2018 Jaguar F-Pace – Test Drive, Review, Rating, Specs

Where Luxury Meets Quality

It’s a bit of a clash to consider Jaguar building a SUV that’s in direct competition with their Land Rover sister company who’s specialty is exactly that. And with the ever growing popularity and demand for the do-it-all vehicle, there’s little reason why Jaguar, and even super luxury brands like Lambourghini and Bentley jumping onto the bandwagon as well.

Opting in for the Jaguar brand is going to cost though. The base F-Pace 2.5L 4 cylinder Turbo well already set you back $63,667 and the prices start escalating as you move up into the 2.0 Diesel, 30t (larger turbo), and the S AWD 3.0L V6 supercharged model at a whopping $86,774. That tips the scale on the upper end spectrum of some even the luxury brands including Lexus NX300 and Infiniti QX60 series. Fortunately, there’s more going on in the F-Pace than slapping shiny British badge onto a car. And when you’re paying that kind of money, you better expect features and quality that well separates itself from the norm of even other luxury SUV’s such as the Lexus NX300, or Infiniti QX80.

The Unconventional Standard

Stepping inside the F-Pace immediately congratulates you of your elite status with premium features throughout. Most notable are the massive moonroof nearly spanning all of the front and back seats, premium dashboard and center console design and the ultra clean and elegant user design interface on the full LCD cluster and infotainment screen that so many have trouble getting right. There’s also the unconventional truth with the F-Pace though. You’re in for a bit more of a tight squeeze, the power window buttons are awkwardly place on the window sill rather than on the door handle arm rest area, and while minor, I just can’t forgive the cheap feel of the notchy volume knob button especially at this level of quality.

One thing that the F-Pace does extraordinarily well is retaining the whole Jaguar experience that really sets itself apart from the boring norm of Lexus and Infiniti. It’s the stiff; yet comfortable seats, simple; yet elegant interior but most notably, the ultra stiff; but somehow manageable ride that leads to a sense of elevated luxury. Such wild departure from the typical feel is due to the minimal flex from the all-aluminum chassis construction as opposed to the conventional steel chassis construction that’s prone to more flex inherent to the property of the material.

And it feels relatively light as well. Our 25t tester model sports a 2.5L 4 cylinder engine giving out 247 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. There isn’t a neck pulling effect on acceleration, but the F-Pace surely squeezes out every last bit of power from the engine during acceleration. It’s pull is smooth and some may even be fooled into thinking it’s a V6.  All that power is handled by a swift and smooth 8-speed automatic transmission.  There’s also paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel to provide a higher sense of driving engagement, and the gearbox responsiveness is not bad although the short gear ratios in between tends to bring out gear hunting syndrome.

You can thank the stiff chassis for its responsive ride and steering provides relatively good feedback. At a 1650 milometer ride height, you’ll also feel more elevated above compared to other conventional SUV’s, and that leads to feel of instability and tight feel on the handling realm especially on twisty roads. Despite the Jaguar status, it doesn’t go without pet peeves. You’ll feel a bit of a tight squeeze inside, and the stock 19″ wheels gives an overall ride height just a tad above most people’s comfort level of expectation.

Our tester comes priced in at a base price or $50,250 and all models come equipped with AWD. And if 247 horsepower is not enough, a turbocharged four cylinder or the more aggressive 3.0L V6 producing 296 and 380 horsepower and available to sooth whatever your soul’s content.

Specifications

• Vehicle : 2018 Jaguar F Pace
• Model : Jaguar F Pace 25t
• Price as Tested $57,971
• Vehicle Type : V
• Seating Capacity : 2+3
• Powertrain Configuration : AWD
• Engine : 2.0L V4
• Transmission : 8-speed Automatic

Pros

• Exquisite exterior and interior styling
• Unique ride experience with all-aluminum chassis
• Powerful acceleration and smooth handling
• Unique and quality features throughout

Cons

• High ride height and tight interior leads to a slight feel of discomfort