It was inevitable, really: Jaguar has put its supercharged V8 into its mid-sized SUV to create the F-Pace SVR. The performance off-roader will do battle with Porsche’s Macan Turbo Performance Pack, Mercedes-AMG’s GLC63 and Alfa Romeo’s Stelvio Quadrifoglio when it goes on sale in the summer of this year.
The torque the engine produces is equally impressive. The Jag puts out 501lb ft compared with the Alfa’s 442lb ft and the Porsche’s 443lb ft.
However, all that extra power doesn’t translate to exceptional performance figures given what its rivals can achieve with less. The SVR accelerates from 0 to 100kph in a claimed 4.3sec, meaning it’s only 0.1sec faster to the benchmark speed than the Porsche and half a second slower than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio. It’s also 2kph short of matching the Alfa’s top speed of 285kph. The F-Pace’s 1995kg weight figure, some 165kg heavier than the Alfa Romeo, goes some way to explaining the Jag’s underwhelming figures, but then the Porsche is no featherweight at a similar 2000kg.
As with the other models in the F-Pace range, the SVR uses an eight-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive. It also gets an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, while the chassis has been uprated with SVR-tuned dampers, thicker anti-roll bars, and springs that are 30 per cent stiffer at the front, 10 per cent stiffer at the rear.
Two new sets of wheels are available for the SVR: 21-inch versions come as standard, while 22-inch items are an option. Both wheel designs are forged aluminium and guide air to the uprated and larger brakes (395mm front discs, 396mm rears).
At the back, the bumper has been redesigned to accommodate a new quad-exit exhaust – the active system varies the exhaust noise volume while also contributing to the engine’s power output. The system also weighs 6.6kg less than the standard F-Pace’s exhaust.
Inside the SVR there’s an SVR badged steering wheel with gearshift paddles mounted to it. There’s also a pair of supportive bucket-style front seats trimmed in quilted leather similar to those in the F-type SVR. The rear seats, rather than being a simple bench, are also more sculpted too. The standard F-Pace’s rotary gear selector has also been replaced in favour of the joystick selector found in the F-type.
The regular F-Pace has impressed us – it’s as fun and as interesting as you’d really expect of a modern SUV of its size – so it should make a good base for a more powerful, performance version. But the SVR will have to be more than just good to take on the Stelvio Quadrifoglio and Macan Turbo Performance Package.
This article originally appeared at evo.co.uk
Copyright © evo UK, Dennis Publishing
