Meet Jaguar’s foray into the crossover market. It looks pretty much exactly like the C-X17 concept from 2013, as predicted. I do not think that’s a bad thing.
After all, Ian Callum doesn’t make ugly designs. He’s in the business of making things that are lovely. And he’s found a way to carry over Jaguar’s current design language to a tall crossover bodystyle about as effectively as anyone could.
The F-PACE (now that name, on the other hand...) just dropped ahead of its official Frankfurt Motor Show debut. Over at the UK’s What Car, they report there will be five Euro-spec models, the base of which is rear-wheel drive, has a 180 horsepower diesel engine with a manual gearbox.
Okay, Jaguar made us a diesel manual wagon. I’m okay with that.
That variant is highly unlikely to make it to our shores, but there’s also a 237 horsepower gasoline engine, a 335 horsepower supercharged V6, or a 300 horsepower turbodiesel V6, according to Top Gear. Those are more likely to make their way to the U.S.
All-wheel drive is also optional, because it’s a crossover, duh. That comes with some terrain management kit borrowed from the corporate cousins at Land Rover, though the F-PACE is less off-road-ready than those are.
Underneath it’s the same lightweight all-aluminum chassis as the Jaguar XE sedan, which is set to debut next year in the U.S. and has already received rave reviews in Europe.
Good as the F-Type and the sedans are, the crossover is the money segment these days and Jaguar is a bit late to the game. I’m sure they’ll hoping the F-PACE will help them get on the right sales... um, pace.
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Update: Automotive News reports the F-PACE will start at $43,385 in the U.S. when it goes on sale next May. In America the entry-level model with a 3.0-liter V6 will produce 340 hp; a 380 hp version of the same V6 will start at $57,695. A 2.0-liter diesel WILL go on sale in the U.S. next September starting at $41,895.
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