SUV shoppers who want a healthy dose of sport in their sport-ute can now opt for a high-riding Jaguar—for thousands of dollars less than a Range Rover Sport. Coventry’s first-ever SUV, the F-Pace, is a handsome, well-packaged, and fine-driving specimen in a crowded class. The F-Pace is just starting to arrive at dealers, and while we’ve yet to put one through our full test regimen, we’ve settled on the ideal Jag truck. “Jag truck”? Yeah, that’s weird to say, but chief designer Ian Callum is already used to the idea. And since we had such a positive first impression, so are we.
MODEL: 2017 Jaguar F-Pace 35t (base price: $43,385)
The F-Pace starts at $41,985, and—in an unusual move for the U.S. market—it comes with a four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine. Trouble is, that model isn’t out yet, and in this country, what the hell is a diesel Jag? Instead, we chose Jaguar’s mainstay engine: a smooth, potent 3.0-liter supercharged gasoline V-6 that puts out 340 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. We dismissed the 380-hp S for two reasons: 1) It comes with lovely 22-inch wheels but we’d destroy them in a matter of days, and 2) the S interiors, even as two-tones, are dark as a coffin. Besides, the two V-6 engines have almost identical power and torque curves until they approach redline, which means that extra 40 horsepower is negligible in ordinary driving.
We jumped up two rungs from the base trim to the 35t Prestige. For $51,095, the Prestige adds heated leather seats with four-way lumbar (leatherette is standard), a heated steering wheel, xenon headlights with LED running lights, navigation with Jaguar’s InControl Apps, ambient lighting, keyless entry, and front and rear parking sensors. A backup camera, 10-way power seats with memory, auto-dimming power-folding mirrors, a garage door opener, a panoramic sunroof, a power tailgate, an 11-speaker 380-watt Meridian stereo, and HD radio are also standard, along with 20-inch wheels on all-season tires, which provide the best balance between ride comfort and style. Jaguar’s latest driver assists, including auto-braking and lane-keep assist, are only available on the R-Sport and S. So why not go for the R-Sport? Well, it brings no performance upgrades, and its interior is depressingly black. We can live without its contrasting body kit and fog lamps for a friendlier, more welcoming F-Pace cabin.
OPTIONS:
Technology Package ($3200)
Vision Package ($2100)
Tow hitch ($650)
Dark Sapphire Blue paint ($550)
Full-size spare tire and matching extra wheel ($400)
Roof rails ($350)
Etched aluminum interior trim ($300)
Badge trim delete ($0)
As much fun as it was carving corners in Montenegro with fully loaded S models shod with summer tires, the F-Pace is not an F-type. An SUV should be able to tow, carry sports equipment on the roof, and traverse reasonably rugged terrain without blowing a tire. So we opted for a hitch rated to tow 5290 pounds—enough for a pair of jet skis or a small boat. A pair of kayaks would top our F-Pace, so roof rails are essential. The $400 spare might seem pricey, except Jaguar doesn’t throw in some cheap steelie; you get an identical fifth wheel. Try blowing a sidewall with that 20-inch tire in a rural area—it’s guaranteed you won’t get moving again for hours, if not days, later. We’d sacrifice some cargo space for a real spare. The Dark Sapphire Blue paint isn’t all that dark. In the sun, it’s like a metallic blueberry. And blueberries are good for you.
The Vision Package adds adaptive LED headlights with those razor-thin “J blade” running lamps and auto high beams, plus blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. We’ve tried these lights on the 2017 XF and they’re worth the upgrade. We also deleted the “35t AWD” badge from the tailgate, because it was free and looks cleaner. Also missing is the $1000 Adaptive Dynamics Package, since Jaguar’s steel suspension tuning balances comfort and sporty response well enough without electronic dampers.
Inside, we chose aluminum trim to brighten up the doors and opted for Light Oyster leather. The Technology Package is a must: It includes the company’s InControl Touch Pro infotainment system that’s light-years ahead of the standard system, which relies on older, slower hardware and lacks the 12.3-inch widescreen satellite maps, swipe-and-pinch gestures, a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, 3G WiFi, and other slick features. It also upgrades the stereo to 825 watts and 17 speakers. The head-up display ($990) isn’t as detailed as those from BMW and Mercedes, so we’d skip it.
Our grand total came to $60,145, right on the fringe for sub-$600 monthly lease payments that attract most luxury-minded customers to the showroom. Plus, Jaguar includes a five-year, 60,000-mile warranty with scheduled maintenance and roadside assistance for the same duration. We’d still prefer an F-type, but if we’re forced to drive a Jaguar with four doors and a tall roof, this blue-on-tan F-Pace is a pretty swell compromise.
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