The Jaguar F-Pace was introduced in 2017 as a new, larger SUV in the Jaguar lineup. Keen to get the public’s interest in a time when sedan sales are falling, Jaguar went with the times and offered the F-Pace and (soon after) the i-Pace crossovers. The F-Pace is quick, roomy, and handles like a sports sedan. It has a few quirks, however, and a couple of issues that could be deal breakers for some luxury buyers.
New for the 2022 model year is the power liftgate becoming standard, but the F-Pace is otherwise unchanged from 2021’s significant refresh and content updates. Most of its competition comes from other sport luxury makes like BMW with the X5, Mercedes-Benz with its GLE, and Porsche with its Cayenne. Less sporty options in the F-Pace’s segment are from Lexus, Audi, and Cadillac are also competitors.
On the outside, the Jaguar F-Pace is a sleek and beautiful luxury crossover. Its simple, yet refined body lines, elegant curvature, and sporty overall look are definite high points. Jaguar didn’t go crazy with the wheel options for the F-Pace, but did go big with 22-inch wheels being the setup on our test model. The simplified mesh grille, distinctly Jaguar headlamps, and vent cut behind the front fender are all hallmarks of the Jaguar brand.
The 2022 Jaguar F-Pace has an equally posh interior, with a lot of spacious feel to its layout and plenty of storage and legroom than will be found in most rivals. Materials choices are top shelf for the most part, with a few exceptions such as the hard plastic under the steering column and the oddly cheap-feeling removable cargo cover. Probably the greatest down point to the Jaguar F-Pace, though, is its infotainment. It’s clunky and outdated compared to most of the other options on the market and it often ignores inputs almost entirely. The standard surround-view camera system and the nice gauge cluster with its easty-to-read layout are upsides. We are happy that the F-Pace now includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard and how beefed up charging options with more USB ports in ever trim option.
Advanced driver’s aids and safety systems are all standard in the 2022 Jaguar F-Pace as well. The adaptive cruise control is smooth, but is the only upgrade to safety that will cost you extra. The F-Pace doesn’t over-react with braking or other safety measures and the steering assist gives helpful hints without becoming cumbersome. Jaguar found a nice median there to balance between the driver’s style and safety.
The cargo area is flexible and useful, though the back “wall” created by the rear seats is not flat thanks to those seats having recline options as the norm. But most will find it more than accommodating for cargo hauling. Even better, the 2022 F-Pace is rated at 5,291 pounds for towing, giving it a lot more than most of its competition.
The 2022 Jaguar F-Pace is rated at 22 mpg combined for fuel economy. Our highway test loop, which is 42 miles round trip at high altitude, returned a 28 mpg highway average. That’s very good for this segment, especially in sportier models that are direct competitors with the F-Pace.
Speaking of sportiness, the F-Pace has two engine options. The base option is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that outputs 246 horsepower to an eight-speed automatic transmission with standard all-wheel drive. This engine is a solid choice for the F-Pace and does more than enough to motivate it with confidence.
Upper trim points have the option of or come standard with a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine that outputs 335 horsepower. Opting for the R-Dynamic S boosts that to 395 horses. We drove the F-Pace S without that boost and found it extremely fun and sporty as-is. We can only imagine that the added umph of the R-Dynamic makes it even better.
Finally, the SVR model sports a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 that outputs 542 horsepower. We drove this model when it debuted about three years ago and consider it the best of the bunch if muscle is your only concern.
In all, while expensive, the 2022 Jaguar F-Pace is a wonderful luxury drive. While others have complained about interior noise levels, we didn’t notice them in our testing at all. We did notice that the 17-speaker Meridian sound system is top shelf, though, and would recommend getting that if you’re worried about interior road noise.
Pricing for the F-Pace starts at around $52,000 and our test model F-Pace S rang in at over $72,000 with all of the added bells and whistles.
This review originally appeared on DriveModeShow.com.
