Diesel SUV Battle: Jaguar F-Pace Versus Alfa Romeo Stelvio
On U.S. shores, only the Jaguar comes with a diesel.
Diesels have slowly been falling out of favor in the U.S. market since the Volkswagen scandal, but over in the UK, the market is alive and well. High fuel efficiency works in favor of equally high fuel prices, and that’s why they get both the Jaguar F-Pace diesel and the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. While we get the F-Pace diesel here, it’s interesting to see how it stacks up to its closest rival from Italy under similar circumstances.
Compact luxury SUVs are increasing in popularity as well, and the Stelvio and F-Pace are the first tries for both brands to enter into an already saturated market. Alfa’s Stelvio is based on the very good Giulia, where as the F-Pace is derived from the XF and XE class. As such, they should adapt to track use quite well. Fifth Gear decided to hustle both examples around Anglesey Circuit in Wales.
Stats are in the favor of the Alfa Romeo in this case, with its turbo 4 cylinder diesel producing 210 horsepower compared to the Jaguar’s 180. The Italian is also a light-weight, too coming in at 3660 lbs, a full 265 lbs lighter than the F-Pace.
Physics dictate that the Jaguar simply can’t match the pace of the Alfa Romeo, which is an unfortunate way to really compare a vehicle. For one, we can almost be assured that none of the drivers of these entry-level models would dare touch a race track. That’s best left to the Quadrifoglio and SVR editions. Instead, the better comparison for these rides would come from a test of practicality. How roomy is it for you and family? How much does it haul? Is it comfortable on longer journeys and how well is it built? This video ended with a very solidified opinion favoring the Alfa, but only if you ever live on a race track.
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