Jaguar F-PACE SVR 2019 Review

The Jaguar F-PACE SVR is well removed from its more sedate siblings with stunning performance and decisive handling/roadholding yet it’s also spacious, practical and, in its class, a bit of a bargain with a pre on-roads price of $140,262.

The super-cranked SVR version of Jaguar’s mid-size F-PACE SUV isn’t really into visually strutting its stuff. Unlike many other ultra-high-performance SUVs, Its essentially elegant looks aren’t about to win any prizes in a body-building competition.

But what it doesn’t do with visual braggadocio, it does with its commanding, stentorian voice.

Given its head, the F-PACE SVR’s 5.0-litre supercharged petrol V8 dominates the sonic landscape with a reverberating, shattering blast that emanates from its jutting, oversize quad exhausts.

It loudly defies the handsomely-crafted lines drawn by Jaguar’s one-time styling chief and design guru Ian Callum. More than just about anything else, the first thing that grabs you about the F-PACE SVR is its audible presence. With the switchable exhaust never really sounding subdued no matter which setting you choose, the barking, rasping emanations ensure you are never likely to get lulled into aural zone-out in a Jaguar F-TYPE SVR.

The engine is so much a part of its character that it’s the first thing that comes to your attention, whether you are at the wheel, or watching it trundle by at little more than an idle.

None of this is to downplay the F-PACE SVR’s looks: If the restlessly-powerful SUV doesn’t quite match the visual roadside pomp of some of its steroid-fed competitors such as the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63, BMW X3 M Competition and Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, you could still hardly accuse it of being shy and retiring.

On up-sized (over regular F-PACEs) 21-inch wheels – wearing staggered tyres measuring 265/45R21 at the front and 295/40R21 at the rear – that sit within discreetly-wider wheel arch extensions, and sporting extra air-gulping apertures around the lower front fascia, on the bonnet and behind the front wheel arches, Jaguar’s F-PACE SVR sets the stage for what happens once the 405kW/680Nm force-fed V8 is fired up.

As the most brutal F-PACE, the SVR is accordingly toughened-up.

On top of the largely-cosmetic aero package there’s important stuff going on under the skin; there are bigger, stronger 395mm brakes, a sports-tuned, adaptive-damper suspension, specially-tuned adaptive electronic power steering, an electronic differential and the aforementioned larger wheels (the SVR is optionally available with larger yet lighter – 2.4kg at the front and 1.7kg at the rear – 22-inch wheels wearing staggered tyres that measure 265/40R22 on the front and 295/35R22 at the rear).

The SVR also gets its own, smaller, alloy spare wheel.

The result is a tighter-riding but still acceptably comfortable F-PACE which steers with added precision and sits noticeably flat when pushed hard around the bends. It might seem an odd mix having a sizable SUV that nudges towards the track side of the roadholding/handling spectrum, but the AWD Jaguar F-PACE SVR is exactly that.

The grip is tenacious and the varied-mode drive system includes an extra, selectable Dynamic control regime which – along with a warm red glow from the digital instrument panel – gives faster shifts within the eight-speed auto gearbox, more sensitive accelerator responses and an even-sharper feel to the steering.

In the unlikely event that you might wish to subject your F-PACE to some extracurricular off-road activities, features like All Surface Progress Control and Adaptive Surface Response will step in to help you in everything from muddy, slippery conditions to negotiating the soft, cloying sand which the supercharged V8 fortunately has the torque to handle.

If you insist, the SVR F-PACE will also tow a trailer, caravan or the like, weighing up to 2400kg.

On the road, the F-PACE SVR is all about presence. Sitting on bespoke, multi power-adjustable slim-line seats you’re in command of a big car with big capabilities. Even a modest prod of the accelerator brings eager responses, while pedal-to-the-metal attacks are accompanied by a tidal wave of G-forces and the aforementioned, all-enveloping shriek from the quad tailpipes that announce each upshift with a loud, staccato crackle.

