Jaguar F-PACE SVR 2020 Review – Australia

Unrivalled value

No $140,000 car can ever be described as cheap, but whichever way you cut it the Jaguar F-PACE SVR represents outstanding value.

Consider that the similarly-powered Jaguar F-TYPE SVR is almost $160,000 pricier at almost $300K and the Range Rover Sport SVR costs nearly $240K -- $100,000 more than the equivalent F-PACE.

OK so the Jaguar SUV doesn’t get the full-monty 423kW/700Nm outputs of those SVR models but, trust us, nobody is going to notice it delivers ‘only’ 404.5kW of power (let’s call it 405kW, like Jag now does) and 680Nm of torque.

Now consider the same engine costs more than $175K in the Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography, over $250K in the Jaguar F-TYPE R and at least $300,000 in the Jaguar XJ – and that even JLR’s cheapest diesel V8 model costs $150K – and it’s clear this is JLR’s most affordable V8, period, and its least expensive SVR model by a bif margin.

More importantly, the Jaguar F-PACE SVR undercuts all of its rivals in the mid-size luxury/performance SUV segment, led by the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S ($165K) – the only other V8 model in this class.

It’s also cheaper than the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q ($149,900 plus ORCs) and incoming BMW X3 M Competition ($157,900 plus ORCs), the six-cylinder turbo engines in which both deliver lower 375kW/600Nm. (The Porsche Macan Turbo is yet to be revealed in facelifted MY19, but its turbo V6 will also fall short.)

That said, at a claimed 3.8 seconds, the Alfa and Mercedes are both quicker to 100km/h than the Jaguar (4.3sec) and although the AMG delivers more torque (700Nm) it’s less powerful at 375kW.

In any case, once again, nobody will notice any difference in performance or indeed pace, because the SVR feels about as fleet of foot as its closest competitors. There’s no arguing with a quarter-mile (400m) time of just 12.3 seconds and it’s fast too, with a 283km/h top speed.

In short, with more than 400kW between 6000 and 6500rpm, and peak torque everywhere from 2500 and 5500rpm, the instant and sustained thrust of this mechanically force-fed big-bore V8 is sufficient, always and everywhere.

But as one of the world’s quickest and fastest SUVs, the F-PACE flagship not only brings big bang for your bucks, but one of the best engine notes in the business.

The snap, crackle and pop on lift-off and overrun perhaps isn’t as wild as in the Rangie Sport SVR, but the sound of this blown V8 is better than every other luxury SUV, including the Benz, Alfa, Macan and even the Maserati Levante Trofeo.

More to like

The Jaguar F-PACE SVR is bigger than most of its aforementioned mid-size rivals both outside and in, where there’s a big 650-litre boot, 1731 litres of total cargo space and a handy 40/20/40-split rear seat.

But its allure doesn’t stop at value, performance, sound and size; it also rides far better than the hard-as-rocks AMG GLC.

Even on optional 22-inch wheels, the SVR delivers a firm but compliant ride, never crashing into holes or jostling over bumps – even on the broken rural roads we encountered on the media launch in northern NSW.

Grip levels from the fat Pirelli P Zero tyres (265/40 front, 295/35 rear -- 5mm lower-profile than on standard 21s) is tenacious and the level of road holding is astonishing for anything this big (4.7m) and heavy (2020kg).

The mostly-aluminum F-PACE’s fundamental rigidity and balance is clear here, but the level of re-engineering by JLR’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) has sharped it in all areas, including the powertrain, chassis, body and interior.

For example, the fastest F-PACE runs a 6.6kg-lighter stainless steel variable valve active exhaust, the optional 22-inch forged alloys are said to shave off 2.4kg at the front and 1.7kg at the rear, where they are 25mm wider, and hefty braking power is provided by huge 395mm front and 396mm rear disc brakes with lightweight red Brembo callipers.

The revised sports suspension is claimed to reduce body roll by five per cent via higher spring rates (up 30 per cent at the front and 10 per cent at rear), adaptive Bilstein dampers and new anti-roll bars at both ends.

Other mechanical changes include an uprated eight-speed automatic transmission, active electronic rear differential and retuned electric steering, torque vectoring and stability control systems.

Unlike the Range Rover Sport SVR, whose all-wheel drive torque split is locked at 50/50 per cent front/rear, the Jaguar SUV can send up to 100 per cent to the back, so the top F-PACE feels more like a sports car than any other JLR SUV. And it can tow up to 2400kg.

Heralding all this performance is a bespoke body kit comprising beefier bumpers, a gloss-black grille, fluted side skirts, unique rear spoiler, specific underbody panels and functional satin grey vents in the bonnet and front quarter guards, plus quad tailpipes with 95mm outlets.

Inside the luxury leather-lined interior there are new 14-way power-adjustable slimline sports bucket seats with signature 'lozenge' quilting and embossed SVR logos, a Sports Shift Selector to replace the rotary dial gear shifter, leather SVR steering wheel with aluminium paddles, Suedecloth Ebony headlining, Luxtec wrapped instrument panel, mesh aluminium trim and SVR carpet mats.

As well as a range of exterior paint colours, four interior colour options are available: Red with Jet, Light Oyster with Jet, Siena Tan with Jet and Jet with Light Oyster stitching.

Other features are as per mainstream F-PACE models, including a 10-inch Touch Pro touch-screen infotainment system, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 4G Wi-Fi connectivity for up to eight devices and a 380-Watt Meridian sound system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Safety equipment extends to Emergency Brake Assist, Lane Keep Assist, Driver Condition Monitor, Adaptive LED headlights with washers, LED tail-lights, Trailer Stability Assist (TSA), Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), Rear View Camera, Cruise Control and Speed Limiter, 360-degree Parking Aid and rain-sensing wipers.

There’s also front and rear seat heating, front seat cooling, dual-zone climate control, ambient interior lighting and auto-dimming interior mirror.

Not quite perfect

But there are some surprising omissions, including some key safety features that remain optional as part of a $4589 Driver Assist Pack, which includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Adaptive Lane Control, Surround Camera System, Blind Spot Assist, Reverse Traffic Detection, Park Assist and Intelligent Emergency Braking.

Also on the options list is a fixed panoramic sunroof with electric sunblind ($3570) and a head-up display that costs $2650, looks very old-school and requires an expensive-to-replace solar windscreen.

The bigger, lighter 22-inch alloys cost $2210, and options that should be standard in any luxury SUV include DAB+ digital radio ($950), privacy glass ($950) and rear seat remote release ($120).

Missing completely are latest JLR technologies like the ClearSight digital rear-vision mirror and wireless smartphone charger seen in the 20MY Jaguar XE, which also gains JLR’s Touch Pro Duo infotainment system with lower climate control display.

In line with the 20MY F-PACE range, the newest Jaguar SVR scores a proximity key, but it seems buyers will have to wait for a midlife upgrade (21MY?) for JLR’s latest twin-screen multimedia system.

And of course, the downside of most high-performance SUVs is 95 RON premium unleaded petrol consumption, which in this case is 11.9L/100km. Jaguar Australia’s factory warranty is also now sub-par at three years and 100,000km.

Otherwise it’s pretty hard to pick holes in the Jaguar F-PACE SVR, which delivers more power, space and comfort than its only V8 rival, for less.

How much does the 2019 Jaguar F-PACE SVR cost?
Price: $140,262 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged petrol V8
Output: 405kW/680Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 11.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 272g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP (2017)