The Jaguar F-Pace …

Someone said that the SUV is the new station wagon and to be honest, I think that’s what has happened. The trend of SUV has taken over the market in the last few years, especially since the introduction of the X5. I’m all for aesthetics and design so when Jaguar got a new design I was happy because it was the only luxury car manufacturer that was still stuck in the 90’s with regards to design. The design language spoke to my father’s generation and they had limited options as well within their fleet.

When I encountered the F-Pace for the first time I was in the Eastern Cape and we did a lot of off road driving than anything else and I think that is what the car is meant for more than anything else. Now back in Johannesburg, I get to see how the same car fits into the city and how it handles city life.

Every time I take a car I take it to the hood and I do that for two reasons, firstly to see what the people’s reaction to the car is, as well as their engagement with the car – I do this because the hood sees things differently and if ever there’s a place where trends start, it’s definitely the hood. The Range Rover Evoque convertible got a wow reaction because they have never seen this car before and most didn’t even know it existed. Similar to the Jaguar, they know it’s a Jag but they have never seen one and therefore when the time comes in the near future to buy one, it doesn’t come into their mind as an option. Then this begs the questions as to who the target is market for this and what is Jaguar’s positioning of the brand and cars towards black people. Even when you forget that you are driving a Jaguar people’s faces remind you that you are driving one.

I got the diesel 2.0 F-Pace and the first thing you feel is that it’s not a smooth drive, it’s a little bit rough which is fine because you get over it at some point. There is no doubt that this is a luxury SUV that can handle both on and off road driving. The design is striking, it’s a family car that is sexy and comfortable at the same time with a spacious interior and a navigation system that is exactly like the Range Rover as they both belong to the same car family. As this is the first of its kind I do expect that this car will get better with time like any other car.

Jaguar lacks when it comes to technology and I think that’s where they need to work on things like sensors for the a puncture, should be standard on such a car. I drove from Sandton to Ennerdale with a flat tyre and I couldn’t feel the difference which is impressive but also very dangerous. The diesel is very accommodative when it comes to consumption, I didn’t have to fill up much even after so many trips around Johannesburg. The F-Pace’s low friction technologies, lightweight body structure and cutting-edge aerodynamics help to deliver low CO2 emissions and exceptional fuel economy – contributing to a competitive total cost of ownership.

Depending on what you like this is a nice alternative to what is available out there with regards to SUV’s and if you don’t want a Range Rover like everyone else, the F-Pace is for you. I was hoping that the E-Pace was as pretty as the F-Pace but it’s not or maybe it will grow on me. For R844, 366 you can get yourself the diesel F-Pace. Explore the range of engines including the 3.0 litre V6 280kW Supercharged Petrol and the new 2.0 litre 4 cylinder 132kW Turbocharged Diesel Ingenium engine, which can achieve 5.3l/km* and CO2 emissions as low as 139g/km.*

F-Pace has boot capacity of 508 litres* and a versatile 40:20:40 rear seat folding configuration.