The Jaguar F-Pace first debuted in Malaysia in late 2016 with a supercharged 3-litre V6 engine. That 340PS engine made it one of the few SUVs in its class capable of very serious performance, matched only by cars like the Porsche Macan S and the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43. To be honest, at RM600,000 it was never going to be a best-seller, no matter how exciting the car was.
Now though, a more accessible variant is planned for introduction. It will feature Jaguar Land Rover’s inhouse Ingenium 2-litre petrol engine. This 4-cylinder, turbocharged engine with direct injection are modern, economical and powerful enough to compete with anything the Germans have.
In the ’25T’ model being introduced, the 2-litre will produce 250PS and 365Nm of torque. It still comes with an 8-speed automatic but it is of a different design from ZF. All-wheel drive is still a part of this version of the F-Pace.
Pricing is said to be below RM500,000, but they’re still working on bringing the base price to a reasonable level.
Features include Adaptive LED headlights and DRLs, adaptive cruise control, 20″ Venom 5″ twin-spoke wheels, a fixed panoramic roof, a surround camera system, InControl Touch Pro with a 380W Meridian Sound System and a Power Gesture Tailgate. A Black Pack R-Sport trim set can be optioned.
They also indicated that a more barebones version is being worked out to bring the base price down, but more on that after the official launch. From what we’ve heard, this entry-level car will not have the panoramic roof and a smaller infotainment unit is planned as well, though the Meridian sound system remains.
We had the opportunity to drive this version of the F-Pace around on a Smart Cones track.
It proved to be extremely nimble and sufficiently torquey. Its natural athletism comes from a well-tuned powertrain, extensive use of aluminium throughout, as well as its sophisticated suspension system.
While the Germans certainly will have it beat in terms of value, it’s clear that Jaguar will have a slight performance and exclusivity advantage in the premium SUV market once this variant of the F-Pace comes in.
