Headtohead

A FAST ’N’ FURIOUS FACE-OFF

BMW takes a different approach to Jaguar, stacking the X3 M40i full of equipment like a head-up display, a premium Harman/kardon sound system, adaptive headlamps, power tailgate and heated seats all as standard. It certainly wants for little, and its spec list absolutely reinforces the M40i’s flagship status. All that, and the top-dog X3 still manages to retail for less than $100,000. 19/20

It’s a dark cabin, but one that looks premium and feels sporty thanks to classy design and superb seats. More wagon-shaped than the sleeker Jaguar, the X3 also boasts commendable space and practicality – not to mention mod-cons. Speaking of which, the high-set infotainment screen and BMW’S idrive controller remain segment-leading for ease of use and feature-count. 17/20

The X3 M40i is more focused when dialled to Sport Plus, yet remains plush for daily duty in Comfort mode. Want to have fun? The M40i responds with a taut chassis and weighty steering. Just dropping off the kids? The dampers slacken to ensure junior’s breakfast stays down. It’s versatile and ably covers the performance/ practicality criteria that’s the raison d’etre of hi-po SUVS. 18/20

BMW’S turbo inline six might not feel as alert – nor as powerful – as the Jag’s engine, but its strength lies in its 50Nm peak torque advantage and massive reserves of low-rpm thrust. Its 4.8-second 0-100km/h sprint is also 0.7s ahead of the Jag so it’s a straight-line winner, while it’s all backed up by a booming exhaust soundtrack plus an intelligent (and fast-shifting) eight-speed auto. 17/20

BMW’S standard factory warranty runs to three years and has no distance limitation, and while maintenance intervals vary according to usage, a range of fixed-price servicing packages take a lot of uncertainty out of the X3 M40i’s running costs. The basic pack costs $1800 and covers five years/80,000km of ownership, while a package covering brake components and wipers costs $4400. 15/20

The fast Jag has the disadvantage of having a six-figure sticker that’s made worse by a standard spec that leaves off items that we’d expect to be standard at its price point. The basics are there, but what about a powered tailgate or Jag’s high-end infotainment suite? They’re reserved for the options list, and our tester’s $141K as-tested price shows just how expensive speccing up the F-pace can get. 13/20

Even in top-shelf guise the F-pace’s interior is more about restrained elegance than overt luxury, with design that’s uncluttered but lacking in the flair you’d expect of a premium SUV. Meanwhile, though our car was fitted with Jaguar’s higher-end 10.2-inch Touch Pro Navigation system, the interface needs refinement to make it intuitive and maximise all of that screen real estate. 13/20

It’s clear Jaguar has reserved the properly dynamic chassis settings for the F-pace SVR, because though the 35t is clearly an adept handler, it has a softness to its suspension that positions it more as a powerful cruiser rather than a properly performance-oriented F-pace option. Even so, its rear-biased AWD system and torque vectoring means it can corner like a cut cat if you ask it to. 16/20

Jaguar opts for a supercharger instead of a turbo to augment the F-pace’s 3.0-litre V6, resulting in an engine with a very different feel to the BMW. It’s ultra-responsive with a wonderfully linear power delivery, while the exhaust note has a sports-car raspiness to it that’s more musical than the BMW’S tone. Eight-speed auto is great in Drive, but not especially crisp in manual mode. 17/20

Jaguar provides three years and 100,000km of warranty coverage, which is at the low end of the scale these days, however the company offers a servicing plan for the F-pace that covers scheduled maintenance for the first five years or 130,000km of ownership for a fixed price of $1800 – provided you take your car to a Jaguar dealership to have the work done. 16/20