Words: Fergus
I’m not usually one to clock watch when in the office, but today I am. It’s a sunny Friday afternoon, and parked up in front of the Gentleman’s Journal HQ is the brand new top spec SUV from Jaguar, theF-Pace. The keys are perched tantalisingly on my desk, and 5pm cannot come fast enough.
The weekend was set to be one of family duties, and an opportunity to enjoy some time with my nieces and nephews – picture sandcastles, walks with buggies, piggybacks, ice creams and school sports matches. So it seemed I was perfectly equipped in the F-PACE for the 3-hour drive home to Dorset, and to take on my role as the cool uncle.
Skip forward three days to a dreary Monday morning and I’m reluctantly handing the keys back, bidding farewell to a blurry couple of days of putting this diesel beast through its paces…
So, how did the F-PACE fare?
Inching through London’s Friday night traffic is a sordidly painful affair, however on this occasion it was different; my ride had bold styling and whopping 22-inch alloys which turned heads, and I was quickly getting used to being behind the wheel of a car of such physical and aesthetic stature. The interior was equally as impressive; adorned with leather, metals and wood, panoramic full-length sunroof and intuitive 8-inch Touchscreen Display.
We headed onto the motorway, where restraint is required, such is the ease at which the F-Pace climbs through the 8 gears – the technical wizardry on offer, such as the cruise control and Lane Departure Warning feature, makes Friday night traffic an altogether less stressful ordeal. This also gave me the opportunity to fine tune my seating position, which I have to say was the most comfortable behind a wheel I have experienced, including having driven the latest three Bentleys (and the Bentayga) in recent weeks.
After the unexpected oxymoron of an exciting long drive home, the family duties meant visiting my brother and his children. We clipped in a baby seat for the youngest and threw in a booster for his older sister. I’m happy to report that there were no complaints about comfort – quite the opposite in fact. We headed to the beach, via Waitrose where I must say parking was a piece of cake thanks to the smattering of cameras and sensors – it may be a large SUV, but it’s no harder to park than a push lawnmower. The touch of a boot opening button was a plus when hands were full with a wriggling niece and the buggy; extra kit fitted perfectly too – Jaguar paid particular attention here as the 650-litre boot is the biggest in its class.
Next on the agenda was visiting my sister and her three children further afield in Dorset. This also gave me a convenient opportunity to open the F-Pace up on the country lanes, which proved a lot of fun. The turbocharged 3-litre V6 engine delivers 0-60 in 5.8 seconds, – not too bad for a car which had also proved itself a veritable family car thus far. Despite this speedy performance, the polar bears aren’t being robbed of ice, as Jaguar has given a clear nod to the environment in the manufacture – on the open road you get 50.4mpg, and 40.9mpg in the city. That’s VW Golf territory, only with a lot more legroom and space for dogs.
On arrival at my sisters, uncle duties quickly resumed with chauffeuring to a cricket match, complete with kit and numerous bags. Being a little older and near his teens, this nephew was also suitably happy with me by arriving to the cricket match and jumping out of the best looking car in the field!
It really is a car for all occasions, all moods, whatever the size of your family, or however twitchy your right foot. On getting out of the driving seat for the last time I couldn’t help but look back perhaps more times than I would like to admit. Great looking, exciting, and hugely practical – the F-Pace S sets a new bar among SUVs.
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