2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR First Look: SVO Crafts a 550-HP SUV

Sex sells, but so do SUVs. Since the Jaguar F-Pace went on sale two years ago, the sport-luxury SUV has not only been topping the automaker’s sales charts, but it’s also earned comparison test victories and even an SUV of the Year finalist nod. Impressive considering the F-Pace is the first-ever SUV from an automaker known for sports cars, big grand tourers, and luxury sedans. Three years into the F-Pace’s life cycle, Jag is finally leveraging its sports car and GT expertise for the F-Pace, resulting in the V-8-powered, 550-hp 2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR.

The heart of any performance Jaguar is its engine, and despite being the largest Jag the automaker’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) team has yet worked on, the new F-Pace SVR is no different. Under its new vented hood sits JLR’s tried-and-true 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 breathing out a how-is-that-street-legal F-Type-inspired active exhaust system. The British blower produces 550 hp and 502 lb-ft of torque, an even 170 hp and lb-ft more than the supercharged V-6-powered F-Pace S and the same power as the heavier Range Rover Sport SVR it shares its engine with. The new F-Pace SVR’s power is routed through an eight-speed automatic to Jaguar’s torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system, which now sports a new electronic differential at the rear. Jag says its newest F-Pace will do 0–60 mph in 4.1 seconds and that it has a top speed of 176 mph.

SVO didn’t just perform a heart transplant and call it a day; it also worked hard to ensure the F-Pace SVR’s prodigious power is actually usable. Its new front and rear fascia plus its new spoiler work to reduce lift and improve aerodynamics, and a stiffer adaptive suspension system and more rigid chassis combines with a revised electric power-steering system to keep the shiny side up during spirited driving. At each corner sit uprated two-piece brakes (15.5 inches up front and 15.6 inches in back) that are both lighter and larger than the standard F-Pace’s, and it has larger wheels, too. Twenty-one-inch wheels are standard, while 22-inch wheels are optional. Both wheel designs are optimized to increase airflow to the Jaguar’s brakes. No matter the wheel choice, the F-Pace SVR has tires that are almost an inch wider than the F-Pace S’, which hopefully should translate into better grip and more inspiring handling characteristics.Inside, the SVO team gives the F-Pace SVR similar treatment to its last high-performance SUV, the Range Rover Sport SVR. The Jaguar gets quilted leather sport seats up front, sculpted rear seats to ensure the outboard occupants stay in place, and a unique sport steering wheel with aluminum paddle shifters. The F-Pace SVR also gets the F-Type’s pistol-grip shifter and carbon-fiber accents while still retaining the practicality the crossover is known for.

Often it can take a year for a new model to make it from auto show to dealer showroom, but that won’t be the case for the 2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR—the new performance SUV hits Jaguar dealers this summer, stickering for $80,985.

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