King of the oxymorons
For all the hand-wringing, declaring a winner is actually beautifully straightforward – it’s the Jaguar F-Pace SVR. It’s more compact and lighter than these German rivals, but is similarly powerful, at least as usable, and massively cheaper. What a combination: your head’s on-side before the test drive. Then you poke around and your heart flutters. It was always attractive, and the recent gentle tweaks have enhanced its design, while the cabin – which needed work – has benefitted from the necessary TLC, most notably with vastly improved infotainment.
The F-Pace is engaging to drive regardless of speed, striking a deft balance between comfort, safety and driver interaction, while its supercharged V8 – admittedly on its last legs – makes a rousing accompaniment. The vast majority of in-market CAR readers will gel with it, no matter their usage.
The rest of the order should be guided more by your needs. If you want maximum performance, nimble handling and lairy excitement, the BMW X6 M places second. The powertrain and all-wheel drive are the best here, flicking from refinement to tarmac terrorism with a push of the pre-configured M2 button. The BMW’s a more extreme and aggressive car than the Jaguar. It’s also much heavier and feels markedly longer and wider, but there’s a delicacy beneath its brutish competence. World-class infotainment, too. The case against lies mainly with design, its steep premium over the F-Pace, a lack of practicality and the truth that you might tire of its relatively firm – if far from poor – ride.
The Audi is a true all-rounder and your alternative second place. Its V8 is explosively rapid and deeply characterful too, with a charming bellow, plus the RS Q8 is balanced and engaging to drive quickly (if not as razor-sharp as the BMW) and steers with more finesse than the Porsche. It also mostly rides well, despite the huge wheels, and deals with even the trickiest surfaces thanks to active anti-roll control. It goes big on tech, luxury and comfort inside, makes an effort with hybridisation, and you might just prefer it because it looks better than the BMW.
This puts the Porsche last, but that isn’t representative of the GTS. It’s here because it’s the closest in spirit to the SVR at a comparable price point. In its price bracket, I’d place it second to the F-Pace. And with its charismatic V8, sheer speed and endless appetite for cross-country fun, you’ll wonder why you’d bother spending so much more on the Audi RS Q8 or the BMW X6 M.