Jaguar F-PACE

If there's one type of car that epitomises the early part of this century, it's the SUV.

So many buyers desire them and by this century's second decade, Jaguar had at last decided that it wanted a slice of this action.

As a result, back in 2015, the British company brought us its first ever model of this kind, the F-PACE, complete with high-riding driving position, four-wheel drive and even some moderate off-road ability.

Five years on, it was updated to create the car we're going to look at here. Why it took Jaguar so long to enter a segment that had been dominating luxury car sales since the turn of the century is a difficult question to answer.

There was never the investment to create such a thing until Indian conglomerate TATA took over control 2008.

And afterwards, given Jaguar's close partnership with Land Rover, there was a management disinclination for the two marques to cross into each other's territory.

But it was thinking that had to change. At the same time, around the time of this model's original launch, Jaguar's engineers were grappling with the challenge of all-electric engineering, eventually responded to with another similarly-sized SUV, the battery-powered I-PACE launched in 2018, which went on to become one of the company's best selling models.

Safe in the knowledge that mixing the SUV genre with electrification would hit the sales sweet spot, Jaguar then combined the two in late 2020 to create the hugely improved F-PACE model we're considering here. Obviously the existence of the I-PACE meant that there was no need for a full-battery EV version of this car - the F-PACE's sophisticated aluminium chassis didn't allow for that anyway.

But by 2020 you could have a PHEV plug-in hybrid variant - the P400e derivative - with an EV range of 33 miles.

The more affordable diesel combustion variants that most F-PACE customers continued to choose got a lesser sprinkling of electrification courtesy of an MHEV mild hybrid system.

And, for those who really didn't care about the polar ice cap and only prioritised performance in an SUV of this type, the wild V8 petrol-powered SVR model continued on at the top of the range. Away from engines, the cabin was completely redesigned around a cutting-edge 'Pivi Pro' infotainment system.

There was also a smarter exterior look and sophisticated safety.

In this form, the F-PACE continued to sell steadily against tough rivals also refreshed at about the same time, cars like the Audi Q5, the Mercedes GLC and the BMW X3.

The F-PACE was discontinued when Jaguar pulled out of the UK market at the end of 2024.

It says much that Jaguar liked to market this F-PACE as the 'sportscar of SUVs'.

Not much changed with this package of exterior updates.

Or at least you might think that, until you take a closer look.

There's a more sculpted bonnet with a wider power bulge, that bonnet extending flush to the very top of the grille surround, eliminating the rather ugly shut line that previously ran across the nose.

It flows into a larger, completely redesigned heritage-inspired monogrammed mesh grille with diamond detailing and the classic Jaguar 'Growler' badge.

There are fewer changes in profile, though the side vents gained the iconic Jaguar Leaper. At the rear, the tail lights of this updated model, originally inspired by the F-TYPE sports car, have more in common with the I-PACE EV, featuring Jaguar's 'chicane' illuminating graphic.

Of course, as usual, what's more important is the stuff you can't see.

Around 80% of the body is fashioned from lightweight aluminium and some of it - the cross chassis rail for example - even uses hi-tech magnesium. Unusually for a mid-term facelift, almost everything inside at the wheel was fundamentally redesigned - and was all the better for it.

The focal point is the much more sophisticated 11.4-inch curved 'Pivi Pro' central touchscreen, but there's also much else to catch the eye in an interior that feels very Jaguar, with an ambiance completely different to that you'll find in German rivals.

There's lots to take in if you happen to be used to the original model - things like the sleeker vents, the dished 3-spoke wheel and the more tactile gear lever replacing the rising rotary dial used before.

Surrounding it all, authentic finishes feature in beautifully formed shapes reinvigorating Jaguar's rich lineage of luxury interiors. Upper-spec models also get a 12.3-inch configurable instrument screen and you'll like the wider cushioned leather-trimmed seats.

Storage space was much improved thanks to a lower centre console, redesigned with a sliding section at the top and an open lower aperture at the bottom.

And lovely touches were plentiful; the lovely cool zinc alloy gear shift paddles; the 'cricket ball'-style stitching on the gear lever; the split-rim steering wheel; and, if you get a car whose original owner opted for the Meridian audio system upgrade, lovely brushed-metal laser-etched lacquered silver speaker frets. Once installed in the rear, two tall adults get more headroom than you might expect the raked-back roofline to be able to provide and there's reasonable standards of knee room too.

Out back, the powered tailgate rises to reveal one of the larger luggage compartments in the mid-sized SUV segment, the dry load space capacity for mainstream models rated at 601-litres, enough for up to eight carry-on suitcases.

That's unless you opt for the P400e Plug-in Hybrid variant.

With that, thanks to the battery pack which must lie beneath the base of the cargo area, dry capacity falls to 485-litres.

Prices for this updated F-PACE start at around £21,300 (around £23,750 retail) for an 'SE'-spec model on a '20-plate with the P250S four cylinder petrol powertrain.

For the P400e PHEV on a '20-plate, you're looking at paying from around £23,450 (around £26,000 retail) for a typical 'HSE'-spec model; stretch to one of the final late-2024 P400e 'R Dynamic S' models and you're looking at needing to find around £30,000 (around £33,000 retail).

For the supercharged V8 SVR, budget from around £38,500 (around £41,750 retail) on a '20-plate. If you want diesel power, a base '20-plate D165 with base trim values from around £21,250 (around £23,750 retail).

The more powerful (and typical) D200 values on a '20-plate with base trim from, around £20,700 (around £23,250 retail).

All quoted values are sourced through industry experts cap hpi.

Click here for a free valuation.

