► Part of CAR’s guide to 2016’s top lease deals
► Why F-Pace is the SUV you’ve been waiting for
► We find a third-party PCH deal from £423pm
It drives like a Jag
If the idea of a Jaguar SUV might be anathema, the F-Pace still feels like a Jaguar. Agile and responsive as soon as you hit the road, the stand-outs are steering with less slop than piano wire, a body that jumps to attention with every input, and all-wheel drive that soaks up torque yet still feels rear-wheel drive. Top it off with suspension that offers both compliance and control, and you can blitz cross-country while calmly chatting to passengers like you’re driving in a black-and-white movie with a WRC stage playing out on the projection screen behind you.
If that doesn’t convince you, consider this: the F-Pace is not only faster and more practical than the previous-generation XF Sportbrake, it’s also faster, more agile and more exciting too. Expect the F-Pace to ruffle German feathers when we deliver the group test.
You might get it through on expenses
While it’s the six-cylinder petrol or turbodiesel models that offer the proper driving experience, Jag is chasing fleet sales too. That means a choice of 2.0-litre diesel or petrol engines, and rear-drive models with manual transmissions. The petrol isn’t on sale yet, but you’ll get the 2.0-litre diesel from £34,170, its 129g/km and 57.7mpg easily sneaking past Roy in accounts. Just remember that 178bhp and 1665kg mean you’ll be working that six-speed stick like you’re ringing a bell.
Land Rover helped with the off-road stuff
No-one will take their F-Pace off-road, so while it doesn’t deploy the full Land Rover arsenal, it does borrow a few tricks. Most significantly, Adaptive Surface Response – Jag’s twist on Terrain Response – automatically detects the surface conditions, and adjusts the throttle, transmission and DSC calibration to suit. A Land Rover might drag you through the apocalypse, but the F-Pace is the more honest answer to the way we actually use our SUVs.
It’s the most practical Jag ever
Jags are emotional purchases, but here’s one that’ll make you swoon while swallowing kit too. There’s plenty of room for five XL adults, plus deep door bins, a 40/20/40 split rear seat, and a 650-litre boot with a reversible floor: carpeted one side, rubberised the other, so you can chuck in boots and bikes and quickly wipe off the mess.
It’s got that Callum magic
It’s testament to design boss Ian Callum that a car that sounded so wrong looks so right: signature Jag headlamps and grille, voluptuous rear hips, F-type rear lights. Even the 22-inch alloys don’t look huge, though, so lay eyes on an F-Pace on 18s, 19s or 20s before you buy.
One we found
Finance type: Third-party PCH
Deposit: £3814.65
Monthly fee: £423.85
Terms: 36 months /10,000 miles per year
Optional final payment: n/a
The specs: Jaguar F-Pace 2.0d R-sport awd
Price: £38,610
Engine: 1999 4-cyl turbodiesel
Performance: 129bhp @ 7000rpm, 111lb ft @ 4800rpm, 8.3sec 0-62mph, 127mph, 47.1mpg, 139g/km CO2
From £499pm: Volvo XC90
From £293pm: Mazda MX-5 1.5 Sport
From £349pm: Mercedes C250D Estate AMG Line
From £326pm: Jaguar XE 2.0D 180 R-Sport auto
From £289pm: Mini Clubman Cooper S
From £84pm: Citroen C4 Cactus
From £530pm: Porsche Cayman and Cayman S
From £299pm: Honda Civic Type R
From £179pm: Ford Fiesta ST
From £219pm: Audi TT Coupe 1.8 TFSI Sport
From £852pm: Porsche 911 Carrera S
Find hundreds of thousands of deals in our brand new leasing section – carmagazine.co.uk/car-leasing
Read more from the March 2016 issue of CAR magazine