Review: Jaguar F-Pace

The world has gone SUV crazy and it was only a matter of time before Jaguar followed suit. But it was still a big ask: how would this proud British saloon and sports car manufacturer tackle the challenge of building an authentic SUV?

How too would it deal with the somewhat tricky internal challenge of not stepping on sister company Land Rover’s toes? There is no end of choice in the Jaguar Land Rover SUV line-up, such as Discovery Sport, Range Rover Evoque, Range Rover Sport and the like. Where could a Jaguar SUV fit in?

By taking on sporty premium five-seat rivals such as the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Porsche Macan, that’s how. And this is exactly what the F-Pace has done.

More road-orientated than the off-road Land Rovers, Jaguar makes the merest nod towards off-road use with some clever technology in the four-wheel drive versions. It’s mainly a car that’s been optimised for corners, serving up truly wonderful handling that’s easily a match for the racy Porsche.

A real-world engine line-up is focused around a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, which is the engine we’d recommend over the 3.0-litre V6 petrol and diesel alternatives. It’s smooth, reasonably economical and more than quick enough for most.