When Jaguar Land Rover unveiled its first ever luxury SUV in the 2017 Jaguar F-Pace during the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September last year, critics and enthusiasts were in unison in saying that its key rival in the segment is the Porsche Macan.
Of course, there are several other German crossovers that it is vying to compete with but none poses strong competition than the Macan.
A couple of motoring journalists were able to test drive the 2017 Jaguar F-Pace recently between Gloucester and Leicester in the UK and they were one in saying that the first SUV from the British luxury carmaker still has some rough edges.
They say that although it is not as overtly sporty, or not quite as single-minded, or not as performance-oriented as the Porsche Macan, but the 2017 Jaguar F-Pace has better balance and off-road prowess than its main rival. It is also more benign at the limit and more importantly, more affordable than the Porsche Macan.
The 2017 Jaguar F-Pace, which is expected to roll out to the dealerships beginning this coming spring, is certainly compelling enough to lay the genetic foundation for a more affordable E-Pace and a more luxurious J-Pace, points out Automobile.
Critics went on to describe the 2017 F-Pace as possessing some serious but hidden off-roading talents, apparently because it is the architecture that Jaguar Land Rover will base its new mid-liner upon, which is destined to come between the four-door Evoque and the Range Rover Sport sometime in 2018.
Sexy styling and athletic moves
With the 2017 F-Pace, Jaguar Land Rover is actually bringing the brand’s sexy styling and athletic moves to a crowded market.
The engine variants of the first-ever SUV from the British luxury carmaker include a standard 340-horsepower supercharged V6 engine or an optional 380-horsepower supercharged V6 powertrain.
Both variants have eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive feature. A diesel engine variant will eventually be introduced later according to Jaguar Land Rover.
Just like most modern vehicles these days, the 2017 Jaguar F-Pace utilizes aluminum during the manufacturing process ensuring that the SUV is rigid but very light in weight to reinforce the F-Pace’s sporting intentions, notes Car and Driver.
Some critics say that describing the 2017 F-Pace as an SUV version of the recently introduced Jaguar XE sports sedan would be unkind but not entirely unfair. The two vehicles share the same aluminum platforms and large amounts of underlying structure.
Efficient design and modern technology
The sporty crossover SUV also features curving rear quarters, four mesh grilles on its front end, a signature LED lighting pattern embedded in its slim headlights, and semi-circular taillights also made up of LEDs.
The crossover SUV can accommodate up to five passengers because of its compact but lightweight body made mostly from aluminum.
The SUV actually combines an efficient design with superb state-of-the-art technologies to ensure a great driving experience. The 2017 Jaguar F-Pace looks sporty enough for urban use and has the right amount of ruggedness for off-road adventures.
The first ever Jaguar SUV will be heavily based on Jaguar C-X17 concept car. But much of its design has been borrowed from the sedan lineup of the British luxury carmaker, particularly its XE and XF models.
Apparently, the name of the company’s first SUV has something to do with one of the maxims of William Lyon, one of the co-founders of Jaguar Land Rover. He said back then that all Jaguar models had to have the grace, pace, and space. Apparently the upcoming SUV of Jaguar Land Rover exudes all those criteria, and thus the company decided to call it as F-Pace.