Motoring Review

Jaguar F-Pace SVR

If you aren’t familiar with the SVR badge, it’s used to denote Jaguar and Land Rover models that have been breathed on by the company’s ‘special vehicle operations’ department. A bit like AMG does for Mercedes.

To mark it out from lesser versions of the F-Pace, the SVR has more aggressive looking front and rear bumpers with larger air intakes, along with extra vents on the bonnet and in the wings. Jaguar claims that none of it’s for show: it’s all to help that mighty V8 engine breathe properly or, in the case of the wing vents, to help cool the huge brakes tasked with stopping this two-tonne SUV.

Performance & drive

With 542bhp, this BMW X3-sized SUV can hit 62mph from a standstill in just 4.3 seconds - only slightly longer than it takes the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and Mercedes GLC 63 AMG to do the same sprint. But it’s the glorious V8 bellow the SVR makes when doing so that’s more intoxicating, especially when you switch the sports exhaust to its loudest setting. It doesn’t even abate when you lift off the accelerator pedal, because you get angry pops and crackles from the exhausts. SUVs are never as agile as conventional sports cars but, compared with its direct rivals, the F-Pace SVR is good fun through the corners, too. It’s slightly bigger than the Stelvio, so unsurprisingly leans a little more through tight twists and turns, although is still surprisingly capable and its precise, deliciously weighted steering allows you to thoroughly enjoy the experience. There’s plenty of road noise - as with the GLC 63 AMG and Porsche Macan. If you want something more hushed, we’d recommend looking at a luxury SUV rather than one this sporty.

Interior

The biggest difference here between the regular F-Pace and this range-topping SVR model is the sports seats in the front. They hold you in place really well around corners and yet, crucially, remain comfortable on longer journeys. The F-Pace is relatively easy to see out of and standard parking aids include front and rear sensors, along with a 360deg bird’s eye view camera that’s displayed on the central 10in touchscreen. Interior quality is more impressive than in the Alfa Stelvio and there aresoft-touch plastics and leather and vinyl coverings on all the surfaces you touch regularly.

Passenger & boot space

The SVR may be faster, louder and more agile than any other F-Pace you can buy, but, fortunately, it’s just as practical. You’re unlikely to have any issues with space in the front, even if you’re really tall. Even on versions with a panoramic glass roof, there’s plenty of head room to accommodate those well over six feet tall. Some of Jaguar’s saloons, particularly the XE, are a little cramped inside, but the F-Pace is easily big enough for most families. It’s certainly roomier in the back than a Porsche Macan because a couple of six-footers won’t just fit, they’ll have head and leg room

to spare. Fold down the rear seats and you’re left with a virtually flat extended load bay to slide in longer loads. A powered tailgate is standard across the range, while a ‘gesture’ tailgate (you wave your foot under the rear bumper and the boot opens automatically) is on the options list.

Safety

Euro NCAP has crash tested the Jaguar F-Pace, where it scored a maximum five stars. Automatic emergency braking is on hand to help you avoid a shunt, as is a lanedeparture warning system. On the options list you’ll find blind-spot monitoring and reverse traffic detection. The latter alerts you about moving vehicles when backing out of a parking space or your driveway.

Costs

If you’re a company car driver, the only Jaguar F-Pace really worth considering is the entry-level 2.0-litre diesel. If you want the lowest possible tax bills then go for the cheapest rear-wheel-drive version equipped with a manual gearbox. The V6 models have obvious appeal, but are available only in range-topping S trim, so are very pricey. You could buy a much larger SUV, such as an Audi Q7 or Volvo XC90, for less money, although neither of those rivals is as fast or as sharp to drive as the F-Pace.