Jaguar F-PACE review

The Jaguar F-Pace is a stylish premium SUV that has recently been heavily updated. It’s bigger than Jaguar’s other SUV, the E-Pace, putting it up against alternatives such as the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes GLC.

But park the F-Pace next to these other SUVs and it’s like sitting James Bond next to Indiana Jones. They can all handle a bit of rough and tumble off the beaten track, but the F-Pace is somehow more sophisticated doing it.

That starts with its looks. Its striking grille, air intakes, slim headlights and bonnet creases give it a sporty look, but it’s somehow a classier effort than from those across the water.

The F-Pace’s interior never used to rival the Germans’, but this update has changed things massively. Gone is the disappointing quality and lacklustre tech, replaced by posh trims, plush materials and a real ‘mini-Bentley’ feel.

Part of the visual drama is the F-Pace’s new 11.4-inch curved touchscreen. It’s located nicely on the dash to help when driving and integrate it seamlessly into the sleek design. BMW’s iDrive and Mercedes’ MBUX systems are both easier to use while driving, but as touchscreen’s go, Jag’s effort is sharp, responsive, feature-packed and very easy to navigate. Importantly, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both standard.

Cars higher up the range also come with slick digital driver’s dials and a rearview mirror you can flip from a standard glass reflection to a camera mounted on the tailgate. It looks cool, but also works well. It’s a shame the F-Pace’s touch-sensitive steering wheel buttons are a tad fiddly to use, though.

Most people will find the D200 diesel is their best bet, while R-Dynamic SE trim gets all the important bits of kit and looks the part

The F-Pace isn’t the most spacious car in the medium-sized premium SUV class, but it’s far from cramped, with plenty of room for four and their luggage.

If you need to carry three adults in the back you’ll find it more cramped than those others, though, and there’s no seven-seat option. Still, you do get a decent boot, which is bigger or matches that of all of the competition.

There are petrol, diesel and petrol-electric plug-in hybrid engine options for your F-Pace. If your yearly mileage is small and you’re mostly bumbling around town or on the school run, the smooth, quiet yet punchy 250hp P250 petrol will be fine. If you cover more miles, often on the motorway, then the 204hp D200 is the pick for us. It’ll return better fuel economy and feels stronger at low revs thanks to its mild-hybrid tech.

Of course, there’s also that plug-in hybrid, which if you’re planning on running your F-Pace through work or regularly do short urban journeys, might work out to be the cheapest to own if you can stomach the initial outlay. If you do, you’ll find it a great option: it’s brisk, refined and very economical if used right – you need to charge it up regularly to get the best fuel economy.

The punchy and nice-sounding six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines are the quickest of the range, helping you make the most of the F-Pace’s sharp steering, great body control and huge grip. There’s also the hilarious V8-powered SVR if you really want performance.  All are comfy and quiet in town, too, and only the very largest wheel option can slightly affect the ride.

So, the F-Pace is a huge improvement inside and is still every bit as good to drive. Thankfully, Jaguar has also simplified the range and dropped its price, too. To see for yourself, and see how much you could save on top with us, head to our deals page.

See how the previous version of the Jaguar F-Pace stacked up against the Mercedes GLC and Audi Q5.