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The Jaguar F-Pace will be launched in India towards the end of 2016.

What you'll like:

• One of the most handsome SUVs in the market today. Styling retains the Jaguar heritage to a large extent
• Highly potent power plants. V6 diesel engine pulls like a train, V6 supercharged petrol from the F-Type sports coupe is explosive
• In-car entertainment and connectivity is simply the best out there
• Sorted dynamics - ride and handling are pliant even though tuned towards the sportier side
• A Jaguar that you can actually take off-road

What you won't:

• Expected to be priced at a hefty premium thanks to it being a CBU
• Some interior bits shared from the lower XE feel out of place at this price point
• Ordinary performance from the 2.0L diesel. It's not the most refined motor out there either
• Better for 4 adults onboard than 5
• Jaguar's after-sales network isn't a match for that of Mercedes or BMW

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Review Index:

Exterior

Interior - Front

Features

In-Car Entertainment

Interior - Rear

The 3.0L Diesel

The 2.0L Diesel

The 3.0L Petrol

Ride & Handling

Off-roading

Other Points

Smaller & Significant

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Exterior

When it comes to cars, the name Jaguar conjures up images of sleek, sexy-looking cars like the iconic E-Type from the 60s, XK120, the legendary XJ luxury saloons and more recently the XF and XE sedans and the stunning F-Type sports car, which was described as possibly the best looking 2-door sports car when it was launched. So, when you hear the term Jaguar and SUV in the same sentence, the first thing that comes to your mind is what was Jaguar thinking? How would an SUV fit into the Jaguar DNA? Purists cried foul when the announcement was made that Jaguar was indeed making an SUV.

The SUV or crossover segment is one of the fastest growing segments worldwide. According to Jaguar the premium SUV segment is expected to grow by 50% in the next 5 years and obviously they wanted a big piece of the pie. Land Rover tasted success in this segment with the hot-selling Evoque. Porsche’s Macan has a waiting period of more than 12 months in most countries, so much so that used Macan’s are commanding a huge premium. BMW’s latest X3 is one of the best-selling SUVs and Mercedes-Benz recently got the GLC-Class to India.

Jaguar first unveiled the C-X17 concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2013 to gauge public reaction to its first ever attempt at making an SUV. The C-X17 was even showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo. There were mixed reactions as expected, but the overall impression was that Jaguar had managed to pull it off. The combined efforts of the Land Rover team for the SUV character and the Jaguar team to retain the DNA of Jaguar resulted in a striking-looking crossover that was unmistakably a Jaguar. The C-X17 concept was based on Jaguar’s new modular lightweight aluminium architecture (codenamed iQ[AI]), which is the same as the one in the XE sedan.

Jaguar finally took the wraps off the production version of the C-X17 at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, which now brings us to the crossover you see here - the Jaguar F-Pace. It is the first ever SUV from Jaguar to come out of the plant at Solihull, UK. Jaguar invited select international media to a preview drive of the F-Pace in Montenegro, a small country near Serbia. The drive consisted of brilliantly paved highways through the small towns of Montenegro and then into the mountains where we had a mixture of all driving terrains, including a mountain pass trail to experience the off-road capabilities of the F-Pace.

Montenegro is a small country by the Adriatic Sea, formerly a part of Yugoslavia. We were flown into Tivat airport from London Farnborough and whisked away in Jaguar XJs to the ferry terminal. The ferry was a vehicle transporter, where a fleet of F-Paces awaited us on-board. The first day involved a drive through the Montenegro countryside towards our hotel with a lunch stop in between.

The F-Pace is aimed to fill the gap between the Jaguar luxury sedans and sports cars, and the full-fledged SUVs from Land Rover. Jaguar has set its eyes firmly on the premium mid-sized crossover space that consists of the Porsche Macan, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, Audi Q5, Volvo XC60 and the Lexus NX. The F-Pace is meant to be the practical Jaguar that isn't afraid to get its paws dirty once in a while, but still offers driver involvement. Existing XF, XE, XJ or even F-Type owners would have to look at either sister brand Land Rover for an SUV option or at other brands outside the JLR stable. The F-Pace gives existing customers the option to stay within the Jaguar brand. Jaguar is also targeting a much younger clientele as well as the fairer sex. 1 in 3 buyers are expected to be women and the F-Pace is expected to bring the average age of Jaguar owners down by 10 years.

