LIVE24SEVEN // Motoring, Sport & Entertainment
Jaguar F-Pace
The F-Pace marked Jaguar’s entry into the hotly competitive SUV marketplace, an arena that Director of Design, Ian Callum was reluctant to enter with the brand until demand from customers persuaded him otherwise…and we delighted that his arm was twisted!
This new market opens up the premium car brand to a whole new audience – younger, wealthier and more dynamic – it has stolen headlines and sold beyond expectations since its release. Sitting somewhere between BMW’s X3 and X5 and Audi’s Q5 and Q7, some may have questioned if it would detract from sister company’s Land Rover products, but not so, this vehicle has carved out an appreciative audience all of its own.
I was lucky enough to get my hands on the 3.0 litre V6 turbo diesel, which some might have thought would be daunting to drive around the narrow lanes of the Cotswolds due to its sheer size, but this cool number took tight bends and windy roads with ease.
The evening before I put it through its paces for Live 24-Seven and my Irish TV show, I had the pleasure of listening to Ian Callum, some would say ‘god of the design world’, telling us that the F-Pace design gives the vehicle a sense of direction and movement, even when it is standing still! He was right…but we had never doubted him. The tapered windows, pinched rear and tail lights, meaty wheels and imposing bumper on the S-model confirm what Ian told us. You can’t help but notice elements of the F-Type in the vehicle, from the lines of the rear and lights through to the grille; that’s no coincidence, it’s very much deliberate, the sporting styling cues are by design and in turn hark back to the heady days of the E-Type, possibly the sexiest car ever made – a great inheritance.
From the front [the view through another driver’s rear view mirror], the F-Pace demands you move over and make way. It means business. The large grille adds to the almost menacing look, whilst the rear is typically fabulous. Jaguar – or rather Ian and his team – have a habit of creating great rears! I joked with him over dinner saying he’d got the J-Lo effect just right with the F-Pace – he knew exactly what I meant...
Inside, the car sets itself apart from other SUVs with an interior that’s luxurious, functional and simple; that typical Jaguar combination that focuses on the quality of materials used and
IT’S DEFINITELY JAGUAR DNA, THERE’S NO BORROWING FROM LAND ROVER ...
J Director of Design, Ian Callum / 134
craftsmanship rather than focusing on how many gadgets you cram onto one dashboard, but expect all the latest technology and with clearly labelled buttons – no guesswork required.
During Ian’s presentation he made a point of saying that you should sit into a vehicle, something I thought I understood, and then confirmed ‘I did’ when I sat into the F-Pace. Instead of riding the crest of an SUV, feeling above the car and at the mercy of the windy roads, with the F-Pace you sit into the vehicle and feel part of it, adding to the pleasure. The cabin then sweeps around you thanks to a wonderful line that arcs from doors to windscreen. Everything is to hand, well-placed and comfortable seating for five adults and the largest boot in its class just add to the brownie points list.
The body of the vehicle is made almost entirely from aluminium, making it lighter than any other big SUV, whilst the firm suspension on this model ensures a strong drive. The 3.0 litre V6 diesel delivers 296 horsepower and 516 lb of torque, which produces 0-60 mph in a time of 5.8 seconds and the top speed of 150 mph puts the vehicle into the sporty segment of the market – more sporty perhaps that its sister the Range Rover? “Is it good off-road?” I hear you ask. Well the answer is simple – yes. A new mode for the vehicle is essentially like cruise-control for off-roading so the vehicle keeps a slow and steady pace across rough terrain and up and down steep hills.
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