Jaguar’s jungle cat

SVETI STEFAN (MONTENEGRO) — If you’re going to be late to the dance, you’d better have legs like Joanne Peh or know some fancy moves. The Jaguar F-Pace doesn’t have limbs, but it’s capable of some nifty dance steps.

Being Jaguar’s first sports utility vehicle or SUV (though sister brand Land Rover builds nothing but), it’s a latecomer to a party that is thankfully still going strong. SUV sales are growing in Singapore, and Jaguar expects the premium SUV market to grow worldwide by 50 per cent in four years.

But the late arrival has given Jaguar the chance to put some big effort into it. Plenty of emphasis has been given to making the F-Pace drive well, in particular.

Other SUVs are made of steel, but 80 per cent of the Jaguar’s skin and bones is aluminium. All Ferraris are made of the same stuff, and for the same reason: To increase performance and agility by reducing weight.

The F-Pace shares its basic underpinnings with Jaguar’s latest cars, but the new SUV isn’t a straightforward reskin of existing models. About 81 per cent of the F-Pace’s parts are new, and its dimensions are unique in the Jaguar range.

SPACE RACE

Speaking of size, the F-Pace has it in spades. It’s slightly larger than key rivals like the Audi Q5 or Mercedes-Benz GLC, and Jaguar says its 650-litre boot is the biggest in the class. The F-Pace also offers more width in the back than rivals, says Jaguar.

Sitting in the rear, it’s apparent that legroom and headroom were also priorities, and it’s not hard to imagine the F-Pace being drafted into use as a chauffeur’s tool. There’s even an optional electric recline function for the seats back there.

Some of the cabin plastics are disappointingly low-rent, but Jaguar really seems to be aiming the F-Pace at keen drivers above all.

Singapore will get three flavours, with a 180hp diesel model kicking things off, a 340hp V6 petrol next up the price ladder, and the 380hp F-Pace S we drove, which is for those who like a bit of fireworks.

SPEED, DONE SUBTLY

It’s a quick car, with the supercharged V6 engine giving the big cat plenty of power to pounce. But from behind the wheel, it doesn’t feel as fast as the stopwatch suggests: 100kmh flashes up in 5.5s, apparently. But the engine’s exhaust wail is tinged with ferocity, so letting the creamy V6 do its thing is still plenty of fun.

It’s the handling that sparks the most joy, however. Heavy rain during our test drive did little to dampen the Jaguar’s enthusiasm for attacking corners — always a good sign of a well-sorted and confidence-inspiring chassis.

With quick steering (just 2.5 turns lock-to-lock) and effortless poise, the F-Pace is the kind of car that lets you weave corners together into a tapestry of driving pleasure. It recovers quickly from the odd slipping moment, and is generally the kind of car that lets you forget you’re driving a pretty big SUV even when it’s raining hard.

The brakes could do with more feel but lack nothing in bite, and the suspension provides a remarkably pliant ride over bumps. That said, while the enormous 22-inch wheels on our test car looked tasty, the standard 20-inch items let the F-Pace cope much better with uneven road surfaces.

THE ONE TIME IN LIFE YOU’LL WANT TO SCORE AN ‘F’ ...

Ultimately, in driving terms, the Jaguar is very close to the Porsche Macan, which currently has the most fluid handling in the SUV world. But the German car also has a cramped interior to go with it, while the F-Pace manages to feel like a big car to sit in but not a lumbering one to drive.

That puts the Jaguar in something of a sweet spot: Nearly as good to drive as the Porsche, but far more spacious inside. It may be late to the dance, but there’s a good chance F-Type will be looked at as the belle of the ball.

Jaguar F-Pace 3.0 V6 S

Engine: 2,998cc, 24V, supercharged V6, 380hp, 450Nm

Performance: 250kmh, 0-100kmh 5.5s, 8.9L/100km, 209g/km CO2

Price: To Be Announced

On Sale: July

+: Dynamically well-sorted, spacious inside

- : Cabin plastics need improving