Wednesday, November 30, 2016

SHORT TEST DRIVE: THE JAGUAR F-PACE 3.0 Supercharged R-Sport - The noise, I love the noise it makes

I must say that this compact luxury SUV is a surprise. The thing about the F-PACE is that it sits on a special to Jaguar-only platform. It uses the same platform as the new Jaguar XE and C-X17 Concept SUV. When it first came out I thought Jaguar Land Rover was going to take the Range Rover Evoque chassis, slap on a Jaguar nose and change the plumbing so that the car sounds like a growly Jag instead of a subdued Landie or Range. But no. I was wrong.



Instead, JLR has used their own proprietary platform of the nicely balanced XE and turned it into a nice looking SUV which is somehow inspired by the F-TYPE coupe in some ways, -aside from looking 97.982449% like the C-X17 concept (I made up the percentage, obvious isn't it?). That rear end has a lot of F-TYPE cues in there.

But it is a Jaguar. It sounds like one. I love the exhaust note that this SUV has. It gargles. It growls. It sounds like a Jaguar. So much more than how the base XE which is sold in Malaysia with a 2.0liter engine. This has the 3.0liter Supercharger equipped engine. It makes 340PS (337hp) and 450Nm of torque. It will do 250kmh (limited) and a 0-100kmh time of around 5.8 seconds. It weighs 1820kg which is pretty light for a compact luxury SUV. Blame that on the lightweight alumimium intensive chassis.

Of course, it makes that Jaguar like sound. The drive experience revolves around that gargle. Unlike the similar capacity Range Rover Sport 3.0 Supercharged, this is noisily fun. Since it is made out of aluminium it drives so much nimbler than it is supposed to be. Much like its bigger non-SUV brother, the Jaguar XJ-L. What it does feel is a taller, slightly heavier Jaguar XE S variant with the 3.0liter engine. 

Inside it is the same familiar XE type dashboard set higher. Everything is set higher up. The only major difference between the XE 2.0 I drove a while ago is the larger touchscreen for the infotainment system. Space inside is compact premium sized. This would mean that it is small for the price you pay but this car caters to a very niche type of crowd. Space is set aside in lieu of performance and style. It is also the first Jaguar SUV and it is a learning curve for them.

But since it drives like a taller XE or a taller F-TYPE, I think they've succeeded. I tried the SUV in both Comfort and Dynamic/Race mode as well as the gearbox on S mode. On full dynamic mode through U Turn with more than half the throttle depressed it will rear its nose wide. Safe as the tail could not swing around to assist it. I think there is a bit of safety margin dialed into this chassis compared to the XE sedan. Obvious since it is taller, heavier and larger overall. And it makes sense for it to err on the side of safe as it is an SUV.

There are no complaints about steering feel or how it moves on the road. The ride on the 20 inch wheels is acceptable and a nice balance in terms of ride and handling. There is some noticeable road noise from the large tyres but everything is on this side of bearable. 

Things gets stiffer in dynamic mode as the shocks, steering and engine changes but it feels tauter overall. And the noise from the plumbing is louder. The gargle it makes is sweeter, or louder... although some may think it is a bit too loud for a luxury mobile. Fortunately for me I like mechanical noise if its tuned nicely. It does feel vocal, but heck, vocal is nice compared to all the silence out there. If you want silence in this price range. This is not it. But if you want a Victorian Pipe Organ, or King Kong gargling Listerine, this is it. It sounds epic. 

Imagine a F-Type Coupe on stilts and you get the F-PACE. 

Did I find any flaws? Well, the price (wish it were locally assembled to take advantage of the tax breaks - if only there is volume to do so), and the optional side steps fitted on the car. I think it is too low to be fitted with side steps. It is retractable automatically so for taller people one should not bother with it. If it were given with the car you can set it to be kept folded until you actually need it when you are ferrying Bilbo Baggins or senior citizens. It is also a bit tight at the rear, but who cares if you're driving it. Tight here still means that it is bigger than a Ford Fiesta or even a Focus. It has a higher roof (and a panoramic roof) than most ordinary compact sedans to compensate. 

And it's a JAGUAR. What else can I say?

PRICE
The fully-imported All-New F-PACE 3.0-litre Supercharged Prestige is priced at RM598,800 while the higher-spec R-Sport retails at RM658, 800. Prices quoted are inclusive of 6% GST but excludes road tax, registration and insurance. Every All-New F-PACE comes with Jaguar Care, which comprises a five-year warranty and five years of free servicing plus three years of Jaguar Roadside Assistance.



MEDIA RELEASE (SPECIFICATIONS HEREIN)



Jaguar Land Rover (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd has launched the All-New Jaguar F-PACE 

performance SUV in Malaysia, which promises sporting performance with

unrivalled dynamics for everyday usage.


The company is offering two variants of the ‘world’s ultimate practical sports car’ – Prestige and R-

Sport. Both are equipped with a 340PS 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol engine from the F-TYPE

under its sculpted aluminium bonnet matched to an eight-speed electronic automatic transmission

with Jaguar Sequential Shift™. This allows the All-New F-PACE to accelerate from 0-100kph in just

5.8 seconds before reaching an electronically-limited top speed of 250kph.

The fully-imported All-New F-PACE 3.0-litre Supercharged Prestige is priced at RM598,800 while

the higher-spec R-Sport retails at RM658, 800. Prices quoted are inclusive of 6% GST but exclude

road tax, registration and insurance.

Every All-New F-PACE comes with Jaguar Care, which comprises a five-year warranty and five

years of free servicing plus three years of Jaguar Roadside Assistance.