The F-Pace is currently manufactured only in the new 500 million pound factory in Solihull, UK. The plant is already facing a crunch, as the demand for the F-Pace was unprecedented and most countries are racking up long waiting periods. Even though the platform is shared with the XE sedan, 71% of the parts are unique for the F-Pace. 80% of the body structure is made of aluminium with the core body structure weighing in at less than 300 kilos. 1/3rd of the aluminium used is recycled (RC5754 grade). The aluminium bonnet, magnesium front sub frame, steel doors and composite tailgate, all help in achieving a near 50:50 weight distribution. Even with the lightweight aluminium structure, the overall kerb weight of the F-Pace is close to 1,800 kgs for the 2.0L diesel and nearly 1.9 tonnes for the 3.0L, V6 diesel.

India is expected to get the F-Pace towards the end of this year hopefully by the festive season. The F-Pace will be available with 4 engine options - 2 diesel and 2 petrol. India will most likely get only the diesels initially - a 2.0L, inline 4-cylinder and a 3.0, V6. However looking at the recent bans on diesel engines in the NCR as well as other states, Jaguar may need to rethink this strategy. Petrol power comes in the form of a 2.0L, 4 pot motor, currently available only in China and a twin vortex supercharged 3.0L, V6 petrol engine from the F-Type. The 4 pot engines are available with a 6-speed manual transmission or the 8-speed ZF 8 box. The V6s only get the ZF 8 gearbox.

The F-Pace looks striking from any angle when you walk up to it - especially the Caesium Blue, range-topping First Edition with the massive 22" wheels and piano black trim. The First Edition is available only in Caesium blue and a very loud Ivory Gold shade. Ian Callum, the chief designer behind the F-Pace, has ensured that the car is unmistakably a Jaguar from all angles. The dead on front view is very similar to the XE, but everything is larger for the raised SUV stance. The longish bonnet with sharp creases actually goes over the top of the LED headlights giving it a very purposeful look. The side profile highlights the long hood and the very sharply sloping roofline, which appears almost coupe-like. The rear haunches accentuate the width of the car, which was very noticeable while driving on the narrow valley roads in Montenegro. The tail-lights harp back to the E-Type Jaguar, and were seen on the XE and F-type. The F-Pace at 4,731 mm is the longest in its segment. It's 75 mm longer than the GLC-Class with the same wheelbase. It's longer, wider and has a longer wheelbase than the BMW X3. Overall, the F-Pace comes across as a very handsomely proportioned SUV.

Front looks unmistakably Jaguar with the headlamps and grille resembling the Jag sedans:


Huge front bumper with massive air dams. Black plastic cladding at the bottom hides the bulk. No chrome whatsoever gives it a wicked look:


Side profile shows off the long hood and steeply raked C-pillar:


You can see how steeply raked the hatch is - very unlike an SUV. Montenegro has many such scenic viewpoints to pull over and enjoy the view of the Adriatic Sea:


Adaptive LED headlights on the top end V6 diesel and petrol:


Jaguar calls this the J-Blade signature LED DRL:


Rear looks more hatch-like than SUV, thanks to the roofline heavily swooping downwards:


Slim tail-lights are like the F-Type Sports car. The shape with the rounded curve at the bottom harks back to the iconic E-Type:


Tail-lights are all LED and wrap around the rear of the car:


The Jaguar logo on the front grille is actually behind a plastic piece, which houses the electronics of the radar cruise control as well as front facing camera above:


ORVM houses downward facing camera as well as LED puddle lamp:


Jaguar logo on the hatch has a neat trick. Read on to know what it is:


Top spec 3.0L, V6 diesel with locomotive-like torque:


20" wheels are standard, but not the largest available! You can get optional 22" wheels with 40 profile rubber:


LED fog lamp have a light tube design giving them a super sleek look:


Huge rear spoiler literally covers half the windshield:


The line-up of F-Paces on Day 2 outside the hotel on the beach:


Some scenic shots from the Montenegro country side:






Some wallpaper shots taken by Jaguar:










The line-up of all 3 engine variants:

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Interior - Front

Step inside the F-Pace and you are greeted by a very familiar cabin. The dashboard design is very similar to its smaller sedan sibling, the XE. Compared to the exteriors that wow you, the interiors are more function over form. The quality of materials plus fit and finish are top-notch as expected, though there are few places where Jaguar could improve upon, like the very flimsy instrument dimming knob and some plastics at the bottom part of the dash towards the passenger side. The buttons on the dash have a clicky feel and don't feel damped or soft to the press, which I expected in this segment. None of these is really a deal breaker and these were the only faults I could actually find and you could say that I was nit-picking.

