MOTORING
Pace Jaguar sets the
Jaguar is entering new territory with its new F-PACE SUV. Unlike hi-brand rivals such as Porsche, Lamborghini and Lexus, the iconic British marque has never previously entered the world of all-terrain SUVs. Although a necessity in the modern marketplace, can such a vehicle exceed expectations? Nick Jones went to find out.
If you ask someone to describe a car from the Jaguar stable, they will probably use adjectives such as sporty, big and luxurious. True aficionados of the brand might add compact or
‘designed for the masses’ when thinking about more recent models such as the S- and X-Type. One thing that has never been associated with the
marque is ‘mud-plugging’. It has never ventured into the high-riding, 4x4
market… until the arrival of the all new F-Pace. Lamborghini makes tractors and sports cars, Porsche
ventured into the 4x4 arena in the early ‘noughties’ with the Cayenne, Lexus has had the RX in various iterations since the late 1990s. But being late to the market can be a good thing, a
chance to learn from the mistakes of others or, at the very least, improve on what they offer. It also gives time to make sure you don’t damage your reputation by producing something completely out of character. But is that something Jaguar has achieved nearly 20
years after Lexus – even though it was following Range Rover - took luxury to the farm? Jaguar is a marque synonymous with motor sport. It
has competed at the highest level with its own Formula 1 team. What Jaguar has not done with the F-Pace is dissociate itself from that sporting heritage. Near the top of the range, the AWD 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel model offers 300 PS (296bhp) and will sprint from standstill to 60mph in 6.2 seconds. The 3.0- litre petrol is a tad quicker and good for 155mph. For those wanting sporting heritage with a
conscience, there is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel with rear wheel drive (AWD optional) which offers 180PS (178bhp) and can hit 60mph in well under nine seconds on the way to almost 130mph. The smaller diesel is the only model offered with a manual gearbox and, then, only on the rear-wheel-drive
52 business network December 2016/January 2017
version. All others get an eight-speed self-shifter. The sporting heritage is continued in the construction of the car which features ‘lightweight architecture’ and 50:50 weight distribution for improved handling. The result is that while you might sit higher in the F-
Pace than any other Jaguar, it still feels more like a sports car than an SUV on the road. But despite the performance, the F-PACE offers
economy and emissions figures that many a smaller, slower vehicles would be proud to boast. The cleanest in the range, not surprisingly, is the 2.0-litre rear wheel drive diesel which is capable of around 56mpg on the combined cycle, with emissions of just 130g/km. Style-wise, opinion is divided. I don’t think it’s a
pretty car but it did cause quite a stir in many of the car parks where I left it. Inside, the car is sumptuous – big and luxurious, with
plenty of premium touches including traditional veneers. There are four key models in the F-PACE range,
Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio and S. Prestige may be the starting point at around £35,000 but you still get heated leather seats, a powered tailgate, parking sensors, 18in alloy wheels, a Bluetooth system with sat- nav and much more. Jaguar is offering emergency braking as standard on
all models, along with a lane departure warning system and a raft of electronic gadgetry. Many of the people who expressed an opinion of the
F-Pace while I was driving it either loved it or hated it. But the truth of the matter is that the company
would be mad not to ignore this sector of the market considering that most of their rivals have been selling their version of SUV for quite a long time. What you find with the F-PACE is a well styled,
competitively-priced and efficient vehicle that is still most definitely a Jaguar. What more could you want?
FACTFILE
MODEL Jaguar F-PACE 2.0d AWD
PRICE £42,860
PERFORMANCE Top Speed: 129 miles per hour 0-60 mph: 8.2 seconds
CO2 EMISSIONS 139g/km
FUEL CONSUMPTION 53.3 mpg combined
‘While you might sit higher in the F-Pace than any other Jaguar it still feels more like a sports car than an SUV on the road’
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