Buyers of this F-PACE tend to divide into a couple of groups: those who've had no problems at all; and those who've had a series of niggly electrical issues (look for those on your test drive).

Things like infotainment system issues, squeaks and noise, random warning messages and issues with the engine stop-start system.

Plus on the diesels, issues with DPF clogging and AdBlue malfunctions. One owner was typical of those less than satisfied in our survey.

He reported squeaks and rattles from the passenger and driver's door and pointed out that the alloy wheels had corroded and had lacquer bubbling off.

The rear discs on his car had also corroded, the soundproofing was falling of the wheel arches and the washer pipes became disconnected from the washer bottle.

There were several badly fitting body trims (even after several workshop visits to rectify), too.

And the engine seemed to use a lot of oil, needing two litres in 15000 miles. Check all these things on your test drive - and look out for scuffed alloy wheels that could be pricey to fix.

Obviously, insist on a full service history.

(approx based on a 2020 Jaguar F-PACE P400e) An oil filter is in the £2-9 bracket.

An air filter is in the £8-£35 bracket and a pollen filter costs typically between £13 and £32.

A set of wiper blades will cost you about £27.

A front brake pad set starts from around the £41 bracket.

Brake discs typically sit in the £130-£171 bracket.

Budget in the £185-£300 bracket for an alternator; budget in the £115-£310 bracket for a starter motor.

Budget in the £155-£380 bracket for a water pump.

Is this F-PACE really 'the sportscar of SUVs'? Perhaps.

Jaguar certainly knows a thing or two about ride and handling and its Land Rover connections have given it plenty of understanding on the subject of 4WD too.

Plus of course, by the time of the launch of the F-PACE, the company had had an awful long time to stand back and look at the market, then come up with something better.

This F-PACE did, after all, date back only as far as 2017.

If you've not tried one before, on paper it looks as if it might well be rather good, the low-slung looks matched by equally sophisticated aluminium underpinnings.

Unlike the smaller E-PACE, this isn't just a Jaguar body slung on top of Land Rover running gear.

Instead, the F-PACE uses the iQ-AL chassis from the company's much admired XE and XF saloons, but with this revised model, that was matched with a revitalised range of electrified engines, most of them featuring the company's MHEV mild hybrid system and all driving through a smooth-shifting ZF 8-speed auto gearbox.

The two main diesel variants that most customers choose, the D165 and D200 derivatives, have the MHEV set-up, as do the two six cylinder models, the D300 diesel and the potent P400 petrol.

Jaguar also offered a couple of non-hybrid petrol models, the mid-range P250 and, at the top of the range, the 550PS V8-powered SVR variant. Your other F-PACE powertrain choice was introduced to the line-up as part of this update, the P400e Plug-in-hybrid.

This mates a 2.0-litre petrol turbo unit with a 143PS electric motor powered by a rear-mounted 17.1kWh battery that when fully charged can facilitate a 33 mile all-electric driving range.

In theory, this model can deliver a three-figure fuel return, but in practice, its WLTP combined cycle economy reading would probably be quite similar to that of the more conventional volume MHEV D200 diesel - which for reference is 44.7mpg.

The P400e's 50g/km CO2 reading will though, do a great deal more for your tax return than the D200's 166g/km showing. The PHEV model is a fair bit heavier than the conventional versions though, which better showcase the fluid, rather agile and mildly engaging drive dynamics that have always marked out this F-PACE from its German rivals.

It rides beautifully, especially with optional 'Adaptive Dynamics' adaptive damping fitted.

And there's even a degree of off piste prowess, thanks to the 4WD system's integrated 'IDD' 'Intelligent Driveline Dynamics' control system, which when you're off piste is continuously estimating not only the friction between the tyres and the surface but also how much of the available grip is being exploited at each wheel.

So an F-PACE works just about everywhere, from farm trails to the frantic morning commute.

It certainly isn't perfect - especially in expensive plug-in form.

But you might well think it's closer to being the perfect compromise in this segment than any other rival.

The F-PACE was well received - and with good reason.

Look at it, drive it and analyse it and you feel you've a product born out of generations of development.

It's hard to believe this was Jaguar's very first stab at the SUV segment.

The brand's decision to stay true to its principles helped enormously here.

This could have been merely a re-badged Range Rover Velar, or simply a clone of the rival German models already well established in this market.

Instead, the F-PACE has its own identity. Thanks to the sophisticated aluminium chassis, there's a very Jaguar-like feel to the way this car rides and handles that you don't get from the smaller E-PACE - or from many rivals come to that.

But this car still weighs a touch more than it should and that eats away all the advantages gained from this revised model's clever mild hybrid tech.

In the mainstream MHEV diesel forms most will choose, it's no more frugal or efficient than its un-electrified German competitors, which is a touch disappointing given all the effort the Jaguar engineers went to here.

And, if you want petrol power on a reasonable budget, as an increasing number of customers might, the un-electrified mainstream P250 variant can't meet the prevailing class standard. An obvious answer if you really prioritise efficiency is to choose the P400e petrol plug-in version, but this model is expensive - and even heavier.

If you can afford it though, it's an undeniably appealing confection.

Especially if you can get a variant with an embellished version of this model line's much improved cabin, which across the line-up is now deeply desirable, with the kind of proper media connectivity that by 2020 had long been lacking from Jaguars of this size. And in summary? Well as long as you choose carefully on the used market, this F-PACE remains one of the stand-out contenders in this corner of the SUV market from it's era, no small achievement when you look at the quality of the competition.

True, it might not be as rough road-ready as a Land Rover product.

Or as track-tailored as a Porsche Macan.

Most buyers in this segment though, don't want a mid-sized luxury SUV at either of those two extremes.

They want a car like this.

A sporting SUV to savour.