The front seats are extremely comfortable and finding your perfect driving position is a cinch with the plethora of seat and steering adjustments available. The frontal visibility is really good thanks to the low cowl of the dash and in fact, you can actually see down the long swooping bonnet. Rearward visibility is not great and this is a wide SUV. The bulging haunches on the side really made it difficult on the narrow sections of road we drove to gauge the gap. I used the 360 degree camera more than once to fit the F-Pace through narrow gaps.

The highlights of the interior are the 2 huge screens - a 12.3" HD virtual instrument cluster and a 10.2" touchscreen infotainment unit called In-Control Touch Pro. The virtual instrument cluster offers 4 different themes as well as a full 3D navigation display. There's even a laser head-up display system.

Sporty steering wheel feels good to hold but has a plethora of buttons:


Center console resembles the XE sedan. Unlike the exteriors the interiors are more functional:


Typical Jaguar gear selector knob rises up when you start the ignition:


The buttons below the gear knob are for the different driving modes. Electronic parking brake and cruise control switch at the bottom:


Functional door pads can accommodate a 1L bottle each:


Memory settings for both driver and passenger seats. Buttons are placed where you would usually find the power window switches:


Supremely comfortable front seats with perfect side bolstering. They can be set to a very low, almost sedan-like driving position. The range of possible adjustments allows you to get the perfect driving position. The seats can be heated or cooled:


Seats have 14-way all-electric adjustments including adjustable under-thigh support:


Paddle shifters are made of brushed aluminium. The +& - symbols are actually drilled out and not embossed or printed! Indicator stalks feel chunky and of very good quality:


Menu navigation buttons on the left and cruise control buttons on the right. Steering wheel can also be heated for those cold winter mornings:


Controls for the panoramic sunroof. LED map lights are discrete:


Huge, double-piece panoramic sunroof. Only the front part slides open:


Rearward visibility is not great. Thick D-pillars and narrow rear windshield means the 360 degree camera is your best friend when parking in tight spots:


ORVM's could have been a touch wider, especially towards the edges:


Shockingly no height adjustment for the seat belts:


Cool cubby hole on the side of the center console. Can hold a 5.2" Nexus 5X or your wallet easily:


Air-con vent design has a resemblance to the parent company's car - the Tata Tiago :


Small glove box holds the manuals and some knick-knacks:


Power window switches on the top of the door pad. They get wet easily when raining. Land Rovers have them in a similar position as well:


10.3" touchscreen infotainment system with 17 speakers. Dual-zone climate control system is standard. A 4-zone unit is optional:


Knob to reduce the brightness of the instrument cluster feels cheap:


Ambient lighting with 10 colour options to choose from illuminates the door pads, air-con vents and foot wells:




Front center channel speaker:


Steering wheel is electrically adjustable for rake and reach:


Meridian sound system with 17 speakers. Audio quality is top class - expected from a car in this price range:


Illuminated scuff plate at the front:

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Features

The F-Pace has a virtual instrument cluster with a massive 12.3" display.

You can select between 4 modes of display and customize the colours:


Host of driver assistance options available. The forward collision alert can be preset for 4 distances:


Trip computer options:


There are so many different settings and convenience features to play around with that you will never get bored:


Every time you change between the drive modes, you get a confirmation on the virtual display:






Seatbelt indicator for all 5 seats:


Driving score (explained in post #7) from the center console In-Control is also available on the virtual display:


Music playlist:






The best part is that the entire navigation map can be displayed on the huge display. This couples up with the laser head-up display to give you an almost 3D experience:

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In-Car Entertainment

Jaguar has come a long way with its in-car entertainment - from the clunky systems seen in earlier cars, which were heavily criticized, to the new InControl system, which the F-Pace is equipped with. The hardware of the system has been developed in conjunction with Intel. The specs read more like your laptop at home than an in-car system with a 10.2" touchscreen on the dash, driven by a Quad-core Intel processor, 4 GB RAM and a 60 GB Solid State Drive (SSD) located in the boot. You also get 3G connectivity via a SIM card slot in the center armrest and the system then converts that to a Wi-Fi hotspot to use. Jaguar missed out on 4G/LTE as the system was already under development before 4G services were rolled out. Hopefully, 4G/LTE would make it to future models with a hardware upgrade.

The touchscreen user interface is one of the snappiest I have ever come across in a car. It responds to swipes and presses without any lag whatsoever. You can pinch to zoom or pan across the screen. It’s more like a tablet computer with a home screen that can be customized with widgets for the information you want to see. You can even multitask with a browser on one half of the screen and navigation on the other side. Audio consists of a kick-ass Meridian sound system with 17 speakers.

