What happens when you stuff a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 under the hood of a Jaguar F-Pace and tune the chassis to match? You get the F-Pace SVR? How does it compare against some of its competitors and what is it like to drive on curvy mountain roads? Here is a first drive review.
2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR
The SVR differentiates itself with a unique front end and rear fascia. It’s all functional. The large air intakes in the front help cooling. There is a vent behind the front wheel to reduce lift. The air outlets in the hood vent some of the heat generated by the 541 horsepower V8 engine. The 5.0-liter is making 502 lb-ft of torque, and it is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.
At the back, the large quad exhaust pipes let onlookers know that this SUV packs a heavy punch. Jaguar rates the F-Pace SVR at 4.1 second 0-60 MPH acceleration and a 176 MPH top speed.
The active suspension continuously adjusts to the road condition, and large brake rotors and calipers bring the beast to a halt. The 22-inch wheels are wrapped in Pirelli tires that were specifically developed for the F-Pace SVR.
Jaguar struck a good balance between outright cornering performance and daily ride comfort. Yes, you can tell that the SVR suspension is stiffer than on a regular F-Pace, but it will not beat you up on your daily drive. You can put the suspension into Comfort mode on rougher roads, but I really enjoyed the stiff Dynamic setting on the relatively smooth canyon roads.
The F-Pace SVR is not meant to be an SUV for the race track, but it makes all the right noises and looks the part of a high-performance crossover.
The Jaguar SVR starts at $79,990, and it is on sale in the United States now.
Take a look at this first drive video review to hear the glorious supercharged V8.