For those who want to stand out in the crowd, there is the exclusive Black Pack R-Sport option that

comes with gloss black radiator grille and surrounds, body colour door claddings with gloss black

finishers and gloss black side power vents with R-Sport badge.


Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia Sdn Bhd Managing Director Datuk Aishah Ahmad said that as the first-

ever SUV from Jaguar, the All-New F-PACE would help enhance the brand’s appeal and reach out

to a wider market.

“We now have an amazing new product that will meet the needs of discerning customers who like

the practicality of an SUV, the drivability of a sports car and the prestige of an iconic marque.

Compared to other luxury SUVs in its segment, the All-New F-PACE offers a better proposition all-

round – better drive, better looks and better technology,” she said.

News release: All-New Jaguar F-PACE promises sporting performance and everyday practicality


Developed using Jaguar’s Lightweight Aluminium Architecture, the All-New F-PACE delivers the

promise of the breakthrough C-X17 concept vehicle and combines purity of line, surface and

proportion with F-TYPE- inspired features such as the powerful rear haunches, fender vents and

distinctive tail light graphics.


The bold front grille and the muscular bonnet hint at the performance potential of the car. Elements

such as slender full-LED headlights and short front overhang carry the design vision of the C-X17

concept through to production.


The All-New F-PACE seats five adult occupants in absolute comfort with generous head and knee

room and the luggage compartment volume is a spacious 508 litres, even when space saver spare

wheel is fitted.

Infotainment and connectivity technology is industry leading. It comes with Jaguar’s InControl Touch

infotainment system as standard in Prestige. Featuring eight-inch capacity touchscreen, intuitive

user interface and crisp clear graphics, it supports smartphone and tablet gestures such as “swipe”

to move from one page to another.

The premium InControl Touch Pro system, which is available in the R-Sport variant, is based around

a 10.2-inch touchscreen, with a powerful quad-core processor and solid-state drive, and runs on

ultra-fast Ethernet. The result is a user interface which is instinctive and extremely quick with sharp

and incredibly responsive graphics. Navigation can be shown full-screen- in 3D- in the 12.3-inch HD

virtual instrument cluster that comes in the InControl Touch Pro package.

The Lightweight Aluminium Architecture gave the Jaguar design and engineering teams – now

recognised globally as leaders in aluminium technology and design - the ideal starting point. It was

created from the outset as a modular structure, so the wheels can be positioned exactly where they

are needed to deliver the proportions, dynamics, and practicality essential for a performance

crossover.


The wheelbase and track are not shared with any other Jaguar. At 4,731mm long and with a

2,874mm wheelbase, the All-New F-PACE offers the sleek profile and short front overhang

characteristic of Jaguar design together with an exceptionally spacious interior.

The light, stiff body structure comprises 80 per cent aluminium, and is the only aluminium-intensive

monocoque in the segment. Additional weight savings come from the composite tailgate and

magnesium for parts such as the cross-car beam.

The body’s high torsional stiffness enables the F-TYPE- derived double wishbone front suspension

and sophisticated Integral Link rear suspension to perform even better. Together with Torque

Vectoring as standard and an Electric Power Assisted Steering system tuned to give the best

possible feel and response, the All-New F-PACE sets the benchmark for ride and handling.

Even the entry-level Prestige model benefits from monotube dampers as standard, but for even

better ride and handling the electronically-controlled Adaptive Dynamics system (standard in R-

Sport) measures body and wheel movement 100 and 500 times a second respectively, ensuring

optimum damping forces in all conditions.

News release: All-New Jaguar F-PACE promises sporting performance and everyday practicality


For the most enthusiastic drivers there is the Configurable Dynamics, which is standard in R-Sport.

First used in the F-TYPE. This feature allows individual settings for the throttle, automatic

transmission, steering, and, where fitted, the Adaptive Dynamics system.

The All-New F-PACE’s torque on-demand all-wheel drive (AWD) system is Jaguar’s most

sophisticated yet, and has the highest torque capacity. It features the advanced, in-house control

system first developed for F-TYPE AWD: Intelligent Driveline Dynamics (IDD). IDD preserves rear-

wheel drive agility and handling character but can seamlessly transfer torque to the front wheels to

exploit the performance benefits of extra traction, on all surfaces and in all weathers.


The Adaptive Surface Response (ASR) in R-Sport, developed from sister brand Land Rover’s

patented, award-winning Terrain Response technology, makes the AWD system even more

effective in challenging conditions. Integrated into Jaguar Drive Control, ASR identifies the type of

surface and optimises the mapping of the powertrain and Dynamic Stability Control system. First

launched in the All-New XF, ASR has been enhanced by a third mode designed for deep snow and

gravel. Additional technologies available to ensure all surface performance include the existing

Jaguar systems; All Surface Progress Control and Low Friction Launch which are both standard

features.



The All-New F-PACE also brings the world debut of Jaguar’s Activity Key. A waterproof, shockproof

wristband with an integrated transponder, this segment-first, wearable technology supports active

lifestyles because it allows the keyfob to be securely locked inside the vehicle – invaluable if you’re

going surfing, for example, or kayaking. Locking the All-New F-PACE using the Activity Key will

disable any keyfobs left inside. The Activity Key is available as an optional accessory. (you hold the key to the 'j' 

in the Jaguar lettering to activate it - above))

For more information on the All-New Jaguar F-PACE and the complete range of Jaguar models

available in Malaysia, please go to www.jaguar.com.my or visit our authorised dealers – SISMA

Auto Glenmarie, Sime Darby Auto Connexion Petaling Jaya, SISMA Auto Kuala Lumpur and SISMA

Auto Penang. 

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