Home screen is completely customisable and you can add widgets just like an Android phone launcher:




The system includes navigation using Here maps and has a number of navigation features including 360 degree views of places on the map. There's also a mobile companion app for the InControl system which allows you to plan your route before getting into the car. Once your phone syncs with the car, the route is loaded to the car and you don’t have to search and enter your destination. The system learns your daily routes and gives suggestions accordingly of parking spots and traffic at places visited frequently:




The system shows you a 360 degree photo of the destination you are traveling to:


It even checks if there's enough fuel to reach your destination and will plan fuel stops if there's not enough:




Not only that, it also shows you the weather at the destination at the time of your arrival:


There’s even an app for the Apple watch, which can lock/unlock the car, start the car remotely, open/close windows and sunroof as well as show you range and fuel economy details. This works on the watch or using the mobile app. The mobile app is available only for apple watch right now:


Jaguar has brought in wearable tech to automobiles with the F-Pace. The car comes with what Jaguar calls an Activity Key. This key is basically a wristband that resembles a fitness tracker. This is a waterproof band that can replace the key. You basically enable the band by placing the regular key fob inside the car and then activate the band. The band now works as the key. To lock the car, you need to walk up to the boot and touch the band against the letter "J" from "Jaguar" on the tailgate. This band can then be used when you go surfing or skiing as it is waterproof unlike the regular key. When you return back to the car you can again unlock the car by touching the band against the "J". The system is not that straightforward and had a few quirks as you need to arm the band. I couldn't always to get it to lock. Luckily the unlock function worked, so the system is foolproof.

The Activity Key is kept in a bucket of water to show that it's completely waterproof:


Resembles a fitness band:


The Activity Key doesn't use batteries as it's just a passive RFID device and doesn't need to be charged. It's more like a companion key as it works only if the original key is inside the vehicle:


One of the newest features is with NFC tiles. The InControl system can track and locate tiles which you attach to your personal belongings. To know more about how tiles work: https://www.thetileapp.com/how-it-works.

The system checks whether the tiles are in the car or not:




You can then check the last coordinates where the tile was left. Basically, it uses Bluetooth within a 100 ft. range of the phone:


You can create a Wi-Fi hotspot inside the car using the 3G connection inside the car or via the phone:


The climate control can be set using the touchscreen or via the physical buttons below:


You can set the seat temperatures individually as well for heating/cooling:


The 360 degree camera works amazingly well:






There are a host of other apps to play with. ECO data gives you a driving score, a full-fledged web browser and you can even install apps listed on the InControl app store:




ASI suite is for the off-road modes such as low friction launch. All Surface information shows the power delivery of the AWD system in real time (refer off road post):


Full-fledged browser makes full use of the real estate available:


Notice there's no address/navigation bar visible when in full screen mode:

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Interior - Rear

At the back, things are quite comfortable. Legroom/knee room is pretty good even for someone of my height and I was pretty comfortable sitting behind with the front seats set to my position:


The BMW X3 probably does better here but space at the back is definitely more than the Volvo XC60 and Audi Q5. Even though the seat is wide, it is best suited for 2:


The middle seat, for some reason, has lesser padding at the base. The seat base is also shorter in the middle than on the sides:


Legroom in the middle is also tight thanks to the high transmission tunnel and the center console that intrudes into the middle area:


Range-topping variants will get 4-zone climate control as well as rear seat ventilation:


There's also a 12V DC charging port along with 2 USB slots for the rear passengers to remain "charged up". All those charging ports are needed thanks to the host of connectivity options available on the F-Pace:


Rear door pads can hold 2 500 ml bottles easily:


At 650 liters, boot space at the back is higher than the others in the segment. In comparison, the X3 and GLC have 550 liters, the Macan is at 500 liters and the Q5 is at 540 liters:


Just like the BMW and the Mercedes, there's no spare tyre provision in the F-Pace. It remains to be seen if Jaguar will offer a space saver:


Boot auto closes with the press of a button. You can open the boot by waving your foot below the rear bumper provided the key is on you:

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India is expected to get only the diesel engines and these are what we got to drive in Montenegro. However, they were not India spec cars, but Euro spec LHD versions. On Day 1 I got the stonking 3.0L, V6 diesel to drive through the mountains of Montenegro. We landed at Tivat - a small airport off the Bay of Kotor and were whisked away in a convoy of XJs to a nearby ferry terminal. A ferry awaited us there, which had a fleet of F-Paces parked on board.

Aboard the ferry, we were given the mandatory driver briefing, which included the route we were to follow as well as local Montenegro road regulations. I decided to ride as passenger and let the other journo drive to get my brain used to the LHD setup and view a bit of the scenery. The route was from the bay of Kotor to the second-largest city, Niksic and then to the capital city Podgorica. From Podgorica, we went back to the coast of the Adriatic Sea towards Petrovac and our halt for the day at the Aman Sveti Stefan near Budva.

