The sporty SUV you actually want.

Sporty SUVs have been on the rise in the last decade. Porsche started it with their Cayenne and since then nearly every car manufacturer wants a slice. Even Ferrari and Lotus are launching an SUV. Jaguar has always been a manufacturer that makes stunning sportscars, estates, and, sedans. It wasn't at all a surprise when Jaguar launched their high-riding SUV in 2017 called the F-Pace. Since then, the F-Pace has received some upgrades. For the 2021 model year, Jaguar has introduced the SVR badge to the F-Pace. Let's talk about it.

Jaguar SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) tune a refine Jaguars to their full potential. They have already introduced the SVR (Special Vehicle Ratings) to the F-Type and now the F-Pace. This changes a whole lot in the F-Pace. First of all, the engine: under the bonnet, you get a 5.0l supercharged V8 producing 550 horsepower and a soundtrack that is unrivaled. An eight-speed automatic gearbox sends power to all four wheels and this launches the car to 100km/h in under four seconds. All this weight and a thirsty V8 mean that the F-Pace SVR is quite the gas-guzzler. Most of the time, we look at our consumption data, but we didn't bother. When you hear that soundtrack, nothing matters anymore. In fact, the supercharged V8 is shared with the F-Type and now XE Project 8. The F-Pace only produces 550 horsepower, compared to the F-Type's 575 horses. So there might be potential for an even more exciting powertrain in the future. You sense that the F-Pace SVR isn't as fast as some competitors, but the driving experience is profoundly more exciting. There is upward potential for the acceleration, but it's still very fast. While other SUVs might be faster in a straight line, the smile on your face won't be bigger. The F-Pace SVR is a huge laugh. Cornering also isn't as sharp as in a Porsche Cayenne GTS for example, but who cares? It still goes through corners just fine and you can even get the tail out. We reckon that the F-Pace SVR is the best-sounding SUV out there. Excuse us for mentioning the sound that often but it's just that good. In fact, it's better than the F-Type R that we drove a while ago. The annoying valves under 3000 RPM are gone and it sounds ungodly throughout the rev range. It cracks and pops on downshifts and proceeds to bellow when you're at full tilt. Nothing beats a supercharged 5.0l V8. Even though Audi, Lamborghini, and Porsche are using 4.0 twin-turbo V8s, they just don't sound as good. Hopefully, Jaguar can keep this engine in its fleet for a while. They have even convinced their sister company LandRover to put the unit in the new Defender (coming soon). Some things about the driving experience can be changed though. Sadly, the transmission could be more engaging. It simply isn't as sharp as in a Porsche or Audi. This means that on upshifts you often bounce it off the limiter because the response is so bad. At one point it became so bad that the transmission was overheating after just a couple of minutes of hard driving. Luckily, the gearbox is very comfortable and unnoticeable when using it in daily use. It's actually also not bad when keeping it in automatic while driving spiritually.

Let's move on to the interior, which is one of the best interiors of 2021. We got really lucky with the specification of our F-Pace SVR press car. British racing green coupled with an ebony/sienna tan Winsor leather. There are many press cars that are specced well, but we consider this one perfect. Jaguar, just take our money. Many of the materials on the inside feel premium and you even get solid metal paddle-shifters for that unfortunate. Of course, we could talk about practicality, but that's not really our business concerning the F-Pace SVR. Read more about that in our future blog on the F-Pace P400e Hybrid.

We don't see the F-Pace SVR as a focused and direct machine for attacking a road. It's made to savor the moment and enjoy the sound, the feeling, and the engine. If you want something for the track, get a Cayenne. If you want something to flex, get a Urus. But if you want something that will just put you in a mode of constant giggling, get an F-Pace SVR. The fact is, just get a 911 or F-Type if you want a super-fast and comfortable GT. SUVs are still tall, big, and heavy and you can't change anything about that. Jaguar has taken all these downsides of an SUV and transformed it into something beautiful. No stupid carbon roof, 700+ horsepower, and weight reduction. This cat will stay in our hearts for a long time.