2020 Jaguar F-PACE SVR Road Test and Review

Everyone seems to be interested in this 2020 Jaguar F-PACE SVR. Maybe it’s our test car's Ultra Blue paint, which seems to glow from within. Maybe it’s the growl of its supercharged V8 engine. Maybe it’s the SUV's muscular stance on its massive 22-inch alloy wheels. Whatever it is, my neighbors and fellow Los Angelinos can’t seem to get enough of it. They all want a ride.

Jaguar introduced the F-Pace back in 2017, finally offering an SUV like its Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Lexus rivals. With its unique blend of style, luxury, and performance, the compact luxury suv accumulated many prestigious awards and quickly became the luxury automaker’s best-selling model. Now Jag is offering the F-Pace SVR, a high-performance mutation of the SUV for driving enthusiasts who want to take their families along for the ride. Built in the UK, it competes with other European hot-rod SUVs including the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, BMW X5 M50i, Porsche Cayenne S, and AMG versions of the Mercedes-Benz GLE.

Jaguar offers the F-Pace SUV in several trim levels and with four different engines. The 2020 Jaguar F-PACE SVR sits on the top of that food chain. It’s not only the most powerful version of the SUV, but also the most expensive. Prices start at $81,625, including a $1,025 delivery fee. That’s $610 more than last year, but the Jag’s price is still competitive with the majority of its rivals.

Power comes from a supercharged 5.0-liter V8, which it shares with the brand’s XJ sedan and F-Type sports car, as well as the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport (Jaguar and Land Rover are owned by the same company). In the F-Pace SVR, the engine is rated to produce 550 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque, which makes this one of the world's most powerful suvs. All-wheel drive, 21-inch wheels, and an eight-speed automatic transmission with a sport mode and paddle shifters are standard. Our F-Pace SVR test vehicle was equipped with a few expensive options, including its 22-inch wheels and carbon-fiber interior trim, which drove its sticker price up to $90,510.

The F-Pace SVR is a product of Jag’s Special Vehicle Operations in Warwickshire, England. Think of it as BMW’s M Division or AMG at Mercedes, an in-house high-performance tuner or hot-rod shop that cranks up the power, handling, braking, and visual impact of the brand’s mainstream models to create something unique, exclusive, and even more fun to drive. Like all Ms and AMGs, it was tuned on the legendary north loop of Germany’s Nurburgring, a racetrack universally considered the most challenging in the world.

It’s there, under extreme high-speed conditions, that a special team of Jaguar engineers turned the sporty and capable F Pace into this high-performance luxury suv. Jaguar says the F-Pace SVR can sprint to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, and it has a top speed of 176 mph. Although it costs about the same as a Porsche Cayenne S, those performance numbers approach those of the $128,000 Cayenne Turbo.

When the Jaguar F-PACE was first introduced back in 2017, we said its exterior design was “fresh and youthful, but never comes across as over-styled. It will look good for years to come.” Well, here we are three years later and the SUV still looks great. It’s sleek and voluptuous. Its shape, with its large grille, tight proportions, and low roofline, are perfectly Jaguar, but without any unnecessary and clumsy attempts at being retro. It looks especially sharp from the back, with its radically canted rear end, integrated rear spoiler, and large dual exhaust pipes.

The SVR gets some unapologetic details, including reshaped front and rear fascias, large fender vents, and two open scoops in its hood. It’s not overdone, however. It still looks smart, not sophomoric. The F-Pace looks so sporty that it also appears smaller than it really is to the naked eye. At 186.5 inches long, 81.5 inches wide, and 65.7 inches high, the F-Pace is wider and lower than a Porsche Cayenne, while the German is about 7 inches longer.

This SUV backs up those good looks by driving like a sports sedan, with big power, quick responses, and tight, stable handling. The F-Pace SVR is engaging and fun to toss around on a twisty road, and it offers one of the finest driving experiences in the high-performance-SUV class. The sacrifice for all of that road holding, however, is a stiff ride. With its 22-inch wheels and sport-tuned suspension, the F-Pace SVR rides firmer than we expected and some buyers may find it to be a bit jarring on rough roads, even in Comfort Mode. In Dynamic Mode, the suspension gets even stiffer. The good news is there’s very little body roll, precise steering, and extremely powerful brakes. This big SUV stops like a sports car.

