Jaguar F-Pace 2021 Car Review

For those who love driving but require added practicality and luxury, the 2021 F-Pace is a tough SUV package to beat. 

Originally launched back in 2016, the F-Pace has now received a subtle facelift, which includes some welcomed tech advancements to further stamp its mark on the large luxury SUV class.

The F-Pace comes in four distinct models: R-Dynamic S, R-Dynamic SE, R-Dynamic HSE and the range-topping SVR. There are also seven engine options to choose from across the range.

Our review model was the R-Dynamic HSE with a P400 twin-charged petrol six-cylinder engine utilising a 48V mild hybrid system. This model receives a 14-way heated and cooled performance front seats in perforated leather as standard, with 16-way massaging, heating/cooling sports seats also available at no additional cost.

The F-Pace range starts from $99,900 (+ORC).

Fine, luxurious interior

Entertainment is supplied via an extremely clear and thin 11.4-inch touchscreen featuring a newly designed interface called Pivi Pro.

The Interactive Driver Display comes standard in our test model, which can display full screen 3D navigation, driver information or quickly see what audio is playing through the optional 650W Meridian Surround Sound speaker system. With this one you can activate the voice assistant by asking a question like “Hey Jaguar what’s the weather like today?”, for example.

The interior is very smart and has luxurious finishing touches like the soft leather dashboard cover. The seats are leather and very comfortable, as you might expect from a Jag.

Bright lighting in the sill covers and Jaguar emblem puddle lamps project onto the ground as you enter (or exit) the vehicle.

Some nice extras

Our car for review was specced up over standard with some rather nice to have features like a Head Up Display (HUD), fixed panoramic roof, wireless device charging, larger 22-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, gesture tailgate, an air quality sensor as well as a cooled glovebox.

All these goodies added just over $10k to the purchase price, which we think is worth it.

Intelligent handling

Jaguar All-Wheel Drive with Intelligent Driveline Dynamics is a predictive all-wheel drive system. While others become active only after the car loses traction, our system pre-emptively shifts torque to the front wheels to maintain control and composure before grip is lost.

Weekend driving in and around Auckland with a child in tow was a delight. The F-Pace offers superior comfort and convenience, and the navigation system is simple to use and offers great timesaving alternative routes when traffic is heavier than normal.

The suspension offered next level comfort and stability even on very wet roads. The road presence of a large SUV means that there was no compromising safety and you have a great view of the road ahead.

The powerful 294kW 3.0-litre engine in our test model delivers smoothly and offers a pleasant exhaust note when ‘Sport’ mode is selected. The engine, although twin-charged, has a very acceptable fuel efficiency figure of 9.8L/100km and we were able to achieve a similar combined figure on a weekend drive. The CO2 emissions rating is 221g/km.

Road to electric

The F-Pace does have a PHEV model - the P400e – which is priced from $149,900 (+ORC). It comes with a two-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol engine and electric motor, with a claimed WLTP range listed as offering between 47 and 53km of pure electric driving. This rating method is designed to be as close to real world figures as possible, as opposed to laboratory achieved figures previously listed.

It might be safe to say that we could see a few manufacturers stretching out their current model range as they near their full EV adoption targets, which Jaguar has committed to 2025. So this may be the last we see of traditionally large combustion-only engines in the Jaguar F-Pace. 

Safety systems

• Rear Collision Monitor
• Blind Spot Assist
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Roll Stability Control
• Airbags – Driver & Front passenger, Front Side & Full Length Side Window Curtain
• Autonomous Emergency Braking, Emergency Brake Assist
• Trailer Stability Assist
• Hazard Lights under Heavy Braking

Find out more on how the AA can help you when buying a new car:

• AA Money - aa.co.nz/money
• AA Insurance - aa.co.nz/insurance
• AA Car Reviews - aa.co.nz/car-reviews
• AA Running Cost Reports - aa.co.nz/runningcosts

Vehicle experts you can trust