Jaguar's SUV hits SA: here's how it fits in

By: Jason Woosey

Johannesburg - Jaguar's first SUV has had something of a fine balancing act to perform, its discerning clientele expecting it to offer the kind of styling, performance and dynamics they'd expect from this brand in a practical, high-riding crossover package.

The F-Pace certainly has stuck to the sporty side of the road with its new F-Pace, which is being launched in South Africa this week, and you'd be totally spot on for calling it a road-biased crossover rather than a fully-blown mud-plugging SUV, although Jaguar has made some provision for the occasional off-road jaunt with a generous-enough 213mm ground clearance, standard all-wheel drive and a Surface Progress Control system that allows steep inclines to be ascended and descended without any throttle or brake input from the driver.

Three engines, including a potent V6 diesel

Jaguar offers three engine options in the F-Pace, kicking off with a 2-litre turbodiesel for those that want to get into the range as affordably as possible. In this case your R778 966 gets you 132kW and 430Nm. But stretch the budget to R942 646 upwards and you can have Jaguar's mighty 220kW/700Nm 3-litre V6 turbodiesel, good for a 6.2 second 0-100km/h sprint, according to claims, versus 8.7 seconds for the 2-litre.

It only gets better from there, with the F-Type's 3-litre supercharged V6 engine being an option for those with petrol in their veins, offering 250kW/450Nm or 280kW/460Nm depending on which trim you select. This one reputedly gets to 100km/h in just 5.8 seconds, but drinks an extra 2.9 litres per 100km/h.

All three engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and a rear-biased all-wheel drive system, while a torque-vectoring system is also on hand to enhance agility by gently braking the inner wheels during hard cornering. Denis Droppa got acquainted with the F-Pace on some of the twistiest roads in the world on its international launch in Montenegro and you can read his full report HERE .

The F-Pace also makes a decent attempt at practicality and luxury. It's a full-five seater with a spacious 650 litre boot and feels the upmarket part thanks to an abundance of premium materials and finely stitched leather surfaces. Buyers can also choose from a range of interior colours.

Walk through the range

The F-Pace is offered in four trim levels if you include the range-topping First Edition. The 'Pure' base model comes with a 20cm touch-screen infotainment system with Bluetooth, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, push-button start, electric parking brake, trailer stability assist and 18-inch alloy wheels.

The R-Sport gains 19-inch alloys, Bi-Xenon headlights and a sportier styling kit along with leather seats (replacing the synthetic trim in the Pure), front and rear parking aids and a reverse camera. The F-Pace S model gets its own exterior and interior styling features as well as 20-inch alloys, Adaptive (driving) Dynamics and electrically adjustable front seats. Perched on top of the range, the First Edition gains even more unique design features along with a Meridian Sound System and panoramic roof.

Buyers will have to make friends with the options list to have gadgets such as Blind Spot Monitor, Reverse Traffic Detection, 360-degree parking aid, satnav and WiFi hotspot with Jaguar's InControl apps.

JAGUAR F-PACE PRICES

2.0 I4D Diesel 132kW Pure - R778 966

2.0 I4D Diesel 132kW R-Sport R871 266

3.0 TDV6 Diesel 220kW Pure R942 646

3.0 TDV6 Diesel 220kW R-Sport R1 034 846

3.0 TDV6 Diesel 220kW S R1 099 646

3.0 TDV6 Diesel 220kW First Edition R1 222 546

3.0 SC Petrol 250kW Pure R993 116

3.0 SC Petrol 250kW R-Sport R1 085 046

3.0 SC Petrol 280kW S R1 201 246

3.0 SC Petrol 280kW First Edition R1 331 416

HOW DOES IT SIZE UP? (length, width)