The route consisted of narrow mountain roads with a lot of twisties and wide highways with fast sweeping curves. The roads were actually a mix of great surfaces and completely broken India-style stretches. So, we got a fairly good idea of how the F-Pace feels across all sorts of conditions.

The line-up of F-Paces on board the ferry:




Mandatory driver briefing before we set off on our drive:

Driving The 3.0L, V6 diesel

The 3.0L, V6 diesel with twin turbos pumps out 296 BHP @ 4,000 rpm and a staggering 700 Nm of torque @ 2,000 rpm. Power is transferred to all 4 wheels through a ZF 8HP 70 8-speed box. The F-Pace features an on-demand all-wheel drive system. Power is rear-wheel drive-biased with a 90:10 ratio. However, depending on the surface, the all-wheel drive system can change to 10:90 towards the front. 0-100 km/h comes up in a very brisk 6.2 seconds.

I had driven GTO's BMW 530d just 2 days prior to driving the F-PACE and so, had a perfect engine to benchmark the Jaguar against. The figures on paper match with the on-road performance of the F-Pace. Torque comes in heavy doses and the initial pull is relentless with no lag whatsoever. It was pouring the entire day in Montenegro and as a result, anything more than a dab of the throttle through corners would result in the AWD system kicking in and sending power to the front wheels. It was very, very difficult to remain within the speed limits on slightly open stretches. The motor pulls relentlessly till 4,000 rpm after which it's best to upshift as it's not the most free revving engine out there. I found the BMW's inline 6 to be much more free revving till the redline. The Jag's engine is very refined, but as the revs go up, you can feel a slight harshness in the motor. The advantage is that you don't need to use all those revs as the insane 700 Nm of torque is more than adequate for very rapid movement. All the fun is in the explosive mid-range, which means you never really need to rev the pants off this engine. In comparison, the BMW loves to be redlined and most of the time, you don't even realise you’ve bumped the rev limiter. The BMW’s inline 6 sounds way better as well. The Jaguar is muted in comparison with brilliant NVH levels.

The ZF 8 (8HP 70) gearbox complements the engine very well. It uses the ample torque available from the motor and even in comfort mode, doesn't feel lazy to downshift at the press of the loud pedal. In Dynamic mode, it blips the throttle and downshifts aggressively or you can make use of the brilliantly designed aluminium paddles behind the steering wheel. There are 4 driving modes available - Dynamic, Normal, Eco and Off-road. You can toggle between the 4 modes by using the buttons on the center console. However, you can individually change each of the 4 parameters for engine, dampers, gearbox and steering by using the InControl touchscreen.

The V6 engine is a tight fit in the engine bay. There's hardly any wiggle room in here:

Driving the 2.0L Ingenium diesel

On the second day, we got the 2.0L 4 pot diesel to drive. This is the new Ingenium diesel engine that is yet to debut in the XE in India. The motor makes a decent 178 BHP @ 4000 rpm and a pretty healthy 430 Nm of torque from 1,750 rpm. It's available with 2 transmission options - a 6-speed manual or the ZF 8HP 45 8-speed automatic, which has a lower torque limit vs the 8HP 70 found in the 6-cylinder models. India is expected to get only the ZF 8 variant and this is the one we were given to drive. On paper, you wouldn't expect much from a car weighing well over 1,700 kilos with a 2.0L engine. In reality, it's not that bad. 0-100 km/h takes 8.7 seconds. Thanks to the healthy torque and the capable ZF 8 box, the engine does the job really well. Performance low down, even in the uphill sections was acceptable. It's only when you want some urgency that you find the performance lacking. Even then, the ZF 8 is ready to downshift and use all the performance on tap to give you fairly brisk performance. It’s just that the engine and gearbox both have to work very hard and that's when you realise that the 2.0L engine is not the most refined. Again, as the revs go up there's some amount of harshness that creeps inside the cabin. This engine is best enjoyed when driven in a calm and relaxed manner, where the torque makes it easy to potter around or cruise effortlessly on the highways. You get the same selectable driving modes as the bigger engines and the Dynamic mode does help mask some of the shortcomings. I found myself using the Dynamic mode a lot more in the 2.0L vs the 3.0L. The 2.0L engine has a very linear response throughout the rev range and doesn’t give you the massive shove at 2,000 rpm like the 3.0L does. If you’re looking for outright performance, the 3.0L diesel is the pick. The 2.0L diesel is the practical option as well as the only option if you’re staying in a region that bans diesel engines above 2,000 cc.

