Jaguar’s sister brand Land Rover is the SUV builder in the family and for ever so long that’s the way it is been. But 2015 marks the year when Jaguar steps into this territory with its own footprint. Although late by a decade or so Jaguar has recognised that in today’s time no luxury brand is complete without a crossover in its range to drive sales. So they decided to build a vehicle that had the soul of the F-Type but with the practicality of an SUV.
Still when Jaguar decides to do things they aim to do it differently and the F-Pace certainly does so. Not only in form but in function too. This is the third vehicle in the line-up to carry the lightweight aluminum architecture. Its chassis is 80 percent aluminum and that gives it the 298kg body weight – as light as a Fiat 500L.
But it's not just that, the F-Pace is also a head-turner. Its got a flow to its design that makes you forget that practicality is a key in this segment. It has a class-leading ground clearance of 213mm but still looks low to the ground. Wheels have been pushed as far to the side as they can and the front overhang is just 834mm – a segment first, they say. The design cues borrowed from the F-Type are instantly recognisable from the tail-lamps to the roofline. A single sheet of aluminum is used for the side panel, extending from the A-pillar all the way to rear, lending it a taut appearance. The silhouette design and rear spoiler added in give sportscar-like aerodynamics, with an impressive drag coefficient of 0.34. The front of the car has all the beef, with a large grille and air dams, but it too is instantly recognisable.
On the inside, Jaguar has upped its game. It’s a simple but richly constructed interior, where the leather and plastic all feel top notch. There are the typical Jaguar design cues like the gear lever that rises up. The cockpit in Ian Cullum’s words is designed to make you feel like you are in it, not on top of it and so the central console sits high. Bells and whistles are a plenty, such as a 10.2-inch infotainment screen that operates like a computer combined with a smart phone – split screen functions, pinch, zoom, swipe you name it and it does it. Not only that its got a processor that has more code than a 777, the system has a quad-core processor. There is a voice command function that allows you to even tweet through it. The navigation system is highly advanced too and will send out a text with your ETA once you feed in your location. Adding into the tech is a Fitbit-like band that you can carry instead of the key. So if you are off to the beach for a swim, you can leave the key in the car and wear the band. RFID tech allows you to pair it to the car by simply touching the band to the 'J' on the Jaguar at the back to unlock it. The car remains securely locked until you do that.
Sitting inside the space is good, the rear seats are raised 10mm more than the front, for added visibility and the seats themselves are comfortable. The boot space is also an impressive 650 litres expandable up to 1740 . So it's spacious, loaded and advanced, but at the core the F-Pace will use the Ingenium engines. It will get the 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit that makes 177.6bhp and 43.84kgm of torque. This is the eco-friendly engine that delivers impressive CO2 emission figures.
Then there is the sportscar-like 3.0-litre supercharged V6 that is tuned to produce 335bhp and 375bhp, mated to an eight-speed gearbox. The higher-output version does a 0-100kph sprint in 5.1 seconds, putting it in the Macan territory. Also in the range is a 3.0-litre V6 diesel producing 296bhp and a whopping 71kgm of torque.
The F-Pace is a rear-wheel drive that also has AWD capability. A double wishbone front and integral link rear suspension with bonded bushes and a perfect 50/50 weight distribution are the highlights here. Jaguar engineers have also reiterated many times on how the lateral stiffness on this SUV is better than the Porsche Macan's. So to put it in layman's terms, expect sportscar-like handling but with the ride quality of a luxury sedan. Of course there are a host of drive systems like IDD (Intelligent Drive Dynamics), another way of saying advanced traction control and ASPC ( All Surface Progression Control ) which is a rendition of the Land Rover's Terrain Response system.
The F-Pace in the flesh was impressive to say the least. Space on par with the likes of the Q5, interior quality that sets it apart, connectivity and features that lift it a level, and looks that smash the ball out of the park.
Seeing it go around the 19m loop with the ease of a true Jaguar and set a Guinness record only made me want to get behind its wheel all the more.