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SUV According to Jaguar
Up to a few hours ago thinking at Jaguar made to mind elegant sedans, sports coupes and fascinating spiders. It is now no longer the case as the brand decided to enter the SUV segment, offering for the first time ever their own idea on the subject. The first Sport Utility Vehicle from Coventry is called F-Pace. Already in the name you can see the essence of the new project as it encloses some details: the “F” directly recalls the fascinating coupe, the F-Type, and “Pace” identifies the ability to maintain a constant speed mating engaging driving dynamics. And this is the main feature that identifies the new born – at least on paper! The question is legitimate because the F-Pace is the first SUV to bear the Jaguar symbol and the question I ask myself is: has Jaguar managed to embody its innate elegant and sports character in an SUV body so far from kind of cars which has always accustomed us ?? For an answer I have only one thing to do: drive it!
Aesthetically speaking, albeit much higher off the ground, the F-Pace appears to me immediately as a true Jaguar: this happens thanks to the family feeling increasingly appreciated on the latest models of the Jaguar company. The same applies to the interior characterized by a large and functional central full touchscreen infotainment display. It takes a while to find the right driving position thanks to the multiple seat and steering wheel adjustments. I am ready to go: pushing the iconic red “Start” button on the dashboard and instantly welcomed by the 4-cylinder 2.0 D 180hp giving voice. Then roll the futuristic joypad from “P” to “D” of the 8-speed automatic transmission. Not even a kilometer at a slow pace that I can’t help but appreciate the very soft steering and visibility guaranteed by the driving position, the generous windows and the incredibly slim pillars. Personally I find the wide panoramic roof nothing shorter of amazing. The F-Pace moves with ease in the city, but I can’t wait to discover the soul of the F-Pace hidden under an SUV dress: a deserted mountain road full of corners seems to me an excellent testing ground. Already after a first steep climb, the first impression is that you’re not driving a standard SUV!
The progression provided by the 180hp 2.0D is so much that it looks that you have a lot more horses hidden under the hood. Credit for this exploit is the architecture of the car which consists of 80% aluminum: a precise choice that allowed to create a rigid and robust frame, which led the F-Pace to be one of the lightest SUV in its category. In addition of being sleek, the F-Pace is also extremely gratifying thanks to several guiding elements: the perfect weight distribution, the suspension layout (which mainly with the front double wishbone recall that already seen on the sports coupe F-Type), the electric power steering with variable assistance EPAS (that varying the assistance to the steering according to the speed, offering a truly exceptional feedback), to the AWD (that in just 165 milliseconds is able to distribute the right amount of torque between the two axles). The icing on the cake though is represented by the Torque Vectoring system, feature that cuts in curves going to differently curb the two inner wheels while maintaining the high speed on the external ones. While I deal with more than a corners in rapid succession, thanks to this system I almost have the impression that the centrifugal force which normally would tend to push towards the outside is no more than a distant fear. What is the result of the intervention of the Torque Vectoring? Greater speed and accuracy when entering the corner, minimized understeer, improved grip. Here, without realizing it I found the answer to my original question: the F-Pace is a Jaguar from all points of view because it is elegantly sporty, technologically at the top, exciting at the wheel and extremely handy for being an SUV. The F-Pace is not only the first ever Jaguar SUV: it is Jaguar’s idea of SUV. And for me it is an absolutely winning.
“My personal thanks goes to Autorally, Naples Official Jaguar dealer, and especially to our friend Francesco Turizio for letting me test-drive the car”.
Words and Photos by Antonio Iafelice
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