The Jaguar car sales are running brilliantly. However, at a low level compared to the competition. The new F-Pace should help change that. With the mid-range SUV, the British are expanding their range to five series and are trying for the first time in the booming crossover segment. The 4,73 meter long five-seater wants to secure its place in the well-filled competitive environment as a mixture of sportiness and everyday benefits. The market launch takes place in spring at prices starting at 42.390 euros.
Visually, the F-Pace fits seamlessly into the brand family with the sedans XE, XF, XJ and the sports car F-Type: the front is characterized by the same large radiator grille that is flanked by the typical sharp-cut headlights. In the side view, short overhangs ensure harmonious proportions, a dash of dynamism is added by the slightly sloping roof and the sloping tailgate. Despite the sporty cut, the inside of the F-Pace is one of the largest models in its class. The wheelbase of 2,87 meters provides plenty of knee room in the rear, the luggage compartment holds 650 liters when fully seated and can be expanded to a good 1.700 liters by folding down the rear seats.
The bottom line is that the available space in the interior is at the level of a BMW X5. And that, although the F-Pace is more comparable to its smaller brother X3 in terms of price and external dimensions. When it came to competition, the presentation at the IAA usually came up with the name of another competitor: Porsche Macan. The British want to fully challenge the Stuttgart, especially when it comes to driving dynamics. The most important asset is lightweight construction. The F-Pace is based on the aluminum architecture, which has already made the mid-size sedan XE a dynamic lightweight. A total of 80 percent of the body of the F-Pace is made of light metal, in addition there are magnesium elements in the dashboard and a tailgate made of composite material. As a result, the basic version with rear-wheel drive should only weigh 1.665 kilograms.
The diet is not only good for mobility, but also for consumption. According to the manufacturer, the basic model with the 132 kW / 180 hp 2,0-liter four-cylinder diesel and rear-wheel drive requires 4,9 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. The corresponding all-wheel model approved 0,3 liters more. Those who value more power than minimal consumption will find two more engines on offer: a V6 diesel with a displacement of three liters and an output of 221 kW / 300 hp and a petrol engine of the same size with supercharger and 280 kW / 380 hp. The two top engines are always combined with all-wheel drive.
The technology of the AWD system comes from the F-Type sports car. Accordingly, the transfer case with multi-plate clutch works primarily for driving dynamics, less for off-road mobility. In the normal state, the complete force is transmitted to the rear axle in order to create a driving experience that is as dynamic as possible. In an emergency, however, half the torque can be quickly sent to the front axle. When it comes to gravel or snow, electronic programs ensure the right traction. Together with the wading depth of 52,5 centimeters and a front embankment angle of 25,5 degrees, the Jaguar does not compete with the models of the sister brand Land Rover, but is also usually not well on paved roads.
For customers who are often drawn to the beach, for example, the British have also come up with something unusual. If you do not want to leave your valuable car key on the towel while swimming or surfing, you can place it in the locked car in the future. At least if the "Activity Key" option was ordered when purchasing the vehicle. It is a water and shockproof plastic bracelet that can unlock the car with the help of a radio chip. To do this, the wearer simply has to touch the "J" of the Jaguar lettering on the tailgate with the contact. For most customers, it is probably a nice gag rather than an important reason to buy. But after years of weakness in electrical engineering, the British wanted to show that they can also do something with modern gadgets and infotainment systems. In this respect, the F-Pace can also be equipped with a correspondingly complex effort - including WiFi connection for eight mobile devices.
The great effort in development and presentation should be worthwhile. Jaguar has made major sales leaps recently, but remains a small number globally with just under 82.000 sales last year. The F-Pace could be the key to a bigger leap in sales and tidy up the balance sheet - because the boom in the SUV class will probably continue for a while. Porsche has been showing how well this can do not only with the Cayenne, but for some time now also with the Macan. It is no coincidence that the name is currently used frequently by the British.
Author: Holger Holzer / SP-X