Yahoo Autos The 2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR Should Be Quicker
In the greater SUV universe, the 550 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque produced by the 2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR's supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 is but a middling effort among a bevy of fire-breathing people movers crowding the upper reaches of the segment. While Jaguar's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) team did much more than just drop a bigger engine into the standard F-Pace to create the SVR, we don't expect that it will be much of a performance SUV groundbreaker for anyone except Jaguar. This by no means diminishes the many talents and innate appeal of the brand's new, faster pussycat.
For all of its newfound power, the F-Pace SVR proved to be both great fun and wonderfully comfortable. Driven calmly, its ZF eight-speed automatic transmission—which the SVO team tweaked to deliver quicker and more decisive shifts when driven aggressively—changes gear early and often imperceptibly, helping to keep the V-8's noise levels at bay. When we wanted to wake things up a bit, the gearbox's Sport setting could be summoned by nudging the new pistol-style shifter to the left, which, along with aluminum paddles on the steering wheel, also facilitates manual shifts. Say goodbye to the F-Pace's previous rotary gear selector.
Despite chassis upgrades that include performance-tuned adaptive dampers and new springs that are 30 percent stiffer in front and 10 percent stiffer in back, the F-Pace SVR absorbs Michigan’s crater-laden roads with little, if any, brittleness or degradation to the SVR's ride comfort. The SVO team's revisions also ensure that little of the engine's formidable power is lost to wheelspin, thanks to an updated all-wheel-drive system with a rear-biased torque split, brake-based torque vectoring, and an electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential.
Power Meets Road
As we've experienced in other Jaguars, the SVR's supercharged 5.0-liter makes loads of power, especially in the middle of its rev range. Toggling the Dynamic setting with the console-mounted selector fully awakens the beast by sharpening the throttle, transmission, and chassis systems to their most alert postures. In full-attack mode, the F-Pace SVR catapults away from stoplights with the sort of face-peeling force formerly reserved for more ground-hugging, much less family-friendly performance sleds. The Dynamic setting also is the mode of choice for connecting apexes on twisty roads, with its more aggressive suspension helping the body to resist pitch and roll motions. Precise steering lets this F-Pace stick to its driver's intended line with the obedience of a bloodhound. Best of all, let off the accelerator in Dynamic mode and the active exhaust system emits the firecracker bangs that have become a signature trait of high-performance Jaguars. Those loud pipes also facilitate a freer-breathing exhaust system, which is more the proverbial cherry on top than a significant contributor to the SVR's performance gains.
Some measure of our initial exposure to the SVR’s canyon-carving alacrity and unflappable poise can be attributed to the sticky performance summer tires wrapped around its 22-inch forged aluminum wheels. Sadly, all U.S.-market SVRs come equipped like our test car, with Pirelli Scorpion Zero All-Season tires. However, high-performance, Jaguar-specific P Zeros are available from tire retailers such as Tire Rack, or, presumably, a dealer. Consider those a must-buy. The not-so-very-high-performance rubber produced a rather weak 0.85 g of lateral grip on our skidpad, well off the 0.95 g we’ve recorded with a similarly priced Alfa Romeo Stevlio Quadrifoglio equipped with proper summer performance tires. The all-season tires impede braking performance as well, with 174 feet being required to bring the portly 4655-pound SVR to a halt from 70 mph, significantly longer than the Jaguar’s direct competitors need.
The throaty V-8 beneath the hood puts out a lot more bark than it does bite, hitting the 60-mph mark in 4.1 seconds. That number by itself is eye-catching, but the less powerful Stelvio and Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S Coupe both have this cat by the tail, needing just 3.3 seconds to hit 60 mph. Though our right foot abused the loud pedal enough to earn the SVR an observed rating of 16 mpg, the Jag excelled on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy loop, besting its EPA’s rating of 21 by 3 mpg.
Keeping It Classy
The F-Pace SVR is easily one of the best-looking hot utes available. This Jaguar keeps it classy with larger outboard air intakes in the front bumper, simple body-side extensions, model-specific wheel-arch trim, and a smoother rear bumper. An angled slice through the sheetmetal aft of each front fender lends a certain severity to the SVR's look while enhancing the body's aerodynamic properties. If there's a tell that something potent lies underneath, it comes from the fat, gleaming exhaust pipes set into a darkened lower bumper garnish.
It's a similar story inside, where contrasting color schemes and the upholstery's quilted stitching dial up the elegance while the aggressively bolstered yet comfortable sport seats add intensity. The dashboard is little changed from lesser F-Paces. For 2019, it receives Jaguar Land Rover's 10.0-inch InControl Touch infotainment system and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster as standard. However, the climate-control buttons below the center touchscreen are looking dated, as is the cyan backlighting that Jaguar has used for its switchgear since the flip-phone era.
While the 2019 F-Pace SVR's base price of $81,015 is roughly $35,000 higher than that of the entry-level F-Pace 25t, it does come with twice the cylinders and more than twice the horsepower. The Jaguar won't better the outright performance of a competitively priced Alfa Romeo or even a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, but costs less than the alternatives from BMW, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche. The SVR reaffirms that any new home that Coventry finds for its supercharged V-8 is a good one.
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