2017 Jaguar F-Pace Test Drive Review

2017 Jaguar F-Pace Review

Car Tested: 2017 Jaguar F-Pace; Road Test No. 827

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 92.43 lakhs – 1.65 crores

Jaguar’s first SUV has positive impressions with both visual and dynamic appeal

Jaguar has always been manufacturing luxury sedans and performance coupes since decades while Land Rover has been killing it with an extensive SUV range. When Jaguar announced a few years back that they would be entering the SUV segment, a lot of eyes were raised and then the automaker went on to launch the F-Pace which impressed everyone at first glance. It has distinctive styling and is offered in a number of variants with multiple engines and is positioned as a dynamic SUV. We had a go in both engine variants of the Indian-spec F-Pace to check out how impressive it is.

Motor Quest: This might be Jaguar’s first SUV product line but the automaker has had expertise with their Land Rover range of vehicles which are known to be very durable and have good off-road performance. Many bits on the F-Pace have taken inspiration from Land Rover cars while there are some bits from other Jaguar cars too.

Exteriors – The Jaguar F-Pace looks sporty, unique and very exclusive right from first glance. The front fascia is similar to other Jaguar cars where it features a large honeycomb grille, flanked by bright LED headlights on either side. The bottom part of the bumper gets sleek fog lamps. The grille is quite large in size and gives the F-Pace an imposing look. The side profile shows the SUV’s bulk and the swooping roofline again lends a sporty appeal. There are some minor visual differences between the 20d and the R-Sport 30d trims. The rear borrows some design cues from the F-Type and the derriere of the car looks really attractive. Compared to other luxury SUVs, the F-Pace looks a bit unique on our roads and attracts lots of eyeballs.

Interiors – The interiors of the Jaguar F-Pace are pleasant and the dashboard has neatly stacked controls. The layout is driver-friendly and has a premium feel to it. The SUV gets a digital instrument cluster which different types of displays to suit your needs. The steering feels great to hold and is just the perfect size. The centre console gets a large touchscreen with the uConnect system. You also get a rotary gear knob that pops out when you turn on the ignition. You also get ambient lighting with a variety of colour options that can be toggled from the touchscreen. Just like Land Rover SUVs, even the F-Pace comes with power window switches on the window panes unlike the door pads on other cars.

Interiors are finished in premium quality materials, R-Sport gets sportier seats

The seating position is high up and the driving position is excellent. Frontal visibility is good but rearward view is a bit limited. The large ORVMs really help matters though. The front seats are a bit stiff but feel comfortable nonetheless. Space at the rear is also good with decent amount of knee room and good shoulder and head space. The panoramic sunroof also adds to the airy feel in the cabin. The AC does its job well but what really impressed us is the way the cabin cocoons you from the outside world with the splendid insulation.

The boot is well-shaped and can carry a decently good amount of luggage. However, the cover for the spare well is really thick and eats into space. In terms of features, the F-Pace comes with a Meridian audio system which is aural bliss, though the speakers did seem to create a distorted noise at higher volumes. You also get a 360-degree view from the various cameras installed around the car and that helps matters while parking in tight spaces since the F-Pace is quite wide. I also liked the valet option on the infotainment system which limits the functions of the car when you’re giving it to your chauffeur or a hotel valet. The headlamps are powerful and light up the road like daylight.

Performance – Even though demand for petrol-powered luxury cars is on the rise, Jaguar has chosen to launch the F-Pace with diesel engines only, yes, you read that right, engines because the F-Pace is offered with two oil burners. Starting with the smaller displacement motor, it’s the 2.0-litre unit that is better known as the F-Pace 20d. Producing 177 BHP and 430 Nm, this powertrain is vocal and you can hear the diesel clatter at idle, something which only gets louder as you near the 5000 RPM redline. There is some lag low down so one needs to get past 1800 RPM to make good progress and the mid-range is strong with the surge in power sustaining till almost 4000 RPM.

The F-Pace 30d is extremely fun to drive with ample grunt from the V6 oil burner

The Jaguar F-Pace 30d is quite a different animal thanks to the V6 motor belting out 296 BHP and a rather impressive 700 Nm of twisting force. The result is immediate, this engine is more refined than the smaller 20d and is much more eager too in the low-end, despite peak torque coming in later than the 20d. There is no diesel clatter but the motor is vocal, in a sporty way which makes you want to push the car to its 5000 RPM redline, power tapering off post 4500 RPM. The mid-range is the strong suit with peak power coming in at 2000 RPM and that punch staying intact all the way past 4000 RPM.

