Jaguar’s New Luxury Crossover SUV is Hitting it Out of the Park

Rating

A fun-to-drive crossover that is priced well for its class and perfect for everyday duties

Type

Mid-size luxury crossover SUV

Engine

3.0-litre supercharged V6

Fuel economy

13.3/100 km city, 10.0/100 km hwy

Power

380 hp

Drivetrain

All-wheel drive

Transmission

Eight-speed automatic

Competition

Mercedes-AMG GLC43, Porsche Macan GTS

Best For

Families looking for style and luxury in a hardworking crossover

Whenever an automaker experiments by branching off into a new segment, the stakes are high. In the case of Jaguar, which normally specializes in luxurious sedans and sports cars, the brand seems to have hit a home run with the F-Pace S SUV, arguably its most mainstream model to date.

Signature Style Elements, Universal Appeal

With all-wheel drive, plenty of room for five and drop-dead gorgeous looks, the new model should certainly appeal to a wide demographic. Jaguar describes it as being “assertive yet not aggressive.”

Rather than taking on a generic boxy shape, designers lifted some style from the F-Type coupe/roadster, like the low, sloping roofline and razor-thin LED tail lamps. Other exterior highlights include a huge mesh front grille and air inlets, large wheels up to 22 inches and smooth, uncluttered side body panels crafted from a single sheet of aluminum.  

Once you climb into the F-Pace and get behind the wheel, you get that sense of safety of being inside a SUV with a great view of the road. When you actually start up the engine and hit the road, however, it performs and handles more like a car.

High-Performance Engine, Smooth Drive

Taking what they learned from building dynamic automobiles—for instance, using lightweight components throughout, a rear-biased AWD system and supercharged forced induction technology—Jaguar has created the most fun-to-drive utility vehicle I’ve tested in a long while. I drove on both the highway and windy local roads, and the SUV felt light on its feet; body roll was kept to a minimum.

Nestled under the hood is a 3.0-litre supercharged V6 mill—shared with the F-Type—that’s rated at 380 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. The engine growls when you put your foot down—guaranteed to put a smile on your face each time you hear the characteristic sound.

When puttering around town normally, the crossover behaves as you’d expect a people mover to. The leather seats are supportive and comfortable, and the suspension isn’t overly harsh, soaking up bumps in the road in a composed manner. The 508 litres of cargo space behind the second row provides plenty of space for groceries or sports equipment.

Considering this is a first crack at the crossover space, kudos is definitely well deserved for Jaguar’s seamless blending of performance and utility in the F-Pace.

Price as tested: $68,500

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