I lately got in touch with Jaguar Switzerland, and they gave me the opportunity to experience their all-new F-Pace SVR for a week. Big shoutout to Jaguar. I really appreciated and enjoyed it.
To be honest, I didn’t have a lot of expectations to the driving experience, either the power or the quality of the car. Let us get into it.
The car is painted in “British Racing Green” (optional, 6’420,00CHF) over the “Ebony & Tan” leather interior and the black 22-inch alloy wheels which set you back an extra 2’200,00CHF. In addition to that very classy and British colour combination the car came with a huge glass roof that costs 1’700,00CHF. Definitely a sight to behold. Especially due to its size. The car is huge!
First impressions
Got into the car, drove off and was impressed by how Jaguar improved their quality standards in the interior. I’m writing this because I lately drove a 2019 Jaguar F-Type S “Chequed Flag edition” and honestly: I was disappointed by how the materials were put together, the building quality and even the outdated infotainment system.
They made a huge step forward which I could have never imagined. The 2021 F-Pace facelift model comes with a highly improved quality perception, a newly set up and contemporary infotainment system which is easily understandable and well working. I mean it has to when the F-Pace SVR costs at least 120’000,00CHF in its base form.
What it’s all about
Prestige. Probably. Equipped with a 5.0 litre supercharged V8 this roaring cat isn’t slow at all. 550PS (542bhp) and 700Nm are way enough to bring the 2.3 tons into motion. And you feel the weight while driving. Especially in corners. I had a VW Up GTI in front when I drove down the Schwägalp-Pass and could barely keep up in corners. Heard the tires slightly whistle. So don’t judge me that I’m a slow driver… I drove the Jag close to its physical limits in tight corners.
Well yeah it is an SUV with a lot of power but not made for cornering. In comparison the Alfa Romeo Stelvio QV did that a lot better. Motorway cruising is the ideal territory for the Jaguar F-Pace SVR by far. It hungry eats up kilometres without any hesitation. The eco-mode feels very soft and well balanced on the Autobahn. And god damn I loved cruising on motorways with the mighty Jaguar. So, I can recommend it to use it.
In addition, I can imagine finding this car in cities because many women are hyped by huge and luxurious cars like this. Just my thoughts… It is too huge for city car parks or tiny alleys. Or am I the only one who might be afraid to get some door bumps?
To the interior
As already mentioned, Jaguar has highly improved themself. Just got a few small parts which felt immensely cheap. The indicator lever and some plastic covers in the back belong to them. Otherwise, I was impressed. The huge openable glass roof is a nice to have option but increases the weight even more. Like all the electrically operating gadgets like the memory seats, steering wheel and trunk lid. I mean: is it necessary to have an electronic trunk lid? The Ebony and Siena Tan performance seats are super comfortable in any kind of purpose. Beside seat heating the front seats are equipped with seat ventilation. Which works very well. I used it several times during the hot summer days. Definitely a nice-to-have gimmick. To use your seat temperature settings there are the two large round nobs with small displays. Just push them to set your seat heating or ventilation. By pulling them you’re able to set the ventilation strength. I truly appreciate that Jaguar keeps the air conditioning setting separately compared to many other car manufacturers.
Now what to buy
If you don’t care about fuel economy and prize, either insurance and road taxes, this car might be something for you. Not even mentioned the price. Practicality and space is definitely alright. At least you move around a whole house. So I recommend a large estate instead. Like the XF Sportbrake, Mercedes E-Class or Audi A6/S6/RS6 for example. These cars have almost the same practicality and space but make a lot more sense to me. And they cost less.