Driving the 3.0L, V6 supercharged petrol

The other engine available for international media from the APAC region was the ludicrous 3.0L, V6 supercharged direct injection petrol. This is the same engine that is found in the F-Type sports car and capable of developing 375 BHP @ 6,500 rpm and 450 Nm of torque @ 4,500 rpm. I managed only a short spin in this one and oh boy what fun it was! I was grinning ear to ear, while literally flying down the hair pin bends from Cetinje to Kotor. Not only is this car crazy quick, but the sound associated with that performance enhances the experience. All you ever want to do is accelerate out of the hairpin in second, redline to 6,500 rpm if possible, upshift to third, then approach the next hairpin, downshift and repeat till you run out of road. This engine is relentless. At slow speeds and lower rpms the sound is like a silence before the storm, very docile and drivable. Get the revs close to 3,000 rpm and all hell breaks loose. When we were driving the 3.0L diesel, some journos from APAC were driving this 3.0L petrol. Through the tunnels and mountain ranges all I could hear was the wail of this engine. On approaching a tunnel, every journo never missed to downshift and rev the pants off the engine. You just cannot drive this engine in a relaxed manner, it begs to be pushed every time. Since I barely got 20 minutes behind the wheel, I never really tried to explore the engine too much. I was just having too much fun revving the pants off it. Remember, I had driven all the BMW M cars including the X5 M and X6 M a few months earlier. All I can say is that if Joy is BMW, Jaguar is pleasure. The Jag sounds way meatier and muscle car-like vs the German precision. Above 3,000 rpm, till the redline, you literally have to hold on to the steering wheel for dear life. 0-100 km/h comes up in just 5.5 seconds and for a car weighing in at 1,800+ kgs, it is very, very quick.

The F-Pace reminds me of a character from a famous book/movie. It's easy to have a prejudice against the F-Pace without seeing or driving it as it goes against everything what a Jaguar signifies on paper. However, one look at it and driving it over 2 days, you end up realising that it very much has the inherent traits of a Jaguar both in styling and driving dynamics. It brings a smile to your face every time you drive it and now, I can't wait to get behind the wheel of it again when it comes here to India.

You can toggle between the different drive modes, Dynamic, Normal, ECO and Adaptive Surface Response:


There's even a custom option which lets you individually set the engine, steering, gearshift and dampers to any of the modes. The dampers can be soft whereas the other can be set to Dynamic:


Driving score rates your driving based on throttle input, brake pressure and speeds:


All surface information shows the power delivery of the AWD system as well as steering angles for navigating through off-road terrain:


Stopwatch for track mode :


There's even a G meter as well as throttle/brake graph to show your driving style:

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Ride & Handling

The F-Pace uses an electronic power steering, which is very sharp in response but lacks feel. It weighs up well, but never tells you what’s happening with the wheels. It has very little play and is extremely quick to respond. It actually took me a while to get used to the steering as it was responding to even smallest of inputs. The F-Pace is also a wide car with large haunches and that coupled with the left-hand drive configuration meant that I had to make a conscious effort to point the F-Pace where I wanted. Between Dynamic and Normal mode, I couldn’t really feel a big difference in the steering weighing up or in the response. Normal mode has a bit of laziness and less urgency vs the Dynamic mode.

Being a Jaguar, the dynamics are focused towards the sportier side - more for on-road than for off-road. That’s not to say the F-Pace is not a capable vehicle off-road as you will read later on. The F-Pace features an all-aluminium double wishbone suspension at the front and Jaguar’s integral link suspension at the back. Jaguar claims that the front axle lateral stiffness is 50% more than that of the Porsche Macan and the rear axle stiffness is 35% higher than that of the Macan's. The range-topping First Edition V6 is shod with humongous 22" wheels with 40 profile tyres. The one we drove had 20" wheels. The suspension is no doubt tuned on the stiffer side which can be felt, but boy have Jaguar got the tuning spot on! Even on poor road surfaces, which had huge craters and literally no tarmac, the F-Pace took everything without even the smallest complaint. Ride quality is very impressive at slow speeds as well as at higher speeds. It is firm, but pliant. Potholes are dispatched with a slight thud, but the F-Pace remains unfazed even if you "miss" a pothole. It's amazing how a suspension can feel firm, but absorb anything you throw at it. Even the Dynamic mode which is the stiffest damper setting is pliant, although at low speeds, it results in a bit of jiggling for the passengers vs the Normal mode.

