What's the news?
Jaguar has joined the SUV foray with the official unveiling of its new F-Pace at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The sleek F-Pace carries through much of the latest design language with styling cues taken from the two-seater F-Type and more recently the XE and XF saloons.
Exterior
Despite how it may appear from some angles in the photographs the F-Pace isn't physically as large as you might expect but, crucially, it still carries a real sense of presence with it. From the front there is that huge, deep grille that we're fast becoming used to seeing on new Jaguars. On either side are headlights that are aggressively styled as they are sleek. Below these, large air intakes channel air in and through to the front wheelhouse where it is then directed outwards across the face of the alloy wheels, which go up to 22 inches in diameter. Even with these the F-Pace doesn't look over-wheeled.
Ian Callum and the Jaguar design team have kept the bodywork on the F-Pace a simple affair, which stands to the car. With the exception of some 'light catcher' contour lines along the lower flanks of the car it is a very conservative affair. The same treatment has been applied to the rear where an aerodynamically optimised spoiled comes down over the sloping rear window giving it a side profile that is more coupe that boxy SUV. Like the headlights up front, the rear tail lights are thin and sleek, bearing more than a passing resemblance to the F-Type.
Interior
The F-Pace stops short of the full sumptuosity that you might find in a Range Rover but there are far worse places to sit than in this lofty Jaguar. Some sharper-eyed car enthusiasts will notice some similarity in elements of the switchgear but the overall layout and design looks to be there with the best. In the rear there is room for three adults while the boot space is a useful 650 litres.
Both the dashboard and centre console replicate what we have seen on the new XF, with a 10.2-inch tablet-like touchscreen handling much of the car's infotainment and satellite navigation functions. Below this is a clearly laid out double row of controls for systems like climate control. The instrument cluster has been shown comprising of a 12.3-inch virtual cockpit similar to the Audi Q7. This high-definition screen is unlikely to be standard on all models but technology aficionados will love its clarity.
Mechanicals
Jaguar has made a very big song and dance about just how much lightweight materials it has used in the construction of the F-Pace. In fact it claims to have more aluminium in its overall construction than any other SUV in its class. A total of 80 per cent of the structure is aluminium giving it a body in white weight of just 289kg - the same as a Fiat 500L.
There will be a range of engines offered in time including an efficient 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel unit that produces 180hp but has emissions of just 129g/km. On the more powerful side of the scale there will also be a 3.0-litre V6 petrol capable of generating 380hp and 700Nm of torque. That is enough to see the F-Pace reach 100km/h from a standing start in just 5.5 seconds.
Anything else?
Jaguar has yet to confirm Irish pricing for the F-Pace but there will be at least four trim levels starting with Prestige, followed by R-Sport, Portfolio and S. There will also be a First Edition although this is expected to only be produce in limited numbers.