Frankfurt show: Jaguar lets F-Pace out of the bag

JAGUAR has finally let the cat out of the bag with the official reveal of its first SUV – the F-Pace – at the Frankfurt motor show today.

After an excruciatingly long teaser campaign that began at the same motor show two years ago with the C-X17 concept, the British prestige car-maker has announced that the F-Pace will be offered with three powertrains, including a supercharged 280kW 3.0-litre petrol V6 transplanted from the F-Type S sportscar.

Jaguar Land Rover Australia has confirmed the five-seat all-wheel-drive wagon will reach showrooms in the third quarter of next year, with pricing and full specifications to be confirmed closer to launch.

That said, Australia will offer the same powertrain choices as the European-spec models from launch, kicking off with the Ingenium 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel unit from the XE producing 132kW/430Nm for a 0-100km/h dash time of 8.7 seconds and official European combined-cycle fuel consumption of 5.3 litres per 100 kilometres.

That economy figure cannot quite match the 4.2L/100km number of the XE 2.0d, but the F-Pace is heavier and has all-wheel drive as standard.

Next up is a 220kW/700Nm 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder turbo-diesel offering up a 6.2s 0-100km/h time and fuel use of 6.0L/100km.

In terms of petrol engines, the 250kW/450Nm 3.0-litre six-cylinder supercharged unit from the base F-Type and the sporty XE S will be made available, with a 5.8s 0-100km/h sprint and 8.9L/100km fuel economy figure.

Topping the range will be the uprated version of the same supercharged six that is found in the mid-range F-Type V6 S, pumping out 280kW/450Nm for blistering 5.5s 0-100km/h acceleration and official mileage of 8.9L/100km.

This puts the F-Pace in Porsche Macan territory, with the 250kW/460Nm Macan S covering the same distance in 5.4s and consuming 9.0L/100km.

The specification grades will mirror the XE and include the Prestige, Portfolio, R-Sport and S, while a special First Edition variant will be available from launch for the first year of production only.

First Editions will be strictly limited and, while they will be available in Australia, it is unclear how many will be offered here.

They are powered exclusively by the 250kW and 280kW petrol engines, are offered in either a special blue or gold paints scheme that references the two concept car colours, as well as a silver or black, and gain big 22-inch wheels, LED headlights, gloss-black fender vents and a variety of luxury cabin touches.

As expected, the F-Pace design is faithful to the C-X17 concept and a host of near-production prototypes used in a variety of events – including this year’s Tour de France – as part of its final testing and advance publicity.

Built using the same lightweight aluminium architecture as the XE and forthcoming XF sedan, the F-Pace measures 4731mm long (+59mm over XE) and has a 2874mm wheelbase (-12mm).

Jaguar claims the F-Pace has “class-leading” knee-room, while the cargo area can swallow 650 litres – more than the Macan (500L), BMW’s X4 (500L) or the Audi Q5 (540L).

Underneath, the SUV uses the same suspension set-up as the XE, with a double-wishbone arrangement up front and ‘integral link’ configuration at the rear, and is fitted with a torque-vectoring system, electric-assisted power steering and, on some variants, ‘adaptive dynamics’.

As part of the AWD system, the F-Pace has ‘intelligent driveline dynamics’ that can transfer torque to the front wheels if required. An ‘adaptive surface response’ system provides electronic assistance in challenging situations, while ‘all-surface progress control’ helps the driver pull away on slippery surfaces such as snow, ice and wet grass.

Active safety gear includes autonomous emergency braking with a pedestrian detection function, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, a speed limiter and a driver fatigue monitor.

In the cabin, the F-Pace has an 8.0-inch touchscreen housing the InControl Touch that has similar functionality to a tablet and can function as a WiFi hotspot for up to eight devices. This can be upgraded to the InControl Pro system that adds a 10.2-inch screen and more functionality, while all models get a 12.3-inch HD virtual instrument cluster.

Jaguar is introducing a new ‘activity key’ which is a waterproof, shock-proof wristband with a transponder that disables any keys left inside the car, but can lock or unlock the car if you stand close enough to the ‘J’ on the tailgate Jaguar badge.

It also has a 40:20:40 split-fold rear seat, optional four-zone climate control, ample storage spaces with a 12V socket and up to three USB jacks in the main centre console cubby, while the lightweight tailgate has a hands-free gesture control function.

To promote the reveal, Jaguar set up a stunt where the F-Pace seems to defy gravity by performing a record-breaking 360-degree loop in a specially built structure resembling a roller-coaster, driven by British stunt driver Terry Grant.