the Bucket: Bucket Seat: Jaguar F-Pace SVR

Last month I got to spend some time with a rather special car whilst I was visiting the place of Gold, aka Johannesburg. Jaguar very kindly allowed me to spend some time with their range topping performance SUV, the F-Pace SVR, the epitome of British engineering. With a car like this, it is pretty evident that you'd be standing out from the crowd a lot but Jaguar ensured that this car would make peoples head turn even further with it being finished in an eye catching colour, with some exceptional details and if that wasn't enough, the sound of that roaring V8 would awaken sleeping beauty herself! While big engine cars like this aren't the most practical to have with the rising fuel costs, they still serve a place in the market for those budding performance heads, I mean there's nothing better than the sound of a V8, something that gotten quite accustomed to over that weekend.

DESIGN

With the face-lift design on the F-Pace already having some design cues to uplift it from the older model, the SVR has added extras in terms of appearance that give it that extra aggressive look. Finished in a unique Avocado Gloss colour, the car was already a standard in that military style looking paint, extra cosmetic cues that enhanced the sportiness of the F-Pace was the larger, more prominent air intakes with the honeycomb grille at the front with a more pronounced border finished off in a gloss black. The wheels which were an optional extra like the paint work are something to be admired. Style 5117 forged, diamond turned with gloss black contract and satin technical grey inserts which really elevated the cars overall look and feel, bargain at just R10,860! The side profile of the F-Pace SVR definitely benefits from those rims too but along with the side vent behind the front wheel arch and the sleek lines, it really makes this car one of the better looking SUVs on the road. The rear end of this car is just pure art, with the symmetry of the lines and arches, along with the vent on the rear wheel arch and the newly designed LED lights, make this a joy to look at from behind, because naturally that would be most peoples view of it as it powers past them. Jaguar really spared no expensive on detail with this one, even down to the twin tail pipe housings being so neatly designed and pronounced at the rear. The interior design borrows a lot from their sister company, Land Rover as some aspects are carbon copy of that in the Discovery Sport and new Evoque but it works and that is the most important thing.

PERFORMANCE

Where do I start, it has a 5.0L Supercharged V8 engine that produces a staggering 550kW of power and 700Nm of torque all of which is controlled by an 8-speed automatic gearbox which in Dynamic mode selects the gears in optimal performance and firing them each to the maximum potential all which the twin-tail pipe produce the most frantic symphony of gurgling and thunder as the car propels you from standstill to 100km in just 4.0 seconds! Mind you, do this quite often and you'll be visiting the petrol station sooner than expected, with Jag claiming an average fuel economy of 11.7L per 100km, doing those launched starts will see that figure spike above the 15L per 100km mark but its oh so worth it! The car is pretty heavy and while it might not be as quick as the other performance SUV's out there, it is pretty quick and the timing of the gear changes makes the drive exciting for the driver. Handling on this beast is quite comfortable with the steering wheel being loose and adaptive to all types of surfaces. It's a stunning example of engineering and to say I enjoyed my time with it is a massive understatement. I mean, I got pulled over by the JMPD on 5 occasions, all times of which they just wanted to see the car. That is how much attention this thing was getting!

COMFORT

With it being a performance SUV, the SVR came fittings with sports styled bucket seats for the front and back passengers. The front seats are electrically adjustable with it have seat heating and cooling for the driver and front passenger. The multi-function sports steering wheel is extremely comfortable in hand and even with this plush finish, still very easy on the hand to hold at high speeds. The twin large screen infotainment unit and climate control screen that makes up the center console is the same in which you will find in the new Discovery Sport and Evoque but as mentioned before, it works and works well. It comes with all the latest mobile apps which are wireless, it has a host of USB ports and a wireless charger for your smart phone. The car has a digital instrument cluster which can be customised by the driver. The rear passengers enjoy a single climate control cluster to control their cabin temperature and while it might not be a bench seat, it still can accommodate three people at the back. The SVR comes with Meridian sound system which I quite enjoyed, not overly harsh on the ears with extreme bass, but made for great listening and appreciate the clarity. The details is what I couldn't get over in this car, from the embossed head rests with SVR in them, to the silver insets in the seats. Jaguar really went all the way into making this car standout from the rest. The luggage capacity is also pretty decent, with me carry a heavy load from the airport, I made good use of the 613 litres that were at my disposal.

VERDICT

Yes, this car is as impractical as they come, the sports seats means that you cannot fit 5 fully grown adults in comfort, the big 22" rims along with the sports suspension means that the ride quality is hard and bumpy. The addictive sound of that supercharged V8 and twin tailpipes make you want to drive like a hooligan most of the time which drains the fuel faster and sends you average into a spiral but you know what? I'd still buy this car if I had the money, it gives you a thrill like no other and the way the car drives adds to the addictiveness of it. The car wants you to push it so it can show you its full potential. I don't need to even touch on the looks department because I think I've exhausted myself on that topic but my God is it good to look at! If there's anything I could add about this car, is that I didn't have the car long enough to fully appreciate what they've done.