NEW YORK MOTOR SHOW: Jaguar F-PACE SVR debuts

Jaguar has revealed a bahnstorming new V8 flagship version of its inaugural SUV, the F-PACE, and it’s the quickest and fastest production SUV ever seen from the leaping cat brand – or its Land Rover sister brand.

Revealed ahead of its world debut at the New York motor show tomorrow, the MY19 Jaguar F-PACE SVR is powered by JLR’s 405kW/680Nm supercharged 5.0-litre V8, making it the only V8-powered F-PACE.

The result is claimed 0-100km/h acceleration in just 4.3 seconds (0.2sec sooner than the similarly powered, circa-$240,000 Range Rover Sport SVR) and a top speed of 283km/h – 3km/h faster than the newly upgraded Rangie SVR.

Naturally, the SVR treatment also brings an enhanced chassis and aerodynamics to the fastest and most powerful F-PACE yet – the latter including an SVR-specific vented bonnet, unique front and rear bumpers with larger openings to aid cooling, plus unique wheel-arch extensions, lower body mouldings and a rear lip spoiler to aid high-speed stability.

The SVR-tuned chassis features uprated dampers, anti-roll bars and progressive springs that are 30 and 10 per cent stiffer respectively. Jaguar claims the set-up reduced body roll by five per cent.

Lightweight 21-inch and optional 22-inch forged wheels with staggered-width tyres are also fitted, the latter being 2.4kg lighter at the front and 1.7kg lighter at the rear.

Also improving handling and traction is an electronic active rear differential (EAD – a first for the F-PACE), while braking is left to uprated two-piece 395/396mm front/rear discs and an active variable-valve exhaust with quad outlets aids performance by reducing back pressure, is 6.6kg lighter and delivers a V8 SVR soundtrack.

Inside, there are slimline front and rear sports seats with signature lozenge quilting and embossed SVR logo, a Sports Shift Selector to replace the rotary selector and an SVR steering wheel with aluminium paddle shifters.

Of course, SVR has also tweaked the Jaguar F-PACE SVR’s Quickshift automatic transmission, electric power steering, torque vectoring, all-wheel drive, traction/stability control and Adaptive Dynamics.

There is no change to the standard F-PACE’s 650-litre cargo space behind the rear seats, and the SVR version brings all of the model’s most advanced technologies, including 4G WiFi connectivity for up to eight devices and JLR’s Touch Pro infotainment system with 10-inch touch-screen and a 12.3-inch HD instrument cluster.

Four curiously named interior colour themes will be available: Red with Jet, Light Oyster with Jet, Siena Tan with Jet and Jet with Light Oyster stitching.

The Jaguar F-PACE SVR will be available to order in the UK from June, priced from £74,835 ($A138,000). Australian pricing will be announced in two weeks, ahead of first local deliveries in the fourth quarter of this year.

Expect a price tag of around $150K, in line with the Mercedes-Benz GLC 63 S ($164,900 plus ORCs) and other upcoming competitors like the Alfa Romeo Stelvio QV, Audi RS Q5 and BMW X3 M.