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2017 Jaguar F-Pace stays true to company's unique heritage

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Over the years, Jaguar has built its reputation by making stylish, sporty luxury cars that sometimes got lost in a large, boisterous market.

But the company has undergone a thoroughgoing transformation in recent years as it is evolving toward producing a full line of luxury vehicles - including a sport utility vehicle worthy of the Jaguar name and true to the company's unique heritage.

The 2017 Jaguar F-Pace, the first SUV from the fabled nameplate, meets the challenge with a stylish interior, luxurious cabin with the latest in technology, a flexible, well-rounded suspension, and robust powertrain with ample power.

Jaguar's management wisely resisted the temptation of simply borrowing a vehicle from its partners at Land Rover and making it over with some styling flourishes and sleight of hand. Instead, the exterior design of the F-Pace incorporates the lines and features that are already part of the Jaguar passenger car line, which has received excellent reviews for its bold exterior design.

The front grille and fascia on the F-Pace is distinctive. The clear, sporty lines that accentuate the vehicle's profile and the stylized rear quarter panel, which is similar to those on the new F-Coupe, only help to build up the distinctive character of new SUV's exterior design.

On the inside, the F-Pace is designed with an architecture that emphasizes the center console, including a rotary dial for managing the shifts in the vehicle's automatic transmission. The console also includes a touchscreen for the entertainment and navigation systems. The materials used to furnish the cabin are first rate, and the tailoring and crisp stitching used to match up the different pieces serves to enhance the luxurious ambience of the F-Pace interior.

Overall, the exterior and interior styling of the F-Pace serve to recall - without using retro cues or tricks - the glory of Jaguar's fabled past when its design routinely won acclaim across the automotive world.

The styling is matched by the ride and handling. Mid-sized utility vehicles, as a group, tend to lag behind sedans, small cars and smaller utility crossover vehicles that are shaped like utility vehicles.

The F-Pace scores well in the vehicle dynamic category as it is quick, handles well on curves and rough surfaces, and steers easily.

The steering is enhanced with an electric power steering that also provides the driver with a good feel for the road.

The brakes also have more than enough power and the vehicle's overall stability under various conditions is quite impressive thanks to a well-engineered chassis that carries the vehicle.

Initially, Jaguar is making two gasoline engines - a supercharged V6 engine available on the 2017 F-Pace and a diesel-powered version also is in the works. One variant of the V6 produces 340 horsepower and the other 380 horsepower, which is more than enough power to give plenty of performance. In fact, the all-aluminum engines are shared with the F-TYPE sports car but have a unique intake and exhaust note of their own.

Both variants are matched to eight-speed automatic transmissions and an all-wheel drive system, which is quite capable of going off-road. The shift points in the transmission come into play smartly and smoothly and help enhance the ride quality rather than diminish as is sometimes the case in other luxury SUVs with big engines and less-than-optimal shift patterns.

The 2017 Jaguar F-Type makes good use of the advance technology built into the vehicle. The touchscreen is at center console, which handles the navigation and entertainment systems and come with first-rate graphics as well as the latest features. It also has an easily adjustable head up display that lets the driver know his speed as well as driver assistance features such as a rear-back-up camera, blind-spot detection and cross traffic alert to help in backing out of a parking space in a crowded area.

Also available on the F-Pace is a forward-facing stereo camera that works with an autonomous emergency braking. The F-Pace is the first Jaguar to offer an AEB system to consumers.

The stereo camera also guides the lane departure warning and lane keep assist systems. By monitoring the vehicle's position relative to lane markings either side, the systems will help keep drivers from drifting out of their lane with a visual warning in the instrument panel and can guide the driver back toward the center of the lane by applying with a nudge to the steering wheel.

Another bit of technology available on the F-Pace is a wrist band similar to a Fitbit that can be used to unlock the vehicle after it's parked for an outdoor activity such as hiking or biking. The wristband allows the driver to stow the F-Pace ?Smart Key? so it doesn't get lost.

Prices for a fully-equipped F-Pace will run more than $60,000, but I couldn't help but be impressed that Jaguar elected to create its own SUV rather than slap its badge on a vehicle it borrowed from its partner Land Rover.
 


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