Millennial Mom's Review: 2021 Jaguar F-Pace SVR

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Hello, angry kitty!

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When I picked up the Jaguar F-Pace, I was informed it’s the angriest kitty of the pack; it’s fast; and if you eat a couple too many slices of pizza, you may have an issue getting comfy in the bolstered bucket seats.

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Well, let me tell you something: the Jag rep was absolutely right about it being fast. (I’ll get back to the seats in a bit.) It’s not often I get the chance to drive “fast” cars, nor do I have the urge to. However, I know that the faster the climb to 100 km/h — 4.0 seconds, for the tested Jag — the more giddy it makes some grumpy old guys, who even claim it makes them smile. Personally, I’ve never felt that way. Until now.

I’m a simple mom of three; I need a spacious family car that comfortably gets all of us around the suburbs. In other words, I have no need for speed. But, wow, does this Jaguar fly! It actually does make me smirk and feel awkwardly happy. It’s also very loud, and I can only imagine what my neighbours are thinking. However, from inside the car, it’s a low grumble, rather than annoyingly loud exhaust, which, I’ll admit, I thought it might be.

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The tested SVR trim also had beautiful suede seats, as well as on interior surfaces throughout, and it gave me instant anxiety (it’s becoming normal in luxury cars) about my kids somehow managing to ruin it. Thank goodness they didn’t, but that’s partially due to the seats being covered by car-seat protectors and car seats. And speaking of the seats, the F-Pace doesn’t look or feel any wider than other big SUVs, but it very comfortably fits my two massive car seats and booster seat that lived in the back for a week, which is a lot more than I can say of other recent testers.

The base price of the SVR is $96,250, but, of course, mine was outfitted with some extras to raise the price by quite a bit.  If you generally need help with parking, you may as well throw in the $350 for park assist. It’s way cheaper than adding a premium paint colour such as the tested car’s Sanguinello Orange for an an extra $6,100 — at least it’s not the special effect Icy White paint that’ll add $9,700. The heated windshield adds $450, if you don’t mind the squiggly lines all over the front window — once you see it, it’s hard to unsee. If you’re a fan of the head-up display, it’ll ring up another $1,100. When everything else is totalled, the tested SVR costs $110,150 (destination fees included).

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And honestly, at that point, you may as well spend the extra $6K on some paint. The math breakdown: $6,100 is roughly 5.5 per cent of $110K. Based on those numbers, you could logically pay over $1,000 for cool paint on a $25,000 car. You probably wouldn’t spend more than $500, because non-luxury brands don’t usually have added paint options that are ridiculously priced, but that’s the whole point, right? You pay extra for luxury, including the paint.

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So, what else is included in the luxury price tag? Don’t worry, the panoramic roof is included in the $96K. It also includes 14-way heated and cooled electric driver and passenger seats, Ebony suedecloth and Ebony Windsor leather Performance seats with Ebony/Ebony interior, an SVR leather steering wheel, a 12.3-inch infotainment centre, plus front and rear parking aid, traffic-sign recognition, blind-spot assist, and a few other driver assistance features. I would have preferred better reverse cameras, instead of one that makes everything look extremely skinny. The 3D camera is actually kind of cool, but you can’t use it while in reverse.

This $110,000 SUV would be a bit cheaper if not for the lovely noise, courtesy of four exhaust pipes hanging out from behind (and the supercharged V8 engine, among a few other upgrades). In fact, the base F-Pace has a relatively affordable (for a luxury brand) starting price of $60,350 — but after driving the tested one, I’m not sure if I’d want to make that step down.

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My husband, who also loved the power and noise, asked, “Why would you need this much power in an SUV?” In my honest opinion, and the simplest answer is the correct one: “Because you can.”

Well, he can’t, because for our current lifestyle, $110,000 is best placed into a savings account for future college funds, and braces. However, for those in the fortunate situation of having Jaguar amounts of money, why not spend the extra thousands – literally $50,000 