To put it into numbers, the F-Pace 20d does the 0-100 km/hr sprint in a leisurely 10.59 seconds while the F-Pace 30D manages to hit the ton in just 6.82 seconds. We did not test the top speed of the cars but Jaguar claims that the F-Pace 20d will hit 208 km/hr while the F-Pace 30d will manage 241 km/hr. Both engines are mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox, offering smooth shifts but the cogs aren’t swapped at lightning speed when you need it, good thing though is, you can manually take control of things using the steering mounted paddles, although, the gearbox doesn’t respond with the same pace as BMW’s ZF or Audi’s S Tronic.

Driving Dynamics – The Jaguar F-Pace is underpinned by a lightweight aluminium platform with almost 50:50 weight distribution. It gets 4 drive modes – Normal, Eco, All Surface Progress Control (ASPC which works under 30 km/hr) and Dynamic, with each mode altering the throttle response, gearshift and steering weight of the vehicle. Naturally, the best way to extract the most out of this British SUV is to put the car in Dynamic mode and the gearbox in Sports mode (activate the paddles and it holds on to gears). The First Edition (which is offered in the 30d) gets Adaptive Dampers which electrically control the suspension and stiffen them for a more sporty drive, analysing steering and body movement a whopping 500 times a second.

The ride and handling balance of the Jaguar F-Pace is fantastic, the suspension does a great job of ironing out the undulations of our roads but does feel firm when you drive fast over expansion joints on bridges. The rather high profile tyres are also to be praised and the rubber is wide, that coupled to the 4-wheel drive system and torque vectoring ensure that the F-Pace corners with a whole lot of eagerness. While there is body roll, it’s quite well contained and the steering is responsive and feedback rich, making corners a favourite place for this Jag. The torque vectoring system applies brakes to individual wheels when it senses a loss in traction and it simply works flawlessly to reduce understeer. The F-Pace is very stable at high speeds but there is some vertical movement post 160 km/hr. The brakes offer very good stopping power and the pedal feel is positive.

Safety and After Sales Service – The Jaguar F-Pace gets safety features like multiple airbags and ABS with EBD along with other tech like autonomous emergency braking, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Driver Attention Monitor, Blind Spot Monitor, Reverse Traffic Detection, Park Assist, Surround Camera System and Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist. In terms of service, Jaguar has presence in most major cities but service levels aren’t known to be as great as the German trio.

Verdict – This is Jaguar’s first attempt with an SUV and they have pretty much got it on point. It looks really good, feels a lot special and offers a good drive along with a lot of exclusivity on our roads. The only fly in the ointment here is the highly optimistic pricing that the automaker has set. Compared to its immediate German rivals, the F-Pace feels a lot more costlier and then it depends on the buyers whether they’re really willing to shell out the additional moolah or not. For those of you who have decided to set the pace, the R-Sport variant makes sense if you’ll be driving the car on your own but if you’re going to be driven around and don’t mind being a little slow off the line, the 20d Prestige trim should be fine since it comes properly loaded too.

What’s Cool

* Styling is on point, looks really good
* Interiors are well laid out and have a feel good factor
* Well-balanced ride and handling balance

What’s Not So Cool

* Feels overpriced for what it offers
* 2.0-litre diesel engine has mediocre performance

Alternatives: Audi Q5, BMW X3, Volvo XC60, Porsche Macan, Mercedes GLE, Range Rover Evoque

2017 Jaguar F-Pace Specifications

* Engine: 2993cc, DOHC, V6 | 1999cc, DOHC, 4-cylinder
* Power: 296 HP @ 4000 RPM | 177 HP @ 4000 RPM
* Torque: 700 Nm @ 2000 RPM | 430 Nm @ 1750 RPM
* Transmission: 8-speed AT
* 0-100 km/hr – 6.82 seconds | 10.59 seconds
* Fuel Consumption: 7-8 km/l | 10-11 km/l
* Fuel Type: Diesel
* Tyres: 255/55/19 | 255/60/18
* Brakes: Discs (Front & Rear), ABS
* Safety: Airbags, ABS, EBD, BA, ESP, Traction Control, Hill Hold, AEB, DAM, ACC

2017 Jaguar F-Pace Dimensions

* Overall length x width x height: 4731 mm X 1936 mm X 1651 mm
* Wheelbase: 2874 mm
* Turning Radius: 5.9-metres
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 66-litres | 60-litres
* Kerb Weight: 1884 kgs | 1825 – 1830 kgs