And it goes like one too. The power from Jag’s big V8 is beyond impressive, it’s explosive. And the supercharged engine is perfectly matched to the Jag’s eight-speed automatic transmission. The SUV’s acceleration is breathtaking.

Not even Jaguar can build one of the world’s most powerful SUVs and figure out a way to also give it impressive fuel economy. If you buy an SUV with a 550-hp supercharged V8, you’re going to pay at the pump. That said, the SVR’s fuel economy is about average for this class. It’s rated at 16 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway, and we averaged 17 mpg over a week of mixed driving in Los Angeles. The Jag does have a large 21.7-gallon fuel tank, however, so range isn’t a problem, but it does require more expensive premium-grade gas.

For comparison, the 505-hp Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is rated at 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway and the BMW X5 M50i, which is powered by a 523-hp twin-turbo V8, is rated 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway.

Our test vehicle was also equipped with JaguarDrive Control, which allows the driver to choose Dynamic, Eco, and Rain/Snow modes, which retune the SUV's parameters for optimum performance. In Dynamic mode, the SUV’s throttle response is sharpened, its steering effort is increased, and the transmission holds gears longer. Also, the Jag’s configurable instrument cluster turns from blue to red, as does its interior lighting.

The response time of the F-Pace's infotainment system is still a bit slow, but the 10-inch touchscreen is one of the largest in the class and its graphics are sharp. Onboard Wi-Fi is standard and the optional Meridian Surround Sound Audio System is excellent. Overall, the Jag’s interior has an upscale feel, high build quality, and rich materials, including a headliner crafted from soft suede and beautifully stitched leather on the seats, dash, doors, and console. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make peace with its heated and cooled Performance front seats. They’re just too hard, which amplifies the vehicle's stiff ride. They look great, but the standard sport seats in other F-Pace models are preferable.

Rear passengers get their own air conditioning vents, two USB ports, and a power outlet. The F-Pace's rear seat is also heated and offers plenty of leg and headroom. Three full-size adults fit in the back if the ride is short. Cargo space is large for this class: 33.5 cubic feet of space behind the rear seat. Every F-Pace comes standard with a 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat, which easily folds flat to fit larger items. With the seats down, there’s a cavernous 63.5 cubic feet of space.

Storage inside the Jaguar’s luxurious interior is also very well thought-out. The center console bin is large enough and felt-lined, and the door pockets are sizable and have slots for water bottles. There are also a couple of well-placed cupholders.

Despite the Jaguar's $81,000 base price, you’ll have to pay up another $3,000 for the optional Driver Assist Package if you want the maximum amount of driver aids available on the F-Pace. The package includes blind-spot monitoring, a 360-degree surround camera, adaptive cruise control with steering assist, high-speed automatic emergency braking, park assist, and a rear traffic monitor. 

Lane-keeping assistance and low-speed emergency braking are standard, along with Adaptive LED headlamps and a Driver Condition Monitor, which will detect if the driver is feeling drowsy and suggest a break from the road. Most of these systems are programmable or can even be deactivated from the driver’s seat. Like many of its rivals, the 2020 Jaguar F-PACE has not received safety ratings from either the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

We were very impressed with the Jag’s build quality. The paint quality on our test vehicle was exceptional, and its body gaps were tight and perfectly uniform. Its doors closed with a thud and there were no squeaks and rattles. It just felt solid.

Overall, performance-hungry SUV buyers will love the new 2020 Jaguar F-PACE SVR. It’s a spacious SUV that drives very much like the brand’s F-Type sports car, with a thundering V8 engine and tight handling. It’s extremely fun to drive, it’s beautifully appointed, and it looks expensive. It rides more firmly than some of its rivals, and its standard Performance front seats could use some additional padding. But for those looking for high-speed SUV, the 2020 Jaguar F-Pace SVR is a very desirable choice.