JAGUAR F-PACE R-SPORT 30T AWD

A surprising all-rounder

Once upon a time, a Jaguar was a car that your dad bought when he retired to match the gold watch he received on his last day of work. Now, the idea of retiring is a distant one, so Jaguar decided to reinvent itself with the F-Type sports car back in 2012, and since then its new design language has been one of classic British design mixed with a younger appeal.

The F-Pace was the first SUV to come from Jaguar and is one of the best looking premium-SUVs on the market. Borrowing design cues from its F-Type cousin (hence the similar names), the inside and outside are striking to look at and draw more attention and comments in the carparks compared to the equivalent BMW or Audi.

Jaguar has a wide range of diesel and petrol models available to choose from, but our R-Sport 30t AWD is the sweet spot. With 221 kW of power and 400 Nm of torque, you’ll comfortably sprint off the line but still maintain a reasonable level of fuel economy.

On the inside, the interior suits the price point of which it sits in with plenty of leather, suede-cloth headlining, 10way adjustable seats, and carbon-fibre door trim inserts. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard across the range, and the ultra-wide 10inch infotainment system makes it one of the best experiences when connecting your phone to date.

We would welcome improvement to the driver’s instrument cluster. The LCD is small, feels dated, and is confusing to operate in accessing driving information such as trip meter, fuel economy and more. The interactive driver display is available as an option and would be a recommended box check.

Overall passenger comfort rated highly, two fastcharging ports are available in the rear, and legroom will make longer trips more bearable, even with a taller driver upfront. Rear storage space is modest, shopping will be a breeze, but trips to the airport might see you using the 40/20/40 split-folding seats to fit everything.

Most importantly for the keen driver, the ride matches the sporty nature of the F-Pace with a firm ride on the 19-inch wheels. However, after a few days of driving, it’s far from being an issue with the firm and sporty suspension being commonplace amongst premium brands.

Overall, the F-Pace nails the looks, delivers on performance and is practical enough to keep you happy with it every day.