Jaguar F-Pace launched – 340 PS 3.0 V6, from RM599k

Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia has introduced the new Jaguar F-Pace today – the Leaping Cat’s first ever SUV finally lands on our shores a year after making its world debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, fully imported from the Land Rover plant in Solihull, United Kingdom.

Available in just a single 35t model, the F-Pace is priced at RM598,800 for the Prestige trim, and RM658,800 for the R Sport. Both prices are nett (without registration, road tax or insurance, but with GST), inclusive of a five-year/150,000 km warranty, five years’ free servicing and three years’ free roadside assistance. In comparison, the Porsche Macan S, which has the same amount of power, retails from RM610,000.

No matter which variant you plump for, power comes from a 3.0 litre supercharged petrol V6 from the F-Type sports car. It may be in base tune – instead of the top 380 PS spec on the hot F-Pace S – but it still makes 340 PS at 6,500 rpm and 450 Nm at 4,500 rpm. Drive is sent through a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission to an on-demand four-wheel drive system.

Intelligent Driveline Dynamics (IDD), first seen on the F-Type AWD, continuously monitors road conditions and sends up to 50% of torque to the front wheels in just 165 milliseconds. With all that power, this 1,820 kg SUV will go from 0-100 km/h in 5.8 seconds before hitting a top speed of 250 km/h. Combined fuel consumption is rated at 8.9 litres per 100 km.

The F-Pace is designed to compete head-on with the Macan, as well as other compact exec SUVs such as the BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC and Audi Q5. It is, however, significantly bigger than all its rivals; at 4,731 mm long, 1,936 mm wide and 1,652 mm tall – with a 2,874 mm wheelbase – it’s 50 mm longer than the Macan, 71 mm longer than the new Q5, 75 mm longer than the GLC and 79 mm longer than the X3.

Unlike the similarly-sized Land Rover Discovery Sport, the Jaguar uses the same aluminium-intensive architecture employed by its XE and XF sedan siblings, rather than the more rugged, predominantly steel D8 platform. So, it’s a road car, first and foremost.

There’s plenty of hardware from its stablemates, including an F-Type-style double wishbone front suspension (albeit adapted for off-road duty), the XE’s Integral Link rear suspension and the F-Type’s brake-applied Torque Vectoring. There’s also lots of off-road electronics from Land Rover, including All-Surface Progress Control (a sort of off-road cruise control) and Low Friction Launch.

Standard kit on the Prestige includes xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, fog lights, 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, keyless entry, push button start, auto lights and wipers, 10-way power-adjustable seats with memory, power-reclining rear seats, a power-adjustable steering column, dual-zone climate control with rear air vents and auto-dimming rear-view and door mirrors (the latter are power-folding and heated).

Other items on that list include an InControl Touch infotainment system with an eight-inch capacitive touchscreen, navigation, the mid-level 380 W, 11-speaker Meridian sound system, front and rear parking sensors, a reverse camera and a powered tailgate with handsfree opening. Taurus leather upholstery and gloss black trim also feature inside.

Step up to the R Sport and you get a sportier front bumper, gloss black window surrounds and roof rails as well as body-coloured lower inserts, along with 20-inch “Templar” five-spoke alloy wheels. You can also opt for the RM7,006 Black Pack which adds gloss black accents on the grille, air intakes, fender vents and door cladding finishers, as well as 20-inch “Venom” five-split-spoke alloy wheels in black.

Also thrown in are adaptive LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof, 14-way powered seats with four-way electric lumbar, perforated leather, a 12.3-inch virtual instrument display and a quad-core InControl Touch Pro system with a 10.2-inch touchscreen and a 60 GB SSD. Configurable Dynamics, which allows you to set up the throttle, gearbox and steering individually, is also included, along with Adaptive Dynamics dampers.

Safety-wise, the F-Pace comes with six airbags, ABS with Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), stability control and a blind spot monitor with Reverse Traffic Detection. Lastly, the car is offered with several options, such as the Activity Key, a waterproof RFID wristband that can be used to lock the key safely in the car when you’re out running or swimming. The car seen here is also fitted with a bike carrier and retractable side steps.

Itching to know how the F-Pace drives? Read our review from Montenegro here. You can also browse full specifications and equipment on CarBase.my.

GALLERY: Jaguar F-Pace 35t R Sport

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