Jaguar has long bucked the SUV trend, selling just sedans, coupes, and convertibles for decades. The British brand remained one of the last holdouts from this popular segment, until the introduction of the F-Pace.
Their first effort, indeed, lives up to the "pace" in its name, delivering swift acceleration and cat-like reflexes. But don't expect typical Jaguar grace; the stiff ride, cut-rate interior ambience, droning exhaust note, and inferior infotainment system combine to make the F-Pace feel more adolescent than accomplished.
Nimble and entertaining to pilot down a twisty back road, the F-Pace feels reminiscent of its platform-mates, the compact XE and redesigned XF sedans. This casts the F-Pace in the spirit of competitors like the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Porsche Macan.
The 340-hp, 3.0-liter supercharged V6 provides serious punch, making the F-Pace one of the quickest vehicles in the segment. The dramatic exhaust tone conveys its sporty pretense, but that trick grows old over time. For its frisky performance, 20 mpg is fair, though it falls behind the fuel economy from its main competitors.
The F-Pace feels lively and enjoyable in normal driving, but push this cat on stilts beyond its comfort zone on a track and the Jaguar fails to shine. Stability control kicks in early, and the F-Pace runs wide of the intended driving line. Braking performance is impressive.
Jaguars are known for having silky-smooth rides. But unlike the XF sedan, the F-Pace ride is stiff and choppy--probably more than what the typical luxury SUV buyer prefers.
The interior is marked by supportive front bucket seats and a roomy rear seat with space for adults. Jaguar’s interiors used to have a wow-factor; you won’t find it here. Beyond a motorized gear selector knob that grandly rises when the ignition is turned on, the cabin is devoid of the nice touches you expect in a luxury car. Expanses of cheap, hard plastic are bewildering at this lofty price tag.
You won’t find a world-class infotainment system here, either. The F-Pace's standard touch screen feels dated and limited, especially compared to the advanced Audi and BMW systems. Even mass-market brands like Chrysler and Ford have better touch-screen-based systems.
As is typical of the breed, visibility is restricted. The F-Pace's sloped rear styling reduces the rear window to a sliver of glass, and the rear roof pillars are very thick.
Despite the tempting entry-level price, it's easy to price and F-Pace well past $70,000. At around $55,000, our typically equipped version slots right into the heart of the luxury SUV segment, but that doesn't make it a bargain. For example, blind-spot monitoring requires getting a relatively high-level trim.
Even worse, other advanced safety features like forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking are only available on the top trim R-Sport or S trims. We think this equipment should be standard, and they are on some rivals, like the cheaper and plusher Mercedes-Benz GLC. Also, while the shifter knob isn't difficult to use, it lacks programming that could prevent the car from rolling away if it isn't put in Park when needed.
In all, the quick F-Pace provides an alternative to the ubiquitous German and Japanese players in this segment. But other than letting Jaguar finally jump on the SUV bandwagon, it brings little new to the table for the consumer.