Deer Hunting with a 2018 Jaguar F-Pace 25T R-Sport

An unconventional review of Jaguar’s F-Pace SUV. Can it handle an off-road hunting trip as well as it handles on a race track?

It is an hour before sunup as I turn off the pavement and onto a farmer’s field road running along row after row of cropped corn stalks. Littered with bumps and tractor-tire ruts, the 2018 Jaguar F-Pace suspension works hard to keep up with terrain and the 20” tires struggle to keep a grip on the slightly muddy path. Turning a corner and heading to an overlook spot, I kill the 2.0L four-cylinder turbocharged engine as I scan the horizon looking for deer waking up for the day. While this hunting trip with an F-Pace is arguably non-typical for their target customer, it is a typical use for SUVs and it is something a Jaguar SUV should easily be able to handle.

Sitting in the dark and watching the sun rise gives one ample time to evaluate the F-Pace’s interior, storage room and the drive in gave a good taste of its on-road and off-road capability. While, it certainly feels like this Jaguar SUV is really just a tall performance sedan at times, this isn’t entirely accurate. It can and does SUV things albeit with a unique Jaguar touch.