Jaguar has just given the F-Pace a slight makeover. If you know the F-Pace, you know that is a rather good SUV with sort of good-looks. Well, The facelift has just helped that image.
To be completely honest, you probably wouldn’t know it’s the facelifted version just by looking if someone didn’t tell you. In fact, the changes to the exterior are subtle and few, but they do benefit the car in a rather substantial way.
First of all, and perhaps one of the most noticeable changes, is the bigger bulge on the bonnet obviously, which gives the Jag, a rather muscular front. You also get a new headlight design with new DRLs, A bigger Grill, and new air intakes. Overall, the front end looks wider and less bulbous than the previous version.
The rear design features sleeker I-Pace-esque design Taillights, which together with the new tailgate and the size of the SUV, make the rear-end remind you of that of the Range Rover Velar.
The interior has also undergone a few changes, especially with the new 11.4 inch infotainment screen which will run the “Pivi Pro” system. The physical climate dials remain, in typical Jaguar-Land Rover fashion, which is a good thing. Jaguar also promises more storage, open-pore wood veneers and aluminium trims, new door casings and massaging seats with wider cushioning for fat bottoms. Sad news for fans of Jaguar’s rising gear-selector dial, it has now been scrapped for a slightly more traditional selector.
The F-Pace sits on Jag’s ‘electronic vehicle architecture’ and offers plenty of drivetrain options, with all getting mild-hybrid technology, except the entry-level and range-topping 2.0-litre petrol. There’s a 2.0-litre turbo diesel with either 161bhp or 201bhp, getting mild-hybrid tech, and a 2.0-litre turbo petrol with 247bhp and 401bhp, the latter a plug-in hybrid. You can also choose a 3.0-litre inline-six diesel or a 3.0 inline-six petrol, both churning out 400bhp. The Plug-in Hybrid will be called the p400e and can do, as Jaguar claims, up to 33 miles on electricity alone and can fast charge from 0-80 per cent in half an hour. It’ll also do 0-60mph in 5.1secs.
All F-Paces come with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. The mild-hybrid cars get belt-integrated starter generator systems to recoup braking energy to increase your range and efficiency.
Jaguar says that the torque split on the F-Pace is rear-biased, and there are a number of modes backed by enough tech to run Lewis Hamilton’s accountant’s computer. There’s stuff like over-the-air software updates, road noise cancellation, a ‘clear exit monitor’ and a 3D surround camera, (which really is essential at this price point really) and the option of R-Dynamic spec.
The new Jaguar F-Pace starts from about £40,000, and can be specced up to a price much beyond that. However, we suspect that an F-Pace SVR will be coming soon at some point as a high-performance range-topping version.
