Deer Hunting with a 2018 Jaguar F-Pace 25T R-Sport
Driving it on the paved roads heading to the hunting spot, the 247 HP and 269 lb-ft of torque produced by the small, yet impressive powertrain begs us to drive it faster and its torque vectoring ability wants us to drive deeper into the corner since it is capable of holding a line much better than the run-of-the-mill SUV. Indeed, the All-Wheel Drive capability, 20” sport tires and Dynamic driving modes are all well-suited for spirited driving bringing a smile to my face as I drive a bit more spirited than the law allows.
In case this wasn’t enough, buyers looking for more power can upgrade to one of the other three engine choices – another 2.0L turbo four-cylinder with 296 HP, 3.0L super-charged V6 with 380 HP or a 2.0L turbodiesel four-cylinder pushing MPG to 33 highway.
Our entry-level engine felt like plenty of power for the light-weight aluminum framework SUV and the weight plus powertrain returns an EPA-rated fuel economy of 22/27/24 city/highway/combined MPG.
Inside the cabin, the F-Pace definitely has the sports car feel with the controls and driving position feeling very similar to brilliant F-Type. It is like designers literally copy and pasted interior elements from the car to the SUV. The downside to this is it can feel a bit cramped compared to other SUVs and a few hours sitting in the perforated grained-leather seats is plenty with their more performance-focused design.
The entire interior is bathed in soft-touch materials in all the key touch spots and a dash of chrome accents the cabin. It also features the raised rotary dial shifter adding a bit more class.
The second-row seats provide the better comfort with their electronically-reclined ability and more open space absent the wide center console found in the front. Even though the F-Pace feels pretty narrow, there is a good amount of room for two passengers.
All the way in the rear is where things get interesting. Jaguar included the $410 full-size space option in my test model and it sits elevated above the rear floor area. In an automotive world where many makers are eschewing a real spare tire in favor of tire repair spray-in foam, Jaguar’s approach is commendable. However, the raised cover protecting the tire makes laying things flat in the rear a bit more difficult. For example, putting groceries, luggage and other similar items often meant more them to the center away from the edges where they would tip over easily. Longer items like golf clubs and my rifle fit perfectly fine.