Jaguar is busy sketching a new tomorrow comprising fresh branding, radical concepts, and a clean-sheet electric future with the F-Pace
I met the F-Pace on a Monday morning. The nose still looks predatory, like its namesake—slim lamps, taut surfacing—and its rear quarters sit over the wheels like a sprinter loaded on the blocks. In profile it reads athletic rather than hulking; it’s the sort of SUV you’d never park head in just to admire the shoulder line as you walk away.
It starts as a whisper. In electric mode the car glides out of the housing estate like a well- mannered guest, with the first few kilometres done on battery alone. It’s a small act of kindness: creeping into a tight spot, rolling silently past sleeping neighbours.
Sooner or later though, you’d want to prod it. The car’s combined shove, a petrol turbo with an added electric motor, arrives in a swell rather than a slap. Overtaking is blissfully short, the gearbox stays attentive, and the ride gathers speed with an old-school Jaguar smoothness that I’ve missed. It stays planted on an empty slip road and proves its briskness in a grown-up way; you watch the horizon coming to you while the cabin stays calm. I found that the steering sits on the right side of light, accurate without being twitchy, and the chassis carries itself with quiet composure over rougher city tarmac.
What appeals to me most is its dual nature. On paper, it’s a plug-in hybrid with a genuinely usable electric range and relatively quick charging—just 30 minutes on a DC charger delivers 80 per cent. In reality, it’s an SUV that adapts to your state of mind: by day, you rely on the battery and savour the quiet; as dusk falls, you call on the full powertrain and let its combined torque flow into one smooth, effortless surge along an open road.
F for Fluid
Inside, the cabin delivers on its lifestyle promise. The 11.4-inch Pivi Pro display is sharp and intuitive, wireless charging keeps the centre console uncluttered, and the Meridian sound system offers real depth when you cue up something atmospheric after dark. You sit a touch lower than in some rivals, lending the F-Pace a more car-like feel than a traditional SUV. It’s sensibly practical as well: the boot easily accommodates a weekend’s luggage, the rear seats fold flat for the occasional Ikea run, and on longer journeys the dual-zone climate control and supportive seating make distance feel almost incidental.
Of course, driving a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle well means playing the short and long game. The short game: plug in when you can, keep the battery topped, glide more often. And the long game: cross-island trips without range anxiety and a petrol engine that’s ready to go when the schedule doesn’t allow for a quick charge. The F-Pace pairs a 2.0-litre turbo four with an electric motor for 404PS and a whopping 640Nm of torque.
By the end of the test drive, the car had settled into the rhythm of my week. The outlook matches the attitude: vaguely menacing at a standstill and pleasingly decisive in motion. It feels every bit a Jaguar because it behaves like one.
Which brings me back to that rebrand and concept work that point to a clean, luminous future. If that world is the leap, the F-Pace is Jaguar’s final big cat mid-prowl. It’s modern enough to make sense today, yet traditional enough to remind you why the badge still matters. Aggressive looks with performance to match, technology that gets out of your way, and a plug-in system that allows you to curate the mood—there are rivals with higher specifications, but few that wear their speed and silence with this much ease.
