Jaguar F-Pace launch review

Jaguar’s confidence in the success of its first entrant into the SUV market is well placed. It looks great, offers genuine practicality, drives well and gives dealers a conquest opportunity in the fastest growing part of the premium sector.

The all-new F-Pace benefits from a great design that doesn’t compromise its ‘Jaguar-ness’.  Length-wise it sits between an Audi Q5 and Q7 but its big wheels – 18 to a massive 22 inches – plus a long bonnet and swept-back cabin make this big car look sporty. Or, as design boss, Ian Callum said: “The F-Pace has the dimensions of an SUV but there is a voluptuousness to it too.”

Jaguar land Rover’s UK senior product planning manager, Dominic Lawton, told Motor Trader he believes 90% of F-Pace customers will be new to the brand citing “mainly one-car family conquests from the premium medium-sized SUV and estate segments”.

Having identified £34,000-£45,000 as the sweet spot for this kind of car, Jaguar has started the F-Pace pricing at £34,170. The range goes above £45k to take on the higher-priced Porsche Macan – both the F-Pace 300bhp 3.0 diesel and 380bhp 3.0 supercharged petrol S models cost £51,450 and there is a long sold-out £65,275 First Edition model too.

A rear-wheel drive with a six-speed manual gearbox is also offered but is only expected to account for 10-20% of sales. The star of the range is expected to be the £40,360 180bhp 2.0 diesel manual AWD auto R-sport. Jaguar expects this model to account for 65% of UK sales.

Jaguar will not say how many units it hopes to sell in a full year but confirmed 2,500 advance orders have been taken. Given the BMW X3 does some 9,500 units in the UK, 8,000 annual F-Pace sales could end up as a conservative estimate. That’s because the F-Pace has practicality to go with its style. Navigation and connectivity come as standard within the XF-style upmarket dash and at the back, the boot is a genuinely huge 650 litres – 110 litres bigger than the Q5 and 150 litres more than the X4 and Macan – with a specific space to stow the tonneau cover, a neat touch.

Trims are split between a luxury side, Prestige up to Portfolio; and a sporty side, R-Sport rising to S. Three year/60,000 mile residual values from Kwik Car Cost are an excellent 50% for the F-Pace 180hp 2.0d AWD Prestige manual versus 46% and 48% for the equivalent Q5 and X4.

Jaguar sold 23,897 cars in 2015 and before the F-pace went on sale was tracking at 78% up in the year to May and before the F-pace makes a contribution. With the F-Pace now on stream, we can expect that 2015 figure to get blown out of the water. The F-Pace really feels like the right car at the right time for Jaguar.

Behind the wheel

Far and away the biggest selling F-Pace (65%) will be the 180bhp 2.0 diesel manual AWD auto. The entry-level engine makes itself heard at low revs but pulls pretty strongly once it gains momentum. Given its competitive 53.3mpg and 139g/km CO2 rating the 8.2-second 0-60mph time seems an acceptable compromise.

Buyers wanting more oomph, or who regularly carry greater loads might consider the 300bhp 3.0 diesel AWD (47.1mpg and 159g/km) with its cracking 5.8-second 0-60mph time, or even the ultra-rapid 5.1-second 380bhp 3.0 petrol (31.7mpg and 209g/km) although this latter option may only make up 5% of UK sales, due to its tax and economy downsides.

The F-Pace’s ride and handling quality is very good for such a big car and the test route even included a deep stream to prove the F-Pace’s 525mm wading depth.

With competitive costs versus its German rivals to go with its looks and driving poise, Jaguar looks to have a winner.

About The Author

Guy Bird is a freelance motoring journalist