2019 Jaguar F-PACE SVR

Now in its third year of production, the Jaguar F-Pace carves out its place among luxury crossover SUVs with a wide range of abilities. You can get it with a sensible four-cylinder engine, a fuel-efficient diesel engine, or a raging supercharged V8 that makes more than 500 horsepower. The F-Pace covers wider ground than many of its rivals that provide either practicality or performance, but rarely both.

For 2019, the new F-Pace SVR debuts. It's a bonkers trim level powered by a supercharged V8 and is primed for performance. It's also trimmed inside with the nicer materials that you expect from a modern Jaguar, but regrettably don't get in lower F-Pace trim levels. The other key improvement for 2019 is the wealth of tech equipment added as standard, including the previously optional 10-inch touchscreen and a handful of active driver aids such as automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assist. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are newly optional, too.

Other F-Pace advantages include surprisingly generous ground clearance (and a few off-roading tech toys donated from sibling Land Rover), a tow rating up to 5,291 pounds, and above-average cargo space. While its interior quality and occasionally stiff-legged ride result in a less overall refined experience than what you'd get in a Mercedes or a Porsche, the F-Pace still stands out with distinctive style and a broad range of performance potential. It's a tempting alternative to some of the more conventional choices in this segment.

The 2019 Jaguar F-Pace is a five-passenger SUV available in seven trim levels: base, Premium, Prestige, Portfolio, R-Sport, S and SVR. That's not all: The F-Pace also offers four different engines.

The 25t is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder good for 247 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. The 30t version of this same engine makes 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The 20d and its turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel (180 hp, 318 lb-ft) offer maximum fuel economy. Then the S trim level uses a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine (380 hp, 332 lb-ft), while the new SVR trim offers a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 (550 hp, 502 lb-ft). Engine availability varies by trim level, but all F-Paces come equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

The base F-Pace starts you off with 18-inch wheels, a power liftgate, rear privacy glass, a panoramic sunroof, heated mirrors, automatic wipers, selectable drive modes, dual-zone automatic climate control, eight-way power front seats, a 40/20/40-split folding rear seat, simulated-leather (Luxtec) upholstery and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

For technology, there's a 10-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, a USB port, and an 11-speaker Meridian sound system with HD radio. Active driver aids include a rearview camera, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, a drowsy driver monitoring system, and front and rear parking sensors. Jaguar's InControl remote vehicle controls and emergency communication services are also included.

The Premium trim adds 19-inch wheels, power-folding and auto-dimming side mirrors, and driver-seat memory settings. An optional Drive package includes stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and higher-speed emergency braking,

Both base and Premium F-Pace models can be optioned with a Cold Climate package that adds heated front and rear seats, a heated windshield, heated washer jets and a heated steering wheel. They can also be equipped with a number of technology upgrades: a navigation system, Jaguar's InControl apps (smartphone-linked apps accessible from the F-Pace touchscreen), Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

The F-Pace Prestige includes most of the above equipment plus a different 19-inch wheel design, xenon headlights, headlight washers, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a heated power-adjustable steering wheel, Luxtec-wrapped dash panel, a folding rear armrest, ambient cabin lighting, and the Premium's technology upgrade options listed above.

Options for the Prestige trim include the Comfort and Convenience package, which adds ventilated front seats, heated and power-reclining rear seats, and a hands-free liftgate. The Drive package is also available, but the Driver Assist package does one better, adding adaptive cruise control with steering assist, a surround-view camera, rear cross-traffic alert, 360-degree parking sensors, and an automated parking system.

Other packages include the Technology package, which brings a customizable driver display, a CD player and a 17-speaker surround-sound system, and the Adaptive Dynamics package, which adds an adaptive suspension and a special drive mode to optimize grip in challenging road conditions.

An optional Black Exterior package available for both Premium and Prestige trims adds a gloss black finish to the exterior side vents, window surrounds and front grille.

Moving up to the R-Sport builds on Prestige features with 20-inch wheels, special R-Sport bumpers and styling elements, foglights, adaptive LED headlights (optional Prestige), automatic high beams, more aggressively bolstered front seats with power-adjustable thigh support, a soft-grain leather-wrapped steering wheel, paddle shifters and satellite radio.

The S trim is similarly equipped to the R-Sport but switches to the 380-hp V6 engine. It also includes the features from the Adaptive Dynamics package and adds a black headliner and red brake calipers as finishing garnishes.

Both R-Sport and S trims can tack on the Comfort and Convenience package, the Technology package, and a sport seat package with 14-way power-adjustable heated and ventilated front sport seats and heated rear seats.

The new-for-2019 SVR trim includes the 5.0-liter V8 engine, stronger brakes, active exhaust, 21-inch wheels, quilted leather upholstery, the sport seat package, the Comfort and Convenience package items, a customizable driver display, and a 360-degree parking camera system.

R-Sport, S and SVR trims can opt for the Luxury Interior package, which offers four-zone automatic climate control with an air quality sensor, additional rear-seat air vents and power sockets, upgraded carpets and headliner, 10-color interior ambient lighting and a cooled glove compartment. All three trims can also opt for the Drive and Driver Assist packages.

The Portfolio is something of a side path on the F-Pace trim ladder. It's not the highest performance trim — that would be the new SVR — but it might be the most luxurious. The Portfolio is only available with the 25t engine and offers other exclusive features, including 20-way adjustable seats, Windsor leather upholstery, unique trim details (aluminum accent plates, silver roof rails), and the contents of the Luxury Interior package.

There are also a handful of stand-alone options for various F-Pace trims, including roof rails, a tow hitch receiver, wood veneers and an Activity Key, which is a waterproof bracelet that allows you to unlock the car with the key still inside. You can also order 22-inch wheels, although we'd advise against them in the interests of ride quality.

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the Jaguar F-Pace 25t R-Sport (turbo 2.0L inline-4 | 8-speed automatic | AWD).

Note: Since this test in 2018, Jaguar has updated the F-Pace with a new Touch Pro touchscreen (with new graphics), which may alter our opinions of its interface. Our findings otherwise remain broadly the same as the 2019 F-Pace.