Jaguar F-Pace review

Jaguar’s pitch for the facelifted F-Pace revolved around combining contemporary British design with the latest connected technologies. The design team actually appointed a dedicated detail ‘tsar’, with experience in the world of high-end chronographs, and the results are impressive. 

We particularly like the Mars Red interior (pictured) which contrasts nicely with the aluminium door trim – open pore wood is also available – and makes for a huge improvement on the low-rent plastics of the pre-facelift model. A word, too, on the optional ‘Performance’ seats, which look and feel superb. They also help liberate a bit more space in the rear, good news for backseat passengers.

The mid-life facelift also introduced a new drive selector, with a leathery top half inspired by the feel of a traditional cricket ball, while that contemporary Britishness also turns up as an embossed leaper on the headrests and in the ‘Est. 1935 Jaguar Coventry’ labels on the dash and on the seats.

What's the tech like?

All F-Paces now get Jaguar’s 11.4-inch Pivi Pro infotainment system as standard, a seriously impressive looking bit of kit being brighter and bigger than the pre-facelift, 10-inch display. Jaguar says that 90 per cent of the most commonly used functions are located within two taps of the home screen, and the system also has a dedicated power source so it’s ready to go as soon as you are.

Climate control is still done by rotary controllers; you pull it towards you to adjust the fan speed and twiddle it to change the temperature settings. Fiddly, but better than stabbing your fingers at a virtual slider. The nav system is one of the very few which allows occupants to flip through views, turn off the volume and even enter or cancel a destination without making you want to cry. Minimising driver distraction is an increasingly important consideration. As is minimising driver despair.

Elsewhere inside, the main TFT instrument display can be configured in various ways. The steering wheel design is similar to the I-Pace’s and has the same slightly questionable haptics for its wheel-mounted buttons. There’s also active road noise cancellation, a cabin air purification system, and wearable tech in the form of the Activity Key, which allows you to leave your keys at home.

What's the bootspace like?

The F-Pace gets up to 613 litres of bootspace (though this is reduced to 485 litres in the PHEV on account of the battery under the boot floor), making it one of the largest in its sector, and noticeably bigger than the likes of the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Porsche Macan and Volvo XC60. Perfect for the dump run, in other words.

Additional improvements over the pre-facelift model included interior stowage space, relocated electric window switches, comfier head rests, and soft touch lining to the door bins to stop keys clanking about. It’s the little things.