Jaguar debuted the F-Pace in 2017 and its I-Pace electric twin in 2019. The F-Pace is mid-sized and is offered in both a four- and a six-cylinder engine option. After a significant amount of facelift surgery last year, the 2022 Jaguar F-Pace sees few changes, with just a couple of feature options moving around.
The F-Pace is a luxury crossover-SUV competing in a popular segment that includes the BMW X5, the Mercedes-Benz GLE, and the Porsche Cayenne. Comparatively, the F-Pace is smooth-looking with distinctive British styling and aplomb. Its interior and drive quality, however, don’t quite match that. But we did notice that the F-Pace didn’t leak all over our driveway – making us question the cliche about British automobiles.
At a Glance
- Two potent engine options with surprisingly good fuel economy.
- Ride quality is improved, but that is thanks to driver disconnection.
- Beautiful, but not ergonomically comfortable interior.
The 2022 F-Pace has a turbocharged four-cylinder engine as its basic offering. That engine provides 246 hp (183 kW) and 269 lb-ft (365 Nm) of torque to an eight-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is standard, as are a host of other amenities, like an 11.4-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 13-speaker sound system from Meridian, and remote monitoring and (some) control via Jaguar’s smartphone app. A few driver amenities like radar-based cruise control and such only come with the upper packages of the F-Pace, however, or as a fairly expensive add-on.
Our test model F-Pace S included the upgrade engine – a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine that outputs 335 hp (250 kW) and 354 lb-ft (480 Nm). The S model is otherwise one step above the base model F-Pace, adding leather upholstery and over-the-air updates for the infotainment system along with configurable drive modes if the upgrade to the six-cylinder engine is opted for.
There is also an R-Dynamic S package that includes the six-cylinder plus some body elements and styling flourishes along with an adaptive suspension system. The SVR, which is almost entirely a separate model, is powered by a supercharged V8 (we drove that a couple of years ago).
For our money, if shopping for an F-Pace, the turbocharged six is the best option. The powerful V8 is great, but comes at a hefty price. The smaller four is a good option for those on a budget, but doesn’t give much in return. Fuel economy is rated as 27 mpg (8.7 l/100km) on the highway, but the turbo-six is also rated at 27 mpg. City mileage is a little lower in the six, at 20 mpg (11.8 l/100km) versus 22 mpg (10.7 l/100km). The R-Dynamic S package, we note, lowers fuel economy somewhat. Most of the efficiency of the six-cylinder engine comes thanks to its mild hybrid system, which helps conserve power and reduces engine load.
Without all of the add-ons with the R-Dynamic package, the 2022 Jaguar F-Pace S feels like a luxury vehicle without pretending to be a sports model. It feels quick and agile at lower speeds, but loses its appeal at highway speeds. The difference is in the steering and suspension system, which were lightened with the new refresh to address some roughness in the ride. That softening came at the expense of driver feel at the wheel, reducing inputs. For many luxury vehicle owners, that won’t be an issue, but most Jaguar buyers are primed for that uniquely British driving feel that comes with most of its vehicles. They’ll get that at city speeds, but will see it dissipate once on the highway.
The interior of the 2022 F-Pace is well done and beautiful. It’s definitely very Jaguar, with appointments and details in all the right places. In daily use, however, a lack of small item storage and odd placement of some controls will make it less functional. Some of this will be overcome with time, of course, but it’s more annoying than quirky.
Outside of those problems, the interior of the F-Pace is wonderfully comfortable with ample cargo space and a nice seating layout. Three across in the back seat is a little tight if they’re all adults, but good enough and about on par with what will be experienced in the rest of this segment. Our favorite thing about the interior, however, is the big, clear infotainment screen and the extremely sonorous Meridian sound system it controls. Most of the other infotainment and technology in the Jaguar is good, but only just commensurable with the rest of its rivals. The “speed sign recognition” is, for example, iffy in its capabilities, and flipping through options for many things involves deep menu diving that’s not for the faint of heart. Voice recognition is hit and miss, and often missing prompts or picking the wrong response altogether. It’s generally easier to just use the big screen provided instead.
Where we really enjoyed the 2022 Jaguar F-Pace was around town. It drives well, feels nimble, is appropriately maneuverable, and turns heads often. The F-Pace is, for sure, a very good-looking vehicle. An edge it holds over any rival we can name.
Pricing for the 2022 F-Pace starts at about US$52,000, with our test model being in the early $60,000s range and top-end models going over $80,000.
Product Page: 2022 Jaguar F-Pace
