Essai: 2017 Jaguar F-Pace S

As if there weren’t already enough luxury SUV players vying for a slice of the pie, Jaguar throws its hat in the ring with the all-new 2017 F-Pace compact luxury SUV. It follows recent entries into the segment by Maserati, Alfa-Romeo, Bentley and even the upcoming Lamborghini SUV.

The F-Pace has a lot going for it but one peculiar thing that bears mentioning right off the bat is its size. Technically it’s classified as a compact SUV with competitors such as the Porsche Macan, Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC (among many others). In reality it’s a bit larger than this, putting it somewhere in between the compact and mid-size classes. There are sure to be a lot of BMW X5, Range Rover Sport and Mercedes GLE owners who will undoubtedly consider the F-Pace when purchasing their next vehicle. Not only is its 186.3-inch length longer than the competition, it just looks bigger, especially when compared to the Macan or GLC which look tiny.

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Looks-wise the F-Pace is in the running for most beautiful SUV out there. It borrows cues from the F-Type sports car and translates them wonderfully into beefy truck form. It looks more appropriate parked next to a Porsche Cayenne or Range Rover Sport than any of the compact SUVs mentioned previously.

There is a choice of four power plants for under the hood of the F-Pace: a 2.0-litre turbodiesel with 180 horsepower, a 2.0-litre four-cylinder making 247 horses, a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 making 340 horses and finally a higher-tuned version of the last option making 380 horsepower which is what I had the pleasure of driving in my F-Pace S test vehicle.

The F-Pace S sits just under the top-of-line F-Pace Portfolio (until the upcoming SVR trim is revealed) and comes with just about all the bells and whistles including 20” alloy wheels, Adaptive Dynamics, ‘S’ body kit including front and rear S-style bumpers, body-colored S door claddings with satin chrome finishers and ‘S’ branding on metal sill finishers and multi-function steering wheel, full LED headlights, adaptive with Intelligent high beam and front fog lights, lane keep assist, driver condition monitor, emergency braking, blind spot monitor and reverse traffic detection.

Jaguar has done a nice job with the cabin of the F-Pace, creating an eloquent but not cluttered personal space. Most of the functions of the vehicle are executed via the touchscreen interface, leaving most surfaces free of any buttons. Even the gear shift knob sinks into the dash when the vehicle is turned off for a flush surface. I get the appeal of the dial but it’s not my favorite type of gear selector simply because it makes quick selections a little more difficult. That extra second for the knob to slide up and out of the console also bothered me slightly.

While I’m sure many people will appreciate the minimalist design, I loathe having to use a touch screen for all the vehicle functions – especially the climate controls. These are controls that are often need to be adjusted many times during even a short excursion so physical buttons make the task easier. Furthermore it would mitigate electronic faults like the one I experienced where the fan would move to full blast on its own sporadically. Jaguar has issued a recall and will fix this issue with a software update.

Complaints aside, the cabin is a high-end treat to sit in, especially the S trim with its red/black perforated leather seating and black piano console finishing. Jaguar and Land Rover are the same company so the feeling of the buttons and surfaces is identical to that of the coveted British luxury truck maker. The succulent experience will equally impress the heck out of your passengers if that’s something you care about. I had many positive comments from whomever I had the pleasure of giving a ride to.

On the road the F-Pace S with its 380 horses delivers a sporty driving experience which is decidedly car-like. It has the ability to take corners at speed with very little body roll thanks in part to the adjustable dampers that firm up in the sport driving modes and return to grace in Normal and Eco modes. Open the throttle up and the sound of the exhaust purrs like a kitten as the SUV gets up to highway speeds in a jiffy (5.1 seconds to be exact). Once at speed, the cabin remains quiet as a library.

The bottom line is that Jaguar has pounced onto the scene with the F-Pace. The vehicle is already the brand’s best-selling model so far this year and will continue to shake up the market. Starting at $50,250 for the base Premium trim, the F-Pace will run north of $70,000 for a fully-loaded model such as the test vehicle.