Jaguar F-Pace 2017 new car review
Jaguar is one of the last brands to join the rush to SUVs, and it is easy to understand why.
Jaguar is one of the last brands to join the rush to SUVs, and it is easy to understand why. It’s paired with the Land Rover brand — they handled that side of things.
SUVs have become too popular to ignore and the British icon could no longer stay away - and its first effort is the F-Pace.
Is the F-Pace a Land Rover or Range Rover with a Jaguar skin? No, while there is some shared family technology the F-Pace is based on the same ‘lightweight aluminium architecture’ platform as the XE sedan.
Careful not to tread on the toes of stable-mate, Jaguar is describing the F-Pace as a 'performance crossover', targeting a chassis that is as capable as any other Jaguar.
Where does it fit in the market? It sits slightly above medium SUVs, so is up against the BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC and Porsche Macan, but also the BMW X5, Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE.
It looks great. It has a sporty stance and echoes of the F-Type sports car in its looks.
R for performance
The S and the R-Sport model use Jaguar’s 3-litre supercharged petrol V6. There are two versions of this engine, in 250kW and 280kW outputs and ours is the latter. It produces 450Nm of torque and will sprint to 100km an hour in a rapid 5.5-seconds, on its way to a limited 250kmh top speed.
The transmission is the same ZF 8HP eight-speed automatic as in the Jaguar XE, a lighter variant of the gearbox currently fitted to other Jaguar models. A six-speed ZF manual gearbox is available on diesels.
The Jaguar gets its version of Land Rover’s Terrain Response System', called Adaptive Surface Response, to set the system to be more effective in hazardous driving conditions. There is also a torque-vectoring system to help put the power where it is best suited to keeping the car straight - or turning if that is what the driver is trying to do.
We love the way the F-Pace sounds, with its gruff metallic roar. Performance from the engine is very linear, put your foot down and it sprints to the legal limit - and easily beyond if you are not careful - with no pauses. That can be put down to its abundant torque and fine tuning of the transmission.
The design of the car makes a difference as well. Its structure is 80% aluminium, with a composite boot also helping with savings. That makes it 100kg lighter than the lightest Macan.
Everyone says their SUV is sporty; the F-Pace is the first we’ve driven that feels like a sports car - it is fun to drive.
All black
Our F-Pace was fitted with a ‘Black Pack’, which includes black trim, matched to 20-inch black-painted wheels. Against white paint, it looks great.
The pack is part of an eye-watering long list of options that can quickly add thousands to the price, in this case, $15,000 worth, including sports front seats, a heads-up display and power reclining rear seats. Thumbs up to the heads-up - it is one of the clearest and easiest to view we have seen.
The F-Pace interior takes a lot from the XE, but it feels more substantial, more sporty, particularly in black with a leather-wrapped dash.
Jaguar transmissions are shifted via a dial that pops up from the centre console when the car is switched on, and it took us a while to get used to it - we now love the idea. It is space-saving, easy to use, and consistent in motion.
There is an 8-inch touchscreen with Jaguar Land Rover’s InControl Touch system, as we tried recently in the Range Rover Evoque. It is a great system, but there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. There is a ‘Pro’ version with a larger 10.2-inch screen, app functionality and a boosted audio system from $5500.
There is a second LCD screen in the dash cluster displaying vital information, including a digital fuel gauge which provides a handy percentage indication of what you have left in the tank.
We were very impressed with the size of the boot in the F-Pace. It is a bit shallow but long, and flat. The hatch is electrically operated.
The boot-lid hosts one of the F-Pace’s party tricks. The standard Activity Key is a Fitbit-like band you strap on your wrist. When wearing it, you can lock the key in the car, go surfing, swim or whatever other adventure activities Jaguar thinks their buyers undertake, and on your return hold the band against the J of the boot badge to open the car. Magic.
Tech optional
There is no doubting the Jaguar is a safe car. It is ANCAP Five-star safety rated car, and there is a full complement of airbags, electronic stability control, autonomous emergency braking, and lane departure warning.
But at $130,000 for the S, lane-keeping assist, driver condition monitor and adaptive cruise control remain options. But then Jaguar is not alone in this, with Porsche also keeping its lane change tech optional at this stage.
The Jag
Jaguar has done a great job with its first SUV, and placing it between segments was a great idea. It’s a great combination of sportiness and practicality, and in the case of the S S, has a sonorous, characterful supercharged V6. SUVs may be new to the brand, but it is a compelling effort - and importantly it feels like a Jag.
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Peter Louisson 
Kyle Cassidy 