JAGUAR F-PACE
The Brits are on a roll
NEW month, new luxury SUV. And from the least likely of suspects. So far this year we’ve seen Bentley Bentayga and Maserati Levante – each leveraging the upper-crust image of a sporting marque to infuse a family focused ‘4WD’ – and still in the pipeline is Lamborghini’s Urus. But we’ve just driven arguably the most relevant, and certainly the most affordable, of 2016’s rock-ready SUV crew – the Jaguar F-pace.
With prices starting at just $74,340, expect it to populate like a rabbit when it lands on Australian soil in July.
Sharing its D7A architecture with the XE and XF sedans to keep cost and flexibility of manufacture in check, Jaguar’s first SUV is a close relative of both under the skin. In fact, the aluminium-intensive structure’s hard points forward of the B-pillar are identical to the XF’S, and the engine boxes are shared. But the F-pace is all about its F-type-inspired curves, and the dynamic reward they promise.
Given the XE/XF DNA, it is no surprise to discover the F-pace knows how to devour a challenging road. Neutrally balanced and tenaciously grippy, the F-pace has a natural and flowing dynamic personality.
Jaguar wanted to disguise the torque distribution of its on-demand all-wheeldrive system – the same as in the F-type AWD – that sends all the engine’s torque to the rear wheels in normal running, but can split drive 50:50 in an essentially undetectable 165 milliseconds. And, if necessary, up to 100 percent of drive can be directed to the front wheels in a further 100 milliseconds.
The AWD F-pace also boasts F-type-derived torque vectoring, which subtly brakes the inside wheels (predominantly the inside-rear) to maintain poise and keep its nose focused on a corner apex. But the real beauty of all these systems is how harmoniously they interact. Jaguar’s SUV is a polished performer.
Even when driven hard on really tight roads, the sportier variants (R-sport and S) maintain their cool with well-contained bodyroll and disciplined body control, and that’s even on the adaptive suspension’s Normal setting. Dial up Dynamic and the F-pace’s keenness to change direction is enhanced, though really bumpy roads can make this setting a step too far. And even when disabled, the F-pace’s stability control remains on guard, nipping and tucking at the edges.
All that applies to the luxo Portfolio, riding on slightly softer suspension (and wearing 255/55R20 Pirelli P Zeros on launch cars) as much as it does the R-sport and S, though the Portfolio is more prone to understeer when pushed beyond the realms of enthusiasm and has the occasional moments of float.
While the F-pace was never going to match the XE’S poise and panache, for an SUV standing nearly 1.7m tall and nudging 1900kg, it does a mighty fine job blending a firmly damped but comfortable ride with well-weighted, accurate steering and really confident cornering prowess... at least on the ‘Adaptive Dynamics’ suspension fitted to all launch cars. In Australia, only the F-pace S and First Edition will get this set-up standard. The rest will feature fixedrate monotube dampers.
The F-pace goes pretty hard with the trio of 3.0-litre V6s on offer– supercharged petrols in 250kw and 280kw tunes (each with 450Nm) and a 221kw/700nm twinturbo diesel. The oiler – still distantly related to the old PSA 2.7-litre featured in Ford’s Territory – is available in all trim levels (Prestige, R-sport, Portfolio, S and the First Edition launch special) whereas
Jaguar’s F-paceace knows how to devour a challenging road
the 280kw blownblow petrol is offered only on S and FirstF Edition.
None of them are lacking, though the 280kw280k petrol is clearly the enthusiast’sent choice. With a lovely bent-six exhaust rasp between 3000 and 4000rpm, and a rich veinve of linear accelerative thrust, it hustleshu the F-pace along with ample urge urgency, though its throttle ‘tip-in’ in Sport m mode is too aggressive and can instigate understeer when the F-pace is loaded up in a corner and you dial in too muc much throttle.
The twin-turbo diesel is similarly effective in foot-flat driving (0-100km/h in 6.2sec), though it’s the torque (700Nm at 2000rpm) that really does the talking. Capable of lugging the F-pace uphill with as little as 1000rpm showing on its ‘virtual’ tacho, the V6 diesel’s refined, unstressed nature is the perfect companion, while drinking just 6.0L/100km.
There’s also a four-cylinder F-pace, running a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel from JLR’S new Ingenium engine family. On its own until a turbo-petrol joins the ranks in 2017, the Ingenium diesel produces a solid 132kw/430nm, enough to shift the AWD F-pace to 100km/h in 8.7sec, while sipping just 5.3L/100km.
The four-pot diesel lacks the V6’s low-rev refinement and outright punch, but has a
cleanness and hard-working honesty that makes it a fine base engine. Add a lighter nose and less overall weight (1775kg) and the base diesel’s benefits to agility are apparent, if not overwhelmingly so. The turbo-petrol Ingenium should be a cracker.
Ultimately, though, it’s the F-pace’s cabin and packaging functionality that really need to shine, especially when the competition is as slick as Macan and GLC. And while the F-pace doesn’t quite match the Porsche’s feeling of expense, or the Benz’s superb vision and showroom razzledazzle, it’s a better effort than the XF and XE that preceded it to market.
Brownie points go to Jaguar’s broad new 10.2-inch centre touchscreen, designed in-house and vastly superior to previous clunky JLR systems, the 12.3-inch virtual instrument display (where you can switch between viewing sat-nav in ‘Vistavision’ or a variety of analogue-esque instrument designs) and a super-clever little device called the Activity Key.
Looking a little like a court-sanctioned security band, the black rubber bracelet is like a watch band without the face and can be worn while surfing, diving, swimming, you name it – so you don’t need to hide the car keys under a bush somewhere. Instead, you leave them in the car and simply ‘shazam’ your band against the letter ‘J’ on the tailgate badge, at which point the lights flash and it unlocks. Genius!
The rest of the interior package passes muster without much complaint. Front seats shared with the XF (10-way electric with memory, even in the base Prestige) are amply supportive, the seat trim at all levels is high quality and stylish, and the rear seat offers class-beating space… for two. The centre spot is okay in the cushion, but too firm and concave-like in the backrest for anything beyond short trips.
We’re still not entirely sold on the look of some of the cabin finishes, though. On leather-dash models, the visible passengerairbag seam screams BA Falcon and the Portfolio model’s rich-coloured wood inlays appear overly glossy. The First Edition gets quirky Houndstooth-pattern door inserts instead of the regular S’s meshed-aluminium trim, but it fails to look genuinely premium. Why not the warmth and texture of actual Houndstooth?
The F-pace’s saving grace, however, is class-best boot space. In a Jaguar! After generations of compact cargo holds, the F-pace blitzes its SUV rivals by 100 litres (at 650L) and even squeezes a 19-inch space-saver beneath the floor. Plus, the 40:20:40 split backrests fold almost flat, without compromising the rearseat package to do so. In this respect, the relatively rakish F-pace proves that athletic looks and generous practicality are not mutually exclusive.
So it turns out that Leaping Cat fans need not have worried about Jaguar’s foray into Toorak Tractor territory.
The F-pace is good – in some ways, bloody good – and is a genuinely convincing attempt at distilling Jaguar’s sporting values into a handsome SUV.
It might lack the dynamic X-factor of Jaguar’s superb XE, but for what it is the F-pace is impressively well-rounded and refreshingly flaw-free.
Leaping Cat fans needn’t have worried about Jaguar’s foray into Toorak Tractor territory