When you think of an SUV, there are many vehicles that come to mind. I bet that you would not think of a Jaguar as an SUV. That is because Jaguars are known for their sleek sporty vehicles. What if Jaguar produced a vehicle that was not only sporty but also an SUV. Well that is exactly what the British car manufacturer did in the form of the Jaguar F-Pace. Let’s find out more.
Exterior
The Jaguar F-Pace is a crossover SUV that is based on the 2013Â Jaguar C-X17Â concept car that was first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Borrowing design cues from the F-Type, the F-Pace is a powerful, dynamic, bold and sophisticated SUV. With agile and sporty looks the F-Pace has a unique road presence. At the front, the wild oval grille and sharply tapered Adaptive LED headlights gives the F-Pace a dynamic look. Following through with the sportiness, you get double exhausts at the rear together with a large boot door. The tapered roofline gives the vehicle a teardrop shape similar to a Jaguar waiting to pounce. These proportions of the F-Pace enhance its aerodynamics and also improve its capability.
The model that I had on test came with the R-Sport package which adds a body kit around the vehicle as well as the R-Sport branding. While the F-Pace already looks sporty as standard, I like the body kit as it adds just a bit of extra sportiness with side skirts and bumper lips. You also get the much loved 19 inch alloy wheels with a black coating which goes nicely with the silver body.
Inside
On the inside you get a sporty interior with a large leather dashboard, digital speedometer, and comfortable two tone leather seats with exposed stitching. The center console houses either an 8 inch or 10.2 inch touch screen display. The 8 inch display works with the standard infotainment system while the 10 inch display is an upgrade. With this upgrade you get navigation, WiFI as well as the ability to load vehicle-optimized smartphone apps to the InControl suite. You are also able to split the display in 2 so the driver can navigate while the passenger watches a movie.
Interior lighting in the F-Pace is customizable allowing you to set the mood. With up to 10 different colours, you can create an ambience to match your mood. If you prefer natural light, you can choose between a fixed or sliding panoramic glass roof.
The F-Pace features the rising gear changer that is seen in other Jaguars as well as Land Rovers.
Key information such as speed, navigation and traffic data is projected onto the windscreen using the head-up display. This helps you minimize time spent looking down at the instrument cluster and more time looking at the road.
Reverse cameras and parking sensors make squeezing into tight places a breeze.
With 5V and 12V charging points, you are able to keep your devices powered up while on the road.
With up to 17 speakers, you can enjoy a rich enveloping audio experience in the F-Pace. You can play music via CD/USB device, SD Card or your phone via bluetooth.
Space wise you can easily carry 3 adults in the rear comfortably. The front and rear seats can both be adjusted electronically. With the rear seats being able to fold in a 40:20:40 configuration, there is an impressive load space of 1740 litres with the rear seats folded flat. There are also handy storage compartments perfect for keeping your items in place. You even get a spare tyre with a mag.
Performance:
While the F-Pace is an SUV, it’s lightweight aluminum architecture and advanced dynamic technologies provide a driving experience that is thrilling yet efficient. There are 6 engine choices in 2.0 and 3.0 engine derivatives. The 3.0 engine is even the same which is used in the F-type, now that says something about this crossover SUV.
The model on test had a 2.0 Litre 4 Cylinder Twin Turbo Diesel engine which delivers 177kW with 500Nm of torque. With 0-100 km/h in 7.2 seconds and a top speed of 217km/h, the F-Pace certainly does not lack when it comes to performance on the road. The F-Pace only comes in automatic in South Africa. The 8‑speed automatic transmission is highly responsive, smooth and efficient. It delivers rapid shifting for effortless acceleration and overtaking. You can change gears manually using the paddle shifts which is something I always enjoy doing.
In Eco Mode, the F-Pace blends into the road. The drive is calm and shifts are short to improve fuel efficiency. Switching to Dynamic Mode, shifts are much quicker, the revs are higher and the F-Pace lets out a roar to remind others on the road who she is.
With a fuel consumption of 5.8 L/100km, the F-Pace is certainly more fuel efficient than other vehicles in its class. This being said, you could easily increase this figure if you have a heavy foot and with the F-Pace, it’s hard not to.
The F-Pace comes in either Rear Wheel Drive or All Wheel Drive. When going off road, thanks to the All Surface Progress Control system, the F-Pace can tackle any surface with ease. The ASP system has different modes for different surfaces such as mud, gravel or rocks. The Optional Adaptive Surface Response monitors the environment for changes in surfaces to adjust the engine and brake settings. These two functions allow even a beginner to go off road easily and safely.
The F-Pace takes even the tightest corners with ease thanks to the Torque Vectoring technology. This system reduces understeer to keep you safe and delivers confidence to the driver.
Nifty Features:
The F-Pace comes with an Activity Key wristband which is a waterproof wristband that doubles as the key while the key is left in the center cubbyhole. The activity key allows you to enjoy yourself in range of activities – from skydiving to swimming without needing to worry about damaging or even worse losing the key.
Jaguar understands that life isn’t always simple and you may not always have a free hand to reach for your key. By simply placing your foot under either of the vehicle’s rear corners, the boot will open. Obviously the key needs to be on your body for this to work, you know for security reasons. This is a great feature that will definitely come in handy.
The F-Pace features a Blind Spot Monitoring System to keep you safe on the road. This system detects vehicles that are beside or behind you and then displays an icon in the side mirrors. When reversing, the Blind Spot Monitor can also notify you of any cars that may be behind your vehicle.
The F-Pace may not be able to drive autonomously but it is able to drive semi autonomously. Adaptive Cruise Control should make you feel like you are driving the car of the future. The ACC system uses radar technology to automatically adjust your speed to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead. Parking in the F-Pace is easy thanks to Park Assist which can help park in parallel or bay parking maneuvers.
When driving in the F-Pace, blind spots become a thing of the past. Thanks to its 360 degree cameras, you get a full 360 degree view around the vehicle as well as a visualization of the vehicle to help in tight situations.
When the door is open, the Jaguar logo is projected onto the ground. I have seen this in a few are cars before and it’s a nice touch.
The F-Pace starts at R759,900 and goes up to R1,069,400. Though with extras, you could bump the price up to R 1,360,200. While some of these extras are not necessary, some of them such as the interior lighting or the panoramic roof which is not a standard is nice to have!
The Jaguar F-Pace takes what we all love about Jaguar into the form factor of an SUV. You get the performance of a Jaguar sports car with the benefit of being able to go off road. You get the exquisite and premium interior of a jaguar with loads of space. I was going to say that the F-Pace is a bit pricey but then again, this is a Jaguar and the saying you pay for what you get holds. If you are looking for an SUV that is perfected in every manor, look past the price and give the F-Pace a chance.
