Jaguar F-Pace SVR
MODEL TESTED: F-Pace SVR PRICE: £84,940 POWERTRAIN: 5.0-litre V8 supercharged petrol, 542bhp
AT £84,940, the F-Pace undercuts the M3 Touring by £1,425, and despite our car having £7,945-worth of extras to bring the total to £92,885, it’s £13,025 cheaper than the BMW here. Among the Jaguar’s options are an opening panoramic sunroof (£1,600), carbon-fibre interior trim (£1,175) and extra USB sockets for rear passengers (£160). Tech highlights
WHEN it was launched, Jaguar said the F-Pace SVR had “sports car performance, SUV design”. Given that the F-Pace was already one of the sharpesthandling SUVs in its class, the starting point was fairly strong, but lots of attention was lavished on the body, chassis and powertrain to make a hot SUV.
The front bumper has larger air dams to improve cooling, while side skirts and a subtle lip spoiler on the back of the existing rear wing, achieve reduced lift and drag while boosting high-speed stability, Jag says. A choice of 21 and 22-inch wheels (with wider rear tyres) house a set of 395mm front disc brakes.
A quick glance reveals that the Jag’s SUV body towers over the M3 Touring’s. At 1,670mm tall, its roofline is 224mm higher than the BMW ’s, but in other areas it’s closely matched. Indeed, it’s only 33mm wider, and at 4,762mm, it’s 32mm shorter.
That size difference means that the suspension needed work. There are uprated dampers all round, with spring rates increased by 30 per cent up front and 10 per cent at the back compared with the standard F-Pace. There’s bespoke calibration for the electric power steering, torque vectoring and stability control systems, while the four-wheeldrive system gets an electronic active differential at the back to boost traction.
But the heart of the F-Pace SVR is the supercharged V8 petrol engine. At 542bhp, the 5.0-litre unit outpunches the BMW ’s by 39bhp, and its 700Nm torque peak is 50Nm higher, too. SAFETY:
The F-Pace line-up was awarded a five-star NCAP rating, but it was assessed two years earlier than the 3 Series, in 2017. Blind-spot assist, lane-keep assist and traffic-sign recognition are all standard, and parking sensors are fitted all round. On the road
IF the BMW feels like a purpose-built performance car that just happens to have space for the dog, the F-Pace feels like a practical SUV that’s been heavily reworked to deliver sledgehammer performance. AROUND TOWN:
The Jaguar’s high-riding body gives a better view around town. The turning circle is smaller than the M3’s, so it’s slightly easier to manoeuvre into tight parking spaces. The automatic gearbox can be a little lazy to engage when pulling away, but is smooth on the move. A & B-ROADS:
The Jag has a more relaxed attitude that’s largely down to its ride comfort. Regardless of which of the two settings you pick for the adaptive dampers, the F-Pace feels soothing and supple.
But aim the SVR at a set of corners and it delivers keen handling and a neutral balance that belies its height and weight. The large tyres cling on gamely through corners, although you can’t play with the car’s balance on the throttle and the brakes in the same way as you can with the BMW.
The Jaguar’s steering is more informative than the BMW ’s. Its gearing is a little slower, but the way it weights up through the turns seems more natural. However, the Jaguar’s brake pedal feels very firm; heavy stops require a very deliberate press to generate any sort of response.
While the BMW ’s agility makes it quicker through a series of turns, there’s little in it in a straight line. The SVR covers 0-62mph in exactly four seconds – just 0.4 seconds shy of the BMW – but the M3’s twin-turbo set-up delivers more punch low down. A sharper throttle response means that the BMW is keener to leap forward. MOTORWAY:
The Jag is a relaxing place to be, where the engine settles into a subdued rumble and road noise is less intrusive than in the BMW.