2018 Jaguar F-Pace: A new turbo four and a portfolio
With the MSRP of several Jaguar models now ringing in below the vaunted $50,000 mark, there’s more reason than ever to cross-shop British wares or at least notice their presence amid a sea of American, German, and Asian competitors. For the 2018 model year, the automaker’s top seller, the F-Pace, continues its pricing assault on the compact-SUV segment with a new base inline-four-cylinder engine, a new Portfolio trim, and extra safety features.
Having launched last year with only a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel (in the F-Pace 20d) and a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 (in the 35t model), the F-Pace for 2018 gains a gasoline four-cylinder turbo as its base engine in the new 25t variant. Since Jaguar has finally tossed its ubiquitous Ford-sourced four-cylinder engine-say that five times fast-the F-Pace’s entry-level 2.0-liter turbo four is instead sourced from the same Ingenium engine family that sprouted the 20d’s diesel four. An in-house Jaguar design, the gasoline-powered engine also appears in the base-model XE and XF sedans this year. Like the F-Pace’s diesel and gasoline V-6 engines, the Ingenium four is mated to an eight-speed automatic, with all-wheel drive as standard.
With a twin-scroll turbocharger, variable valve timing and lift, a new direct fuelinjection system, and an exhaust manifold integrated with the cylinder head, the Ingenium engine is claimed to return greater efficiency and faster warmups. (EPA fuel economy estimates for the F-Pace equipped with the new engine are forthcoming.) The turbo four’s 247 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque are up 7 horsepower and 18 lb-ft over the now defunct Ford engine, and Jaguar claims it can punt the F-Pace to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds. For
reference, the last F-Pace S we tested was a six-cylinder, 380-hp S, and it did that deed in 5.1 seconds; we’ve yet to test the 180-hp diesel or a non-S V-6 model. We’ll confirm Jag’s numbers in our own testing, but the four-cylinder’s performance is probably peachy for Jaguar buyers who prefer discounts over power.
For those with bigger budgets who wish the F-Pace smelled more like a Range Rover, there’s the also-newfor-2018 Portfolio trim level. The softer, extra-pleated Windsor leather seats with 22-way adjustment and winged headrests are exclusive to the Portfolio, which only comes with the F-Pace’s 340-hp V-6. Otherwise, the Portfolio is a Prestige loaded up with three option packages, head-up display, gloss ebony veneer, and 20-inch wheels. Jaguar expects a limited showing, as it’s only offered in Yulong White with Sienna Tan upholstery and, at $64,195 to start, is now the most expensive F-Pace in the lineup, topping even the more powerful F-Pace S.
A sport steering wheel with thicker aluminum accents and thumb bolsters, formerly only for the R-Sport and S, is now standard on the Prestige trim but without any extra badging on the bottom spoke. Two new driver-assistance features are optional. Forward Traffic Detection, a camera- and radar-based alert system for traffic crossing at the front of the car, is also joined by Forward Vehicle Guidance, which enhances the in-dash feed from 360-degree cameras with steering-angle overlays for pulling slowly into a parking space. Later this year, Jaguar owners can elect to pay for gas at Shell stations through an onboard app without leaving their car. (No, the pumps won’t magically fill up the tank — drivers will still need to exit the car to actually, you know, insert the fuel nozzle into their Jag.) Considering how Jaguar’s infotainment system remains plagued by software errors, we’d recommend paying with plastic (or, gasp, paper!) like everyone else.
Despite no change in standard equipment, the base F-Pace’s pricing shifts upward for 2018. The diesel 20d, previously the cheapest F-Pace, has been undercut by the $43,060 gasoline-powered 25t. Last year’s F-Pace, F-Pace Premium, F-Pace Prestige, and F-Pace R-Sport trim levels carry over to 2018, albeit with minor price increases to certain trims ranging from $775 (20d R-Sport) to $2,375 (35t Premium). Opting for a diesel on any trim level adds $1500 to the price over the gasoline four, while springing for the V-6 will cost $4,200. Finally, presumably to make things easier on the sales floor for dealers that also peddle Land Rovers, Jaguar renamed nine of the F-Pace exterior paints to match those hues on Land Rover models (Italian Racing Red is now Firenze Red, for example). Expect the first 2018 F-Pace models this spring.