Jaguar F- Pace
Our reigning Car of the Year still puts up a strong challenge
MODEL TESTED: Jaguar F-pace R-sport 2.0d 180 auto PRICE: £41,330 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel, 178bhp
THE Jaguar F-pace arrived last year, taking road test victory on its first outing (Issue 1,420) and scooping top honours at our 2016 New Car Awards.
By mixing the brand’s traditional style, comfort, refinement and engaging driving dynamics with rugged SUV looks and ability, the F-pace sets a high standard for any new challenger. Here we test the 2.0-litre diesel AWD in racy £41,330 R-sport guise.
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
THE F-pace SUV ’s design remains faithful to that of the C-X17 concept revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2013 – and that’s a positive thing, because it gives the coupé-like Jag real kerb appeal. Our car’s eye-catching lines were further enhanced by its subtle R-sport additions and £1, 265 black-finished 20-inch alloys.
Even though this is Jaguar’s first SUV, engineers didn’t turn to sister brand Land Rover for assistance when designing the F-pace. Instead, the high-riding machine is loosely based on the scalable IQ-AL platform that’s also found under the firm’s XE and XF saloons. As with these models, the suspension set-up comprises double wishbones at the front and a multi-link rear axle.
All the engines are located longitudinally, while the 178bhp 2.0-litre diesel tested here is available with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed auto, and there’s also the option of rear or four-wheel drive. The 2.0-litre and 3.0-litre petrol and the 3.0-litre diesel are AWD and auto only. That said, most of the time Jaguar’s four-wheel-drive system runs in two-wheel drive, only sending torque to the rear axle when it detects wheelspin.
Inside, the F-pace continues to take cues from its four-door cousins. There’s the same rotary gear selector and climate control layout, plus the eightinch infotainment system is carried over; the brand’s 12.3-inch screen is a £1,200 option. There’s plenty of soft leather and the interior feels robustly built, but the upmarket ambience is undermined by the cheaper plastics used lower down.
There’s little to separate our trio when it comes to kit. The Jaguar gets everything you’d expect from a premium SUV, including sat-nav, Bluetooth, DAB, heated seats, cruise control and autonomous braking. However, unlike the competition, leather trim is also included as standard.
DRIVING
DUE to the lightweight aluminium in the structure, the Ingenium diesel doesn’t feel overwhelmed, even though the F-pace is the longest and widest car here.
Still, it couldn’t match its more powerful German rivals off the line. Despite strong traction, the Jaguar completed the sprint from 0-60mph in 9.4 seconds, which was 1.2 seconds slower than the Audi. It closed the gap during our in-gear assessments, thanks in no small part to its healthy 430Nm of torque and the well chosen ratios of its smooth and responsive eight-speed auto gearbox.
Away from the track, it was the Jag and Mercedes that felt the most lively; both deliver brisk, reassuring overtaking pace. The F-pace’s 2.0-litre diesel responds crisply to the throttle and provides a throaty note when extended, although it’s noisier and suffers from more vibrations at idle than the Audi. The box serves up well timed automatic changes and doesn’t shift down as often on the motorway as the Q5.
However, the Jaguar really comes into its own on a twisting back road. There’s bags of grip, so you can hustle through corners with greater confidence than in either rival. And while this high-rider rolls a little, body control is excellent. Only when pushed to the limit does the F-pace become ragged.
There’s very little road and wind noise, plus the ride is almost as supple and well controlled as the GLC with its air suspension.
PRACTICALITY
CLIMB aboard the F-pace and it’s clear it has substance to match its style. Its 650-litre boot is 100 litres bigger than either of its rivals here, while folding the rear bench liberates a healthy 1,740 litres.
Passenger space in the rear is the best on test, too. Despite the narrow window opening, there’s plenty of light, and because you sit low in the car the coupé roofline doesn’t affect headroom too much. Even tall adults will be comfortable, especially when you factor in the greater legroom. Storage is also good, despite the interior’s sportier, cocooning feel.
OWNERSHIP
JAGUAR slipped four places to sixth overall in our Driver Power 2016 satisfaction survey, but this was still a stronger result than either rival. The brand scored in the top three for ride quality, performance and ease of driving, and our time with the F-pace backs this up.
Safety is strong, too. Although Euro NCAP hasn’t yet tested the F-pace, six airbags, lane departure warning and auto braking are standard, so we’d expect a competitive result. Adaptive cruise control is a £1,460 addition, and lane keep assist is £480.
RUNNING COSTS
NOT only is the £41,330 Jaguar the most expensive car to buy on test, it’s also likely to cost a fraction more to run.
Its CO2 emissions of 139g/km are the highest here, and combine with a larger P11D figure to make the F-pace the priciest choice for business users. Higher-rate earners face an annual salary sacrifice of £4,444, which compares with £4,164 for the Audi and £4,081 for the Mercedes. The Jag has the weakest residuals, with a predicted figure of 49.4 per cent – although in isolation this is a strong result.