It's frequently said that these days that SUVs have become integral to the success of any manufacturer, be they
relatively mainstream
less so
. What's not so common is to see the claimed importance of an elevated ride height, four-wheel drive and increased cabin space demonstrated in real terms. Well how's this for a stat? According to Autocar, Jaguar sold over 76,000 F-Paces last year, a quantity 50 per cent greater than the total number of cars it managed to shift just six years earlier.
It's safe to say, then, that the F-Pace is pretty F-ing important to the company. A fact which goes some way towards explaining why, with no plans - beyond the limited run Project 8 - for an SVR XE or XF, Jag has instead chosen to follow up its range-topping F-Type with a souped up SUV.
This, then, is the F-Pace SVR, designed to go head to head with the likes of the Porsche Macan Turbo and Alfa Stelvio Quadrifoglio. It'll also soon be going up against the
Range Rover Velar SVR
, another JLR product expected to be equipped with exactly the same engine and sold in the same price bracket...
For now, though, the facts as they stand. The F-Pace SVR's 5.0-litre supercharged V8 produces 550hp and 502lb ft of torque, enough to propel it from 0-60mph in 4.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 176mph. To handle that 44 per cent increase in power over the standard car, the SVR-tuned chassis has 30 per cent stiffer front and 10 per cent stiffer rear springs, and an anti-roll bar contributing to a five per cent overall reduction in body roll. The SVR also becomes the first F-Pace to make use of Jag's rear Electronic Active Differential.
New, forged 21- (standard) and 22- (optional) inch alloy wheels save 2.5kg per corner up front and 1.7kg at the rear - the difference coming down to the rears being 25mm wider than the fronts - as well as improving airflow to the larger 395mm and 396mm brake discs respectively.
Aerodynamic enhancements include redesigned front and rear bumpers to reduce lift and improve cooling; wider arches and lower sills for "a low-slung muscularity"; and a rear spoiler to aid high-speed stability. Underneath, meanwhile, a quad-exit variable valve exhaust delivers what's described as a "powerful SVR soundtrack" whilst also saving 6.6kg over the standard pipes.
Inside, the F-P SVR comes equipped with 'performance' front seats featuring embossed SVR logos, an SVR branded steering wheel with aluminium paddle shifters, and a Touch Pro infotainment system with 10-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch HD instrument cluster. Load space remains unchanged at 650 litres with the rear seats up.
"The F-Pace SVR delivers the handling and agility to match its performance. Everything from the steering to the bespoke suspension set-up has been tuned specifically for our performance SUV and the result is a vehicle that lives up to the promise of both the F-Pace and SVR names." says Chief Engineer Mike Cross.
As far as these things go, all that all sounds rather promising then, especially so with the excellent regular
F-Pace
as a foundation. Power-wise things are looking good too, versus its main rivals the F-Pace SVR boasts 110hp more than a Macan Turbo Performance Pack and 40hp more than a Mercedes GLC63 S or Alfa Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Despite that advantage, though, it's only a tenth quicker to 62mph than the Porsche, and a whopping half a second slower to the same speed than the Merc and Alfa, thanks to the inescapable heft of its 2,070kg kerbweight. At £74,835 it's also at least £5,000 more expensive than each of the cars mentioned. And there's that Velar as well...
As for how all of that will translate in the real world, we'll have to wait and see. Despite the higher price and seemingly lower performance, Jaguar has done a great job with the F-Pace to date, and we wouldn't bet against the car emerging as a great deal more compelling against its rivals on the road than it is on paper. Jaguar can't really afford for it not to.
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