AutoTrader SCORE
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STYLING8/10
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Safety8/10
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PRACTICALITY8/10
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USER-FRIENDLINESS8/10
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FEATURES8/10
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POWER10/10
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COMFORT8/10
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DRIVING FEEL8/10
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FUEL ECONOMY6/10
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VALUE8/10
Jaguar has committed to becoming a fully electric automaker by 2025.
While it’s a necessary switch for the industry at large, the 2024 Jaguar F-Pace SVR is a stark reminder of the traits I’ll miss the most from this British brand: the vigour of its V8s, not to mention the brilliant sound engineering that comes with them.
Power: 10/10
Nothing hits like a supercharged V8, and the 5.0L unit powering the performance-focused F-Pace SVR outputs an abundant 542 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. If there was an award for the most vicious-sounding SUV, Jaguar would win. With the sport exhaust activated, the V8 chooses violence and sounds apoplectic, howling with the ferocity of a stadium full of frenzied football hooligans anytime you stab the throttle. It’s enough to trick you into thinking a muscle car is screaming by – like a Hellcat from Birmingham, or something that Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders would drive if he were around today. Refined for public appearances but still a scrappy bloke at heart.
Power is sent to all four wheels via an automatic eight-speed transmission. This powertrain is fantastic – smooth, swift, responsive, and always performs as expected – but the way the V8 sounds is this SUV’s shining star.
Driving Feel: 8/10
The performance-focused F-Pace SVR sits at the top of the brand’s SUV portfolio and has the execution to match. Some vehicles powered by supercharged V8s feel like rabid animals, but this one is refined and balances driving excitement well with comfort. Still, it sounds gritty enough to appeal to drivers who want that extra element of engagement for their senses.
Punching the pedal rewards a driver almost instantly with a burst of speed and furious sound. Acceleration is forceful and gratifying, and this SUV corners confidently, remaining composed no matter the situation. The steering could stand to be tighter and sharper, but that’s hard to find beyond entries with Porsche or Alfa Romeo badges on their hood.
Styling: 8/10
The F-Pace SVR is handsome and conservatively styled. With sharp creases, a sensible grille, a luxurious light signature, huge 22-inch wheels, quad exhaust, hood vents, and aggressive intakes, it’s posh but slides under the radar as a performance vehicle. Those who know will easily clock this SUV as one that shouldn’t be messed with, but it also boasts sleeper looks that won’t get too much attention from law enforcement.
The interior’s fit and finish is excellent, and upscale materials are used throughout. It can be quite sedate without much flourish, but the metallic and carbon fibre accents help elevate the space.
Features: 8/10
The F-Pace isn’t missing any features for the price, except for perhaps a head-up display. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connections are included, though I wish information from the phone-based navigation systems could be shown in the gauge cluster display. A wireless phone charger, heated steering wheel, panoramic sunroof, customizable ambient lighting, passive keyless entry, surround-view cameras, and cabin air ionization are all included in this SVR model.
Safety: 8/10
The F-Pace SVR is loaded with Jaguar’s entire arsenal of safety and driver-assistance equipment, including automatic high-beam assist, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, driver attention monitor, and more.
Practicality: 8/10
The F-Pace’s practicality is a surprise. With 40/20/40 split-folding seats, there’s room for long items in the trunk while still offering space for two rear-seat passengers. The trunk holds 793 L with the seats upright and 1,842 L with them folded. Helpful levers in the trunk can be used to fold the seats, but they must be replaced manually. The interior would benefit from more useful cubbies for small item storage when the cupholders are in use.
Comfort: 8/10
The front seats are heated and ventilated in the model tested, and the rear seats are also heated. A heated windshield is standard, but the squiggly filaments in the glass can be a bit distracting at night because of how they diffuse and refract light (although its usefulness outweighs any downsides). Front-seat occupants are treated to comfortable and supportive sport seats and lots of space, though tall rear-seat passengers might find the accommodations a bit tight.
User-Friendliness: 8/10
The F-Pace’s infotainment system sacrifices some usability for aesthetics, so it takes a bit of getting used to the menu structure, which would benefit from being streamlined and more intuitively organized. The same is true for the instrument cluster display, which is controlled via buttons on the steering wheel. Logic says resetting the trip meter should be done through these steering wheel controls, for example, but for that particular task, it’s a button on the end of the signal stalk. These little confusions can be frustrating at first, but once you figure them out you’re unlikely to forget.
Fuel Economy: 6/10
No one buys a supercharged V8 because fuel economy is important to them. Still, the F-Pace SVR is officially rated to burn 15.7 L/100 km in the city, 11.4 on the highway, and 13.8 combined of premium fuel. After about 500 km of mixed testing, the F-Pace SVR returned 14.1 L/100 km, not too far off from its official rating. There’s an eco mode if you’re so inclined and have a light right foot, but it takes all the fun out of the drive.
Value: 8/10
The 2024 Jaguar F-Pace SVR starts at $103,600 plus the $1,850 destination fee. It comes nearly fully loaded and offers more standard features for the price than a comparable Porsche Macan GTS. With $2,000 in options that includes 22-inch black wheels, black roof rails, a power gesture-controlled roof blind, and a heated windshield, the total of this tester amounts to $107,450.
The Verdict
The 2024 Jaguar F-Pace SVR is a low-key SUV that balances performance well with comfort. Its best attribute is its duality – it can be both a comfortable cruiser and a raucous rebel, and it does both very well.
It’s not the obvious choice for a vehicle in this segment because there are so many options in the luxury performance SUV space, but that means a certain level of exclusivity and comfort in knowing that you’re driving something different from everyone else. If, however, the way a vehicle sounds is a factor that’s important to you, there’s no other SUV on the market that sounds as wild as the F-Pace SVR.
| Engine Displacement | 5.0L |
|---|---|
| Engine Cylinders | Supercharged V8 |
| Peak Horsepower | 550 hp @ 6,500 rpm |
| Peak Torque | 516 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm |
| Fuel Economy | 15.7 / 11.4 / 13.8 L/100 km cty/hwy/cmb |
| Cargo Space | 793 L / 1,842 L seats up/down |
| Model Tested | 2024 Jaguar F-Pace SVR |
| Base Price | $103,600 |
| A/C Tax | $100 |
| Destination Fee | $1,850 |
| Price as Tested | $107,650 |
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Optional Equipment
$2,100 – 22-inch black wheels, $1,000; Heated windshield, $550; Black roof rails, $450; Gesture-controlled roof blind, $100
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