In the past, I’ve always been pretty anti-SUV, at least in terms of models that aren’t meant to go off-road. However, the Jaguar F-Pace SVR changed my mind.
- Car: 2021 Jaguar F-Pace SVR
- Location: Southern California
- Photog: Peter Nelson (IG + Twitter: @16vPete)
- Camera: Canon 6D + Canon EOS 35-70mm EF Zoom
It’s an obvious given that sporty SUVs will never feel like sports cars. Physics are physics, but man, Jag did a good job making the F-Pace SVR feel like an F-Type R that’s been force-fed human growth hormone. Or, because it’s much bigger but retains the same 5.0-liter supercharged V8, one could say it’s an F-Type that’s been diagnosed with Acromegaly.
I say this because the F-Pace SVR handles its 4,800-pound curb weight incredibly well. The thing sails through corners with surprisingly precise gusto and has an immense amount of grip. The tires are 295s in the rear and 265s up front, so there’s ample contact patch on its 22-inch wheels. One benefit of the weight is that the F-Pace needs a lot more sidewall than a little sports car, which in turn means it soaks up bumps incredibly well with its dampers set to stiff in Dynamic mode. That’s Jag’s version of Sport or Sport Plus on other brand-new, high-end fare. Body roll is so well contained, yet it irons out the roughest and sharpest surfaces. It truly provides the best of both worlds.
For those with the funds looking for a vehicle that truly can thrill (by the way, it also gets to 60 mph from a stop in 3.8 seconds) and have all the conveniences of a big, people-and cargo-hauling SUV, what a choice it’d be.
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