Words and Photos by: Jimmy Mak

For those who are looking for a luxury sport utility vehicle, there are a few choices in the field by the German Automakers. Back in 2017 Jaguar launched their first SUV with the F-Pace. Introduced in North America with two engine choices a 2L diesel as well as a 3L Supercharged gasoline variant. However for those who lived in areas where diesel may be hard to get it left then with a single option of just the supercharged v6. While there’s nothing wrong with the bigger motor it does consume more fuel as well as comes with a hefty price premium. For 2018 Jaguar has released a more frugal 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder.

Looking at the Jag, it’s a marvel how they get such a beautiful shape into production. The lines and creases on the hood and sides give the SUV an athletic feel as the Jaguar name suggests.

With a starting price of $50,000, it’s now more affordable. That is relative, of course, comparing to offerings from Porsche, Land Rover as Jaguar does sit a bit higher on the podium than Audi, Mercedes and BMW.

As with many vehicles these days the base price only gets you so far. With this tester, there’s about $20,000 of options loaded on top. Some of the key difference would be these lovely LED headlamps, not only are they beautiful to look at but they also illuminate the road nicely.

Inside the F-Pace are a nice blend of leather and high gloss black trim. An optional extra in this vehicle is the Oyster coloured interior with contrasting neon-green stitching. Not for everyone, but it does bring more light into the cabin than the traditional black.

As in many high-end vehicles, these days the F-pace uses a digital screen rather than traditional dials for the instrument cluster. While it’s configurable the cluster does give the driver the most amount of information at any given time. In dyanmic mode, it even gives a big red tach centre of the screen allowing for that sporty experience. But when needed a few clicks of the button on the left of the steering wheel will change it to a full-screen map.

As it is a luxury SUV what else would the seats be covered in rather than leather? Both front and rear rows get these beautifully contoured seats with large seatbacks to house people of all shapes and sizes. Something that is missing from this tester unit is rear seat heaters as well as rear seat climate control. These are optional extras, but you do have to pay a pretty penny to get more out of your F-pace.

Something they do give you is this giant panoramic sunroof. Spanning both front and rear seats it gives the cabin a refreshing airy feel even if the window sills are high.

The infotainment system is brand new for Jaguar-Land Rover. Utilizing this wide touch screen all the controls are just at your fingertips. The menus are clearly laid out and are easy to navigate however it can be a bit sluggish.

Unlike its cousin the Velar, the F-Pace uses a nice 2-row stack of buttons to control the HVAC. Being much easier to use and less stumbling around to find the proper button when heat or ac is needed.

Behind the wheel, the F-Pace is just as amazing as the rest of pack. With different drive modes to select from it can easily hide the 3880lb curb weight. At some 200lbs lighter than the Supercharged version, this variant of the F-Pace has better and more direct feel. Unlike a lot of SUVs out there the F-Pace AWD system is rear wheel biased. With power going towards the rear first it allows the Jag to feel more nimble as well as that sporty flair that we know and love from Jaguar.

Under the hood, the F-pace’s 2L turbo 4 makes 247Hp, and 269lb-ft of torque this engine produce peak torque at a low 1500rpm. Passing and acceleration are done with ease and it also allows for lower engine rpm when cruising. Paired with an 8-speed ZF transmission the shifts are quick and smooth however when using the paddles behind the wheel downshifts are slightly delayed. With the new engine, the most significant achievement is fuel economy,  within the city, it’ll return a respectable 11.6L/100km and just below 10L/100km on the highway.

Overall the F-Pace is a phenomenal vehicle. Comparing it to the Velar on which it’s based this F-Pace seems to be more practical and more down to earth. It looks great and drives great, what more is there to ask for?

Thanks, Jaguar Canada for the experience.