The SVR generates lateral G-forces too. Helped along no end by the larger rubber and firmer, flatter suspension, plus the active electronic differential and torque vectoring that brakes the inside front and rear wheels during cornering, the car remorselessly tracks the driver’s instructions.

As you enjoy the many rewards offered the driver of a Jaguar F-PACE SVR, you find yourself thinking anything but the fact that what we actually have here is a pretty large, vertically-oriented SUV weighing more than two tonnes.

In fact, at 2070kg it’s slightly weightier than direct competitors such as the 2010kg Benz AMG 63 – and a lot moreso than the 1830kg, 375kW/600Nm Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio with which it shares a similar power-to-weight ratio (it’s more favoured in this respect than either the AMG Benz or the M Competition BMW X3).

The end result is a claimed zero to 100km/h of 4.3sec which might not sound as quick as the Alfa Romeo’s claimed 3.8sec, nor the Benz (also 3.8sec) nor the BMW (4.1sec), though in the real world those figures are largely academic.

Although the F-PACE SVR pumps out 272g/km of CO2 – more than AMG Benz GLC (247g/km), BMW X3 M Competition (244g/km) and Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio (233g/km) – it’s not ridiculously thirsty: Considering its weight, configuration and performance, the AWD Jaguar’s official consumption figure, on minimum 95 RON premium unleaded fuel, although a tad down on the aforementioned rivals, isn’t too bad at 11.7L/100km.

We got close to that on test, with an average 12.1L/100km recorded over a week of driving in a wide variety of situations.

As you would expect, the F-PACE SVR is plush, well-equipped an inviting inside, a bit moreso than regular F-PACE models, although there is a list of add-ons that must be toted up if you wish to go a bit beyond standard.

Safety technology is well up to scratch, although unadorned the SVR F-PACE lacks standard adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. To get these you must tick the box specifying the Drive Assist Pack we’ll mention a little further on.

Standard equipment includes low-speed autonomous emergency braking (high-speed AEB can be optioned as part of a pack), pedestrian avoidance, lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, front and rear parking sensors, driver attention monitoring and a 360-degree parking aid which enables multiple views to be called up on the colour screen.

There’s also an 11-speaker Meridian sound system with subwoofer, along with standard Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.

Options pricing, while it’s the bane of many a new-car buyer, is a chance welcomed by dealers to add extra profit margins and Jaguar is no pariah in this department.

Our review car was thus fitted with extras including Jaguar’s $4589 Drive Assist Pack which includes semi-autonomous, active lane control, a surround camera array, blind-spot assistance, reverse traffic detection and self-parking, along with a fixed panoramic sunroof ($3570 – a sliding version is $4420), head-up display with a solar-attenuating windscreen ($2650), DAB+ radio ($950), remote rear-seat release ($120), privacy tinted glass ($950) and configurable ambient lighting ($780) to lift the total, before on-roads price from $140,262 to $153,871.

All this dresses-up what is a pretty spacious interior where there’s ample space for front and rear passengers as well as an also-reasonable boot, which will take a solidly competitive 508 litres of luggage in five-seat configuration or – a bit better than Mercedes-Benz or BMW – a solid 1740 litres with the 40:20:40 split-fold rear seats laid flat.

From the driver’s seat the big difference with other Jaguar F-PACE models is the substitution of the rotary gear selector on the centre console with a more conventional SportShift lever. Of course there are steering-wheel shift paddles and plenty of leather and suede. While the wood trim might be missing, you are definitely in Jaguar land here.

All things considered, the Jaguar F-PACE SVR is a mighty monster of a mid-size SUV.
It shirtfronts its German and Italian competitors with a tremendous power output, gleeful and hard-charging road manners and a high level creature comforts – all at a price which undercuts anything else a high-performance luxury SUV buyer might have on his or her wish list.

How much does the 2019 Jaguar F-PACE SVR cost?
Price: $140,262 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 5.0-litre eight-cylinder supercharged-petrol
Output: 405kW/680Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 11.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 272g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP