SPIED: Jaguar F-Pace interior spotted for the first time

You’ve seen the spyshots already but this will be the first time that our European spy photographers have captured the interior of the upcoming Jaguar F-Pace SUV. The Solihull-assembled behemoth has been touted for a Frankfurt appearance this September prior to going on sale in the first quarter of 2016.

So while we won’t bore you with the external bits, of which you can read about in detail here, the highlight of this particular batch of shots is the aforementioned interior layout. At a first glance, the overall design appears to have been heavily inspired by the interior makeup of the second-generation Jaguar XF.

Aside from the 10.2-inch InControl Touch Pro touchscreen infotainment system on the centre console, the greater surprise is the presence of a stick shifter situated below it. Good news for enthusiasts around the world then, as the F-Pace looks set to mimic the engine/gearbox combo offered on the XF, which equates to a six-speed manual mated to a 2.0 litre turbodiesel and an eight-speed auto paired to the petrol mills.

Upon closer inspection however, it would appear that Jaguar has chosen to retain a traditional, analogue-based instrument cluster instead of the full LCD virtual setup found on the Jaguar XF. A strange move when one considers that even the steering wheel looks set to be borrowed from the XF – we’re hoping the finished article proves us wrong on this count.

The Jaguar F-Pace will ride on the aluminium-heavy iQ[Al] platform and is slated to come powered by the aforementioned diesel and petrol engines from the Ingenium range. Two diesel options are likely to feature with the option of either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

On the petrol side of things, a hotter version with a supercharged V6 from the F-Type S will be presented alongside a range-topping F-Pace R that would have the supercharged 5.0 litre V8, from the F-Type R, shoehorned under its bonnet. Power will likely go to the rear wheels as standard – an all-wheel drive option is mooted for entry-level models while mid- to high-spec models will likely receive it as standard.