Then there's the dynamics, thanks to the stiffness and the sharp steering, the Jaguar can be hustled into corners at will. Coupled with the near 50:50 weight distribution and road biased AWD system, grip levels are phenomenal even in wet conditions. As speeds build up, things only get better. Of course, 1800+ kilograms of weight and a high center of gravity means that you know this is no low slung coupe that you can defy the laws of physics with. You need to be smooth and the F-Pace rewards you with surprising agility. Quick left right direction changes don't faze the composure of the Jag easily thanks to the ample electronic safety aids, which include a feature called torque vectoring. This basically applies braking force to the inner wheels when turning to reduce understeer and maintain the line through a corner. On poor roads or undulating surfaces I found that setting the dampers to normal mode to be better as there was better traction and you actually had more grip available. Dynamic mode on the other hand would cause the traction control to kick in as the stiffer damper settings would cause the wheel to lose grip on poor road surfaces. On perfectly paved stretches, the Dynamic mode was a lot more fun. The difference in stiffness is apparent in both modes, but both modes are not really day/night apart. Jaguar doesn't offer air suspension on the F-Pace and hence, ride height cannot be adjusted. It's only the dampers that can be electronically controlled.

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Off-roading

Not only did we get to experience the on-road behaviour of the F-Pace, but Jaguar had set up a host of off-road excursions for us to try out all the off-road capabilities of the car. After all, this is an SUV. We had a slushy hill climb in the pouring rain to try out the hill ascent and a steep downhill ramp for the hill descent. There was a mountain pass crossing, which required crawling over rocks and narrow beaten paths. No one in his right mind who buys an F-Pace would even think of subjecting it to this type of terrain. Jaguar had a support team in place to check body and tyre damage and replace tyres if needed. They had spotters for the slush climb and technical experts who explained how the system works.

With the intelligent AWD system and various electronic aids such as Adaptive Surface response (AdSR), All Surface Progress Control (ASPC) and Low Friction Launch (LFL), the F-Pace is not only about the SUV look, but is also capable enough to venture down unknown terrain. Jaguar has leveraged Land Rover's expertise in this department to ensure that the F-Pace is a very formidable soft-roader. After completing the off-road courses, it actually left me wondering where this left the Range Rover Evoque, as the F-Pace appeared equally capable and a more practical option overall.

On the first day, post lunch, there was a steep ramp to descend from the top of a small dam. We used ASPC which is like a slow speed cruise control. This not only works like hill descent control, but can also apply throttle for traction and work with the AWD system for all possible terrain like mud, slush, ice or gravel. You activate ASPC using a button near the parking brake on the center console or via the touchscreen system. The system, by default, is set to 3.6 km/h. Once you lift off the brakes, the ASPC takes over and all you need to do is steer. You neither have to accelerate, nor brake. In case you want to increase the speed or reduce the speed of the ASPC, you use the cruise control +/- buttons on the steering wheel. If you touch the brakes it will disable the ASPC. The ramp was a temporary structure and it was pouring, so the surface was quite slippery. The ASPC basically used the brakes and ABS system to climb down the ramp at the set speed. At the bottom of the ramp, we drove over a small river bed. The F-Pace has a water wading depth of 525 mm.







On Day 2 we had a rock crawl through a mountain pass. This consisted of driving through ruts and over a rocky trail. Thanks to the 213 mm ground clearance and the relatively short overhangs, the F-Pace didn't scrape anywhere or get beached. This near 5 kms stretch was really gruelling and nobody would even dare take an SUV costing more than half a crore over such terrain in India. The support crew did a mandatory inspection for any body or tyre damage after this stretch before we headed back.

The most challenging part was a steep hill climb and then a descent down the path. We were briefed to turn on the ASPC and the terrain response system. This would mean that the car would manage the throttle and brakes while climbing up as well as power delivery to all four wheels. As a driver, all I had to do was steer the car up the hill and not touch the accelerator or brakes. The 360 degree on board camera and assistant even displayed the steering angles on the touchscreen display. The F-Pace started climbing up quite easily till about mid way, where we got into a deep rut and the car lost momentum and stopped. I was told not to touch the pedals even if that happens. For a couple of seconds, I could feel the car applying liberal throttle to get out of the rut, but the wheels were not getting traction in this mud. A few tugs of the steering resulted in the front wheels getting some grip and the F-Pace climbed right out of the rut and continued to climb. Once at the top we took a U-turn and started the climb down again with the ASPC system doing all the hard work with the sound of ABS shuddering through the descent to maintain the speed.

The camera doesn't depict how steep the climb was, but you can see it was pouring and the surface was very slippery:




Activate the ASI (All Surface Information) and LFL (Low Friction Launch):




You can now see the power delivery as well as vehicle angle:


The 360 degree parking camera and sensors now doubles up as a guide which shows you the obstacles when climbing up. You just need to follow what it tells and steer in that direction:


The ruts got deeper as more cars passed through. 213 mm ground clearance meant that it didn't get beached anywhere:




The only Jaguar you can buy that isn't afraid to get its paws dirty:

[Vid6639]

Other Points

First Edition

Available in 2 colours - Caesium Blue and Ivory Gold. Black finish on vents and grille. 22" grey wheels, sliding panoramic sunroof and dynamic LED lights. Interiors get oyster white leather with houndstooth pattern.

[Vid6639]

The Smaller yet Significant Things

For Jaguar's 80th anniversary celebrations, just before the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2015, The F-Pace set a Guinness world record by climbing a 63-foot tall loop. Stunt driver Terry Grant had to endure 6.5 Gs when doing the loop - similar to what an astronaut faces during a space shuttle take-off:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y64JhPtpicA

The line-up of F-Paces at the lunch stop. The Land Rover Discoverys were used as the recovery vehicles. The media event at Montenegro spanned for over a month and pretty much all the locals knew about it:


On the second day, as we walked out of the hotel we saw the line-up of F-Paces by the beach. In the backdrop you can see the Aman Sveti Stefan Resort:


Many parts have the Land Rover branding as well, like the sunroof here:


What are these wavy lines? These are actually on the front windshield and are not easily noticeable unless you look very carefully. They are the defogger lines to de-ice the front windshield:


The panoramic sunroof from outside, only the forward portion opens:


This is the Ammonite Grey colour option:


The 2.0L diesel was in a lower R-Sport trim:


This one had xenon head lights instead of LED's:


Seats were also not full leather, but a mix of cloth and leather upholstery:


Steering wheel was also manually adjustable not electric like the V6:


F-Pace with all accessories added:




Yours truly. Backdrop is the Bay of Kotor:


You can see the Tivat airport in this photo, where we flew from. Montenegro was a really wonderful and peaceful country:


Kotor Bay:


Some stunning views when driving along the coast:


Seeing this on the GPS brings a smile on any petrolhead's face. More so when the F-Pace I was driving at the time was the 3.0L V6 supercharged petrol:


The roads were sometimes very, very narrow. This is what I saw when exiting a hair pin bend. Not a good sight. A convoy of 3-4 F-Paces had to back up to a wider point on the road and then squeeze past the massive trailer:


The 360 degree camera was a saviour. Check how close this was:


Parting shots, just before we left Montenegro:






Trivia on Montenegro:

Montenegro is situated in south eastern Europe. It's surrounded by Bosnia and Serbia to the north, Kosovo to the east and Albania to the south. To the south-west is the Adriatic Sea. It was a part of Yugoslavia till May 2006, when it declared independence. Montenegro is a popular tourist destination, but more for the adventurous traveller.

The entire country's population is around 6.25 lakhs. The capital city of Podgorica has the largest population of 1.36 lakhs. The official language is Montenegrin, but the popular languages are Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian.

The largest tourist destination is Budva, which has more than 25 beaches. There is a small island off the coast named Sveti Stefan, which was earlier a fishing village, but has now been converted to a luxury resort. The resort is frequented by many celebrities - most recently by Novak Djokovic, who had his wedding on the island in 2014.

Many would have heard the name Montenegro in the famous James Bond movie Casino Royale. It is where the Casino was supposed to be. Unfortunately, no part of the movie was actually shot in Montenegro.

Disclaimer: Jaguar invited Team-BHP for the F-Pace test-drive. They covered all the travel expenses for this driving event.

[Aditya]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Test-Drives Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Senna4Ever]

Jaguar has finally brought in its premium SUV offering, the F-Pace to India. A single unit of F-Pace AWD Auto in Prestige trim has been imported for homologation as of now.



Variant imported is powered by a 2.0L 4-cylinder Ingenium diesel engine which churns out 177 HP @ 4000 RPM and a torque of 430 Nm @ 1750-2500 RPM, delivered via 8-speed automatic transmission.

0-100 km/hr completed in 8.7 seconds along with a top speed of 208 km/hr.



Source: Zauba

[blackwasp]

Very detailed write up! I envy you for spending time with such an amazing car and especially on those switchbacks. The blue colour looks smashing. Just a small question, how easy is it to use the 360 degree camera view? I ask because the last pic of the truck squeezing by looks slightly disproportionate. As in the wheels of the truck appear far more bigger than the size of the car.