A new cat on the SUV scene
MENTION the name Jaguar and it conjures up all sorts of images of sleekly streamlined and elegant cars that have a glowing heritage in racing glory.
Today, there’s a new Jag on the block – the F-PACE – and it takes the legendary British marque in a whole new direction into the ever-growing SUV market.
With the likes of its German rivals at Audi, BMW and Porsche firmly in its s ights, the bold, athletically styled F-PACE ticks all the right boxes.
The Jaguar design team has remained faithful to the C-X17 concept car that caused gasps of amazement when it was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 2013.
The F-PACE looks aggressive without being outlandish and is guaranteed to turn heads wherever it passes.
Design cues include 20-inch black alloys, gloss black roof rails, twin tailpipes, a distinctive black mesh grille, xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, front and rear fog lights, privacy glass, plenty of R-Sport body kit and a fixed panoramic sunroof.
Move inside and you are instantly surrounded by premium quality materials and there is a wealth of technology to be explored.
Features include an eightinch touchscreen, a pitch perfect sound system with DAB radio, satnav, iPod integration and all the connectivity capabilities the fussiest of techno devotees could demand.
Red, powered seats are striking in appearance and can be heated, and elsewhere throughout the cabin there are plenty of soft-touch materials as a gentle reminder that this is no ordinary SUV.
This car was powered by Jaguar’s own 2.0-litre 180ps turbocharged diesel engine mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
It can sprint from 0-62mph in 8.7 seconds, tops out at 129mph and according to official figures it can deliver combined fuel economy of 53.3mpg with carbon emissions of 139g/km.
When it comes to performance, the F-PACE certainly lives up to its name – it’s very responsive and deceptively quick.
Whilst many rivals are great on motorways but feature too much body roll on twisting country lanes, this is the territory where the F-PACE excels.
The road-holding is totally assured and the steering very precise which means that it’s easy to forget you are driving a large SUV.
On the motorways, it simply glides along with very little engine or road surface noise.
The acceleration is instant and the option of steeringwheel-mounted paddles adds to the fun.
In addition, Jaguar Drive Control allows you to adjust the modes to suit your driving style.
Comfort levels are supreme with ample space for five adults to travel in style. The massive boot can swallow up 650 litres of luggage – a capacity that can quickly be increased to 1,740 litres with the 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats dropped flat.
Elsewhere there are numerous storage compartments, including a generously-sized glovebox, deep door pockets, a central bin, cup holders and a section to keep your sunglasses safe.
And being a Jaguar, the F-PACE is packed to bursting with safety kit including the likes of dynamic stability control and traction control, emergency brake assist, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition with intelligent speed limiter, autonomous emergency braking, trailer stability control, six airbags and plenty more.
In addition, the F-PACE is an all-wheel-drive vehicle so you won’t be caught out by a sudden change in the weather.
All in all, the F-PACE is a welcome addition to the SUV scene and one that really gained the most gasps when it comes to cost.
I played “guess the price” with some friends and they over-estimated by at least £20,000. In fact the car is priced at a competitive £40,360 (£44,770 with a few options added) and that makes it a rather exceptional all-rounder.