Jaguar F-Pace SVR Drive Review: Loud, Luxurious, Lovable
Luxurious, Inside and Out
The F-Pace SVR interior is lovely, with large, quilted leather bucket seats, front and rear. Items like the configurable digital instrument cluster and infotainment system look and feel sleek, but are a touch slow to respond, and require somewhat deliberate inputs. Those thrones are heated and cooled up front and heated in the back, as standard equipment. After all, the SVR model is the flagship nameplate for F-Pace.
Indeed, the list of standard equipment and tech is long, with features like a powered lift gate, adaptive LED headlights, the panoramic roof, Meridian audio and the 10-inch Touch Pro infotainment system, all being included. Though, with a base price of $79,990, one has to expect a lot of goodies to play with and buttons to push. Considering that many of these features can be selected a la carte on lower end F-Pace models, this level of standard content feels completely sufficient, given the price point.
Though, this test model has exactly $10,000 in optional extras on like, like the aforementioned 22-inch wheels ($1,530). There’s also the aluminum weave carbon fiber interior trim for $1,300, which is nice, but you can skip it. Similarly, the head-up display is cool, but likely not worth the $1,010 asking price, at least, to me. There are a few more small items in the list like the “activity key,” the heated windshield, but the big ticket item is definitely the Driver Assist Package.
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For $3,600 the Driver Assist Package outfits the SVR with blind spot monitoring, a 360-degree surround camera, adaptive cruise control with steering assist, high-speed emergency braking, park assist and rear cross-traffic monitor. I have the good news of saying that it’s $3,600 well spent, as I was able to test all of these functions, and, unlike some cars on sale today, they all work excellently. I am a big fan of Jaguar’s adaptive cruise control setup, which really allows for a relaxing drive down the interstate.
This is a good thing, because when I wasn’t driven the F-Pace SVR like a Bond villain gone mad, I had ample time to soak in the luxurious experience that this Ultra Blue Jag offers. Switch the drive mode selector over to comfort and the cabin is quiet, and the ride quality is sufficiently supple, despite the enormous rollers. It’s also relatively fuel efficient when cruising, with the indicated MPG gauge hovering around the 24 mark when cruising at around 70 MPH. The EPA officially rates the SVR at 16 city and 21 highway, though, the real world disparity is much larger. While it’s very efficient on the open road, if you happen to get more than about 13 MPG around town, you’re either a saint, or some sort of a wizard.
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