Jaguar F-Pace | 2nd Row Review and Reaction

The 2022 Jaguar F-Pace is an aesthetically pleasing alternative to the regular crowd of compact luxury SUVs from Europe and Asia. It bears the leaper proudly on its tightly-wrapped and attractive bodywork, and there’s little to complain about on the interior, too. Jaguar offers a level of performance available for whatever fits your fancy, but this SUV would rather be a cruiser and backroad bruiser versus a Nürburgring-carver no matter the model you choose.

Some of our usual Jaguar Land Rover gripes have dissipated with the F-Pace recently, as it’s now sporting a competent suite of tech to match its good looks. Plus, the new and complex inline-six engine is a real treat to use no matter the environment — it pulls hard when called upon, but has a smooth and luxurious side around town. We think it’s the engine to get.

The F-Pace fits in nicely to this large group of luxury crossovers on sale today, offering an unmatched level of style and a good dose of substance to back it up. We’d still recommend a couple luxury SUVs before it, but the F-Pace is a more worthy alternative than it’s ever been today.

There are no notable changes for the F-Pace in 2022 beyond a few optional items being made standard. Those include a power tailgate and privacy glass for the four- and six-cylinder models, and adaptive cruise control with lane-following assist for the SVR. The F-Pace received a makeover for the 2021 model year, and you can read more about that here.

The F-Pace’s interior just went through a big rethink last year that upgraded it into the realm of a top-shelf luxury cabin. It has an upscale look, uses excellent materials, and while it may struggle to find that balance between the inclusion of features and maintaining ease of use, nobody will criticize it for a lack of trying with technology. Per usual with Jaguar, the color and materials choices are vast, allowing you to find a combination that best fits your personality. The standard heated (front) seats are comfortable, and the interior as a whole measures up to its leading competitors out of Germany in the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class.

A standard 11.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system runs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but the Jaguar software is finally respectable with the latest Pivi Pro system. It’s rich in appearance, reacts quickly and the graphics are gorgeous. This screen is complemented by the nice 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that offers a number of configurable display options. We’re less excited about the bizarre climate/seat controls that are bundled into the same knob. You “press” to change the knob’s functionality between adjusting the seat temperature and climate control temperature, but unfortunately, it doesn’t like to work 100% of the time. When it does, it’s a cool party trick, but it’s simply irritating otherwise for such a vital car control.

The F-Pace is on the larger side of luxury compact crossovers and SUVs, but it’s still not a big car. Rear legroom measures in at 37.2 inches, which is merely average for the segment. Adults will fit without issue, and the recline on the seats themselves ensures a comfortable enough seating position. Cargo space is also a respectable 26.6 cubic-feet, but is hindered by the fast-sloping roofline. It’s also a narrow cargo space, but put the rear seats down, and its capability opens up to swallow longer items with ease.

Storage throughout the F-Pace is present, but not abundant. Its cupholders are generous enough in diameter, but not super deep. The cubby ahead of the shifter is the perfect spot to tuck a phone, and Jaguar provides wireless charging as standard in that cubby, too.

Jaguar offers four different levels of performance with the F-Pace, and the top level, called SVR, is a true performance model in every way. However, it all starts with the P250 that is outfitted with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 246 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. This model, like all other F-Paces, is fitted with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Fuel economy for the P250 is rated at 22 mpg city, 27 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined.