.
Jaguar has produced some graceful sedans,
coupes, and convertibles over the years.
The F-Pace is the first time Ian Callum's
design team has penned... a crossover.
A fetching one at that. Jag purists
may grumble but adding SUVs was an
excellent business decision for Porsche.
Jaguar and Land Rover are owned by
the same Indian conglomerate, Tata.
So it makes a lot of sense for the
Jag engineers to walk across the
hall and borrow the architecture from
Evoque or Range Rover Sport.
But that didn't happen.
No, they went with the aluminum
extensive platform of Jaguar's XE
and XF. A great place to start.
F-Pace leaps from 0-60 in about 5.5 seconds.
There's a nice audible growl when
the throttle is punched but it fades
into the background when cruising.
Nice balance.
Want more speed? The S model's V6 is
tuned for 40 more horsepower. Want less
speed? I'll rephrase that. Want better
fuel economy? Go with the 4-cylinder
turbo diesel engine.
Jaguar does theatrics pretty well. Look
at the start button. It's like a heartbeat.
Got to love the drama. The 3-liter
supercharged V6 in this R-Sport model
makes 340 horsepower and 332 pound-feet
of torque. This cat prefers premium
gasoline. The gearbox has 8-speeds
and a sport mode. Normally, the standard
all-wheel drive system sends nearly all
power to the rear but can automatically
and seamlessly allocate 90 percent
to the front. Brake torque vectoring
helps vehicle control.
On surfaces much slicker than this,
standard Low Traction Launch helps
F-Pace pull away confidently.
Optional Traffic Sign Recognition
uses cameras to read signage to
alert drivers of the speed limit.
Using GPS data the Intelligent
Speed Limiter can then automatically
adjust the speed of the car, faster or slower.
I'm in sport mode. Nice throttle response.
One thing about the F-Pace,
I really like the size of it.
Not too big, not too small.
I'm not going to use the Goldilocks line.
Ms. Locks might not be impressed with
fuel economy. Competitors Audi Q5 and
BMW X3 both go farther on a gallon of
gas. Good road feel and the nicely
weighted steering help to make
up for that though.
When it comes to cornering F-Pace
is one of the most entertaining
crossovers you can buy. My favorite is the
Porsche Macan but the Jag does
have its benefits.
It's roomier, more comfortable, and
easier on the budget. Starting at $41,985
for the diesel model, this particular
R-Sport retails for 63 grand.
There is one curious dynamic about the
F-Pace. It looks and feels like a
Jag inside but unlike an F Type you're
riding up pretty high. It's a
crossover, makes sense.
8.4 inches of ground clearance and
development at Land Rover's facilities
mean F-Pace is up for moderate off-roading.
It can wade through nearly 21 inches of water.
The attractive cabin that wraps around
those up front does not have Land
Rover-grade materials but few vehicles do.
There are the expected creature comforts
in vehicle of this price range, nice
light piping as well. I've always
liked Jaguar's InControl user interface,
the Touch Pro version puts a larger
screen in the console and the ability to
customize the gauge display. I would
prefer the window controls
down by the armrest.
For those who swim and run a lot and
don't have pockets in their workout
clothes, the $400 Activity Key is
interesting technology.
Normally it's foolish to leave the
regular proximity key in a car.
When held here, an imbedded RFID
chip that needs no charging locks
the car and deactivates the key.
Reverse the process upon returning.
The back seat does not slide fore
and aft to max out leg or cargo room.
Two average adults should be very
comfortable here. Foot and legroom
are especially generous.
Plenty of power ports to charge devices,
a warm feeling for backsides, and
enough room for drinks and storage.
No window shades though.
For comparison's sake, F-Pace is about
six inches shorter than Lexus RX.
To begin with, the floor is reversible
if you don't want to get the carpet
side dirty. The rigid security panel
does not store easily in the cargo
hold but the back seats split and
fold with the best of them. The RX
holds 9 packs of softness and absorbency.
The smaller Jag? It comes up one short at 8.
There are all sorts of technologies
available on the F-Pace. Radar assisted
cruise follows to a stop then continues
on when the car ahead start moving again.
There's semi autonomous parking, and auto
braking with pedestrian detection too.
If good looks and engaging performance
weren't enough, Jaguar offers reassurance
with a 5 year 60,000 warranty that includes
scheduled maintenance. Jaguar is among
the last of the premium brands to get
a crossover. F-Pace was worth the wait.
A piece of tech not on my tester called
All Surface Progress Control is like a
low speed cruise control for off-roading
so the driver can concentrate on steering.
It operates between around
2 and 19 miles an hour.
Finally, for those who think adding a
crossover to Jaguars lineup is a bad
idea, it's not. Year-to-year July
sales figures have Jag sales up 174
percent bring lots of money into the
Jaguar Land Rover coffers allowing
them to build better vehicles. Win...
for us all. And it's not as if Jaguar
is a stranger to practicality. They've
produced station wagons though few
have hit US shores.
All right folks, that's my opinion of
the 2017 Jaguar F-Pace. A little story
before I go. At the 2016 New york auto
show this year I was able to spend a
little bit of one on one time with
legendary Jaguar designer Ian Callum.
He took me around the car for about
20 minutes and showed me what he did
and why he did it. It was fascinating.
You think I have a dream job? He has
my dream job. And the nicest guy in
the world. Very, very, patient. So,
Mr. Callum, thanks for spending the time,
it was great.
That's Driven, I'm Tom Voelk.