TRUE GROWLER
The F-Pace SVR goes and sounds like a proper Jaguar, writes Brenwin Naidu
There are many engine configurations to get excited about in the history of the Jaguar. In 1935, the first to bear the big cat moniker was the SS Jaguar 2.5-litre Saloon, using a straight-six motor. The 1948 XK120 would go on to use the same sixcylinder setup, as would the famed D-Type racing car of 1954.
In 1971, it entered the big leagues with a 5.3-litre, V12 engine that had debuted in the E-Type Series 3. In 1996, the firm marked the introduction of its first production V8. Today, the supercharged 5.0-litre V8 in its latest evolution is the last vestige of a high-performance heritage in the traditional sense. The I-Pace electric car is no slouch, but for lively acoustics befitting that famed growler emblem you need something with the V8.
You can have that classic Jag experience in products like the F-Pace SVR, a full-fat, super-sport-utility vehicle that makes zero pretence about being lean or green.
The rambunctious V8 battle cry is addictive, rumbling on cold start, breaking out into a mighty rip with the aluminium power pedal pressed to the floor. A button with a tailpipe pictogram amplifies the noise, or hushes it, in line with your sectional-title conduct rules.
Its engine displaces a whisker under five litres (4,999cc) and delivers a substantial 405kW and 700Nm of torque. The output is shunted to all four corners via an eightspeed automatic, enabling a 0-100km/h sprint time of four seconds flat and a 286km/h top speed. Not bad considering its quoted weight of 2,133kg.
But the acoustics and acceleration are only part of the story. The SVR also handles as a sporting Jaguar ought to. Its suspension is on the firm side; that much is clear after a few kilometres on any stretch of subpar, inner-city asphalt.
This F-Pace is not going to cosset and soothe you like the related Range Rover Sport might, but it can hustle down twisty, countryside roads with unbelievable composure. A braking system with massive, two-piece discs works effectively in arresting the two-tonne monster, but the short-travel pedal can catch you off guard in traffic conditions.
Matching the genuinely racy character of the SVR is an interior with hard, aggressively bolstered front seats inspired by motorsport items. They are heated for your comfort, but would probably not leave most occupants in a happy space during a lengthy, cross-country jaunt.
Indeed, the F-Pace SVR is for the buyer who is totally committed to a plugged-in, engaging, high-performance experience. The only reason he or she would pick it over an F-Type SVR is the additional seating or if a usable boot is required.
While its German rivals are quieter, softer and perhaps more forgiving to live with, the F-Pace is unashamedly hardcore in constitution. And we love it for that. PRICE: R1,965,000