Jaguar keeps up the F-Pace

The tradition-breaking midsize SUV remains true to its legendary Jaguar heritage.

When Jaguar first came out with the F-Pace back in 2016, it was a monumental change for the company. In its 100-year history, Jaguar had never made anything like an SUV. That market had been left to its sister company Land Rover. The question was, could the company produce a midsize crossover and still retain the signature Jaguar driving experience?

The answer was Yes, and not only that, the F-Pace was pretty good off-pavement, too. Now six years on, the F-Pace is still an impressive vehicle. The SUV received a light refresh in 2020, so it still looks fresh and relevant.

Designer Ian Callum took the SUV idea and blended it with traditional Jaguar flowing body lines. We can’t say the F-Pace is radically different from other crossover SUVs, but it’s a nice looking vehicle, and Jaguar has avoided the unfortunate fashion of using a huge grille.

Under the hood, F-Pace buyers can order a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine that is both supercharged and turbocharged, and fitted with a mild hybrid system. The hybrid motor delivers power right from idle, and then the supercharger helps acceleration, while turbocharger takes over to maximize horsepower at the top end. It’s a complicated system, but it delivers smooth, consistent power at all rev ranges.

The engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and Jaguar’s all-wheel-drive system. The AWD is shared technology with the smaller Land Rover SUVs, and it really works. You can take an F-Pace onto snow, ice, or rough terrain with confidence. It’s more than adequate to tackle any winter weather in the Pacific Northwest. But the F-Pace is also the beneficiary of Jaguar’s sports car heritage, and offers clean, tight, and confident handling on pavement. With the R Dynamic S trim, you’ll hit 60 MPH in 5.1 seconds.

Inside, the F-Pace provides you with Jaguar’s traditional interpretation of sporting luxury. The seats are trimmed in leather and comfortable, with excellent side bolstering. The cabin layout is uncluttered, with a touchscreen infotainment system and a few dials for direct controls, plus a shifter. That’s about it. The look is really refreshing and attractive. The back seats are comfortable as well, and you can put five passengers in an F-Pace. Cargo capacity is 26.6 cubic feet, or enough to carry all your luggage and winter sports gear.

The base F-Pace carries a four-cylinder turbocharged engine, so a little less power, but it starts at $52,400. The R Dynamic S trim we’ve got is one grade shy of the top of the line SVR sports model, and it starts at $65,200. From there it’s easy to top $80,000, as our test model did. So, there’s quite a price difference depending on the choices you make. The R Dynamic S is provocative, but if we were spending our own money, we’d shop closer to the affordable end of the spectrum, or consider downsizing to the equally attractive E-Pace compact crossover.

The bottom line on the Jaguar F-Pace is that if you have ever loved a Jaguar, but you really need an SUV right now, this crossover is exactly what you want.

2022 Jaguar F-Pace R-Dynamic S

Base price: $65,200

Price as tested: $82,245

Type: Compact crossover SUV

Engine: 3.0-liter mild hybrid supercharged turbocharged inline six-cylinder (395 hp, 406 lbs-ft)

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

EPA estimated mileage: 20/26

Overall length: 187.5 inches

Curb weight: 4,535 pounds

Final assembly: Solihull, UK

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