have made up names that means the cabin was fitted with blue leather seats, blue leather door panel inserts and blue leather armrest on the centre cubby.

All E-Pace models are fitted with a 10in touchscreen infotainment system. Touch Pro, as the firm calls it, is widely used across the Jaguar range and, despite very real improvements, it remains an area of weakness compared to rival offerings, feeling a little slow to respond to inputs.

There’s also no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto available, with smartphone connectivity limited to in-house mirroring software that not only offers access to a depleted range of apps but also, in my experience, stops working the moment your phone locks.

Sat nav is standard on all cars above S grade. The graphics are crisp and the spoken instructions clear but it’s not the most intuitive of systems to operate, at least initially.

MY HSE spec test car was fitted with a 12.3in LCD screen instead of analogue dials. The configurable display is an option on S and SE trims.

The E-Pace shares its platform with the Range Rover Evoque but, while the width is identical, it’s marginally longer with a bit more distance between the axles and a little lower.

There’s a decent amount of room for four adults but the raised transmission tunnel means that a fifth passenger might not enjoy being stuck in the middle of the rear bench for long.

Like all Jaguars the driving position is excellent. There’s plenty of adjustment in seat and steering wheel to accommodate drivers of all shapes and sizes and all the controls are close to hand. Visibility is good out of the front and sides but the steeply raked rear windscreen makes it harder to see out of the back. That’s remedied to some degree by the fitment of rear-view cameras as standard.

You’ll find plenty of places to stow your odds and ends, with good-sized door bins and glove box, while the centre cubby is big enough to swallow a small dog. There’s a couple of cup holders too.

The boot is 577-litres big – rising to 1,234 litres with the rear seats stowed – but that doesn’t tell the whole story because, while it’s a competitive size, it isn’t the most practical of shapes so you’ll struggle to put all that space to use. The rear seats only split 60:40 too, so it loses points for a lack of flexibility.

The E-Pace, despite its lithe looks, is a bit of a porker weighing, in fact, more than its big brother, the F-Pace. All-wheel-drive versions tip the scales at almost two tonnes. Jaguar’s engineers, then, should be lauded for the way they have produced a car that handles in a way that remains distinctly Jaguar.

There’s no disguising that extra mass so push on and starts to the body starts to lean noticeably in corners while the front end will start to wash out wide. It’s predictable and safe and the tyres will quickly start to bite again with a reduction in forward momentum. Drive with a fraction more restraint and you’ll give the E-Pace a little breathing room to display its talents as a competent, composed and reasonably agile machine.

That agility is aided by a beautifully judged power steering system that is meaty, responsive and tells you everything you need to know about what’s going on under the front wheels. It might be a little heavy for some around town, something that’s worth considering if you take one for a test drive, but I always appreciate a little heft.

There are three diesel and three petrol engines to choose from. They’re all four-cylinder units in various states of tune with the diesels available with 150, 178 and 237bhp and the petrols with 197, 246 and 296bhp.

My review car was powered by the most powerful of the petrol engines and, while it’s quick – hitting 62mph takes 6.4 seconds from a standing start and top speed is 151 mph – there’s very little to excite the senses, with nothing but a distant, flat engine note to accompany your exploits. You shouldn’t expect stellar fuel economy either.

The E-Pace has a tough job on its hands, facing competition not only from BMW’s X1 and X2, Volvo’s XC40, Mercedes GLC, Audi’s Q3, but also from within its own camp in the shape of the Range Rover Evoque, with which it shares much of its ancestry.

There’s a diverse line-up with plenty of choice – diesel or petrol, manual or automatic, front or all-wheel-drive –it handles well, is comfortable and good-looking. Some might find it a little understated but, like the F-Type from which it draws its inspiration, I believe it will age well.

It’s true that, while being well put together, the interior isn’t the most exciting place to be, but it’s reasonably practical and there’s a good choice of colour options to help brighten up the cabin.

The question I asked myself when I first climbed behind the wheel is whether the E-Pace is Jaguar enough. A week later and I had my answer: A resounding yes.

Jaguar E-Pace 300PS Petrol HSE Dynamic Automatic AWD

Price: £50,710

As tested: £59,175

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Max power: 300PS @ 5,500rpm

Max torque: 400Nm

Max speed: 151mph

Acceleration (0-62mph): 5.9sec

Urban: 29.1mpg

Extra urban: 40.4mpg

Combined: 35.3mpg

Emissions (CO2): 181g/km

For more information visit www.jaguar.co.uk