- Messages
- 433
- Likes
- 0
If you're a Brit, you likely pronounce it "JAG-you-ar." On this side of the pond, most Americans say "JAG-wahr." My 9-year-old son, meanwhile, insists on using his own inflection: "JAG-wire."
The fact that pronunciation is an issue at all is proof that the Jaguar brand remains exotic in the United States - the preferred automobiles of a narrow demographic made up mostly of sophisticates and tweedy college professors. To most Americans, the brand built in the United Kingdom conjures images of pipe smoke, Tortoise-shell eye-glasses and smooth jazz.
Jaguar sold just under 15,000 vehicles in the United States last year, but that's about to change dramatically.
Today and next Saturday in this space, we will take a look at the new Jaguar XE compact car and the company's first-ever SUV, the F-pace, which many think is destined to be the brand's sales leader. Both vehicles are all-new and have already turbocharged Jaguar's sales, with the company reporting a 59 percent sales spike so far in 2016 over the corresponding period in 2015, according to Bloomburg news.
The fact that both new Jaguar models fall into the compact segment is telling. Imagine, for example, what BMW would be without its best-selling 3-series sedans and the mid-line X3 SUVs. With no entry-level vehicles to offer, Jaguar has not been able to cultivate brand loyalty. Now, with a sub-$50,000 (base price) sedan and SUV in showrooms, Jaguar can target 30- and 40-somethings who may one day graduate to its more premium models.
The F-pace, a five-passenger all-wheel-drive crossover, is especially important for Jaguar. Lexus, for example, sells more than 100,000 of its RX crossovers a year, and a fair number of those Lexus buyers might cross-shop at a Jaguar store before deciding on a purchase. If Jaguar could snag, say, 1o percent of those customers with its first SUV, the effect on its market share would be transformative.
"SUVs are responsible for the tremendous growth Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche experienced in the U.S.," says James Vandermerwe, general manager at Jaguar Chattanooga. Vadermerwe said the local Jaguar dealership has several F-pace crossovers in stock and a healthy supply in the pipeline.
This week's tester is a Glacier White F-pace 35t Prestige with a supercharged, 3.0-liter V-6 engine - the same engine that powers the excellent Jaguar F-type sports car. But even though the F-pace crossover shares some mechanicals with the F-type, its mission as a two-ton, five-passenger family hauler is completely different.
Our tester, which occupies a middle rung on the F-pace trim ladder, lists for $61,325 including about $10,000 in optional equipment.
STYLING AND FEATURES
Jaguar was clearly shooting for "subdued elegance" in the design of its 2017 F-pace. Bucking the trend toward busy body lines, the F-pace is nicely understated. It features Jaguar's trademark terraced hood and rounded, trapezoidal grill. Cat-like headlights are framed by LEDs that wink seductively when you unlock the doors.
In the rear, the design is more pinched with horizontal tail-light assemblies and a sharply-angled rear window that reduces visibility. Our only nit to pick with the otherwise buttoned-down exterior are black, plastic rocker panels that look a bit down-scale. We doubt if most F-paces will ever have to deflect underbrush, and thus the need for black, scratch-resistant panels on the bottom of a white vehicle seems dubious.
Inside, the black and white (actually, Jet and Oyster) color scheme has a classy, mid-century vibe. The perforated leather seats are well bolstered and include both front- and back-seat bun warmers. Back seat space is abundant, and so is the storage space tucked under the sloping rear hatch.
A 12.3-inch color screen behind the steering wheel displays digital gauges, and a 10.2-inch touchscreen in the middle of the dash is the brain center for F-pace's telematics functions. Navigation is standard on Prestige models. Our tester includes a pricey, but desirable, Tech Package ($3,200) which includes Jaguar's excellent new Touch Pro infotainment system, 3G wifi connectivity, and an 825-watt 17-speaker Meridian sound system. The $2,100 vision package adds adaptive LED headlights, blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
"Wow, that engine is kind of loud," said a buddy who walked up to me while I was cranking the F-pace in the Times Free Press parking lot. In Jaguar's defense, the company is billing the F-pace as the "the performance SUV" and stressing its relationship to the F-Type - one of the most seductive sports cars on the road. As such, the F-pace has a pulse-quickening exhaust note.
The muscular V-6 engine in our tester is supercharged and makes 340 horsepower. Other engine choices include a high-performance 380-horsepower supercharged V-6 and a diesel inline four-cylinder. We've sampled the diesel in the XE and it's a honey of an engine with an amazing reserve of torque.
The F-pace is technically all-wheel-drive, but it defaults to 90-percent rear-wheel-drive unless its computers push more traction to the front wheels due to slippage. The result is a taut, balance ride that makes the F-pace a blast to navigate up our twisting mountain roads. Hard acceleration results in a pleasant growl, not the turbo whine we have come to expect in most luxury SUVs.
BOTTOM LINE
The F-pace is destined to be a game-changer for Jaguar, helping transform the brand from a fringe player to a mainstream provider of luxury vehicles in the United States market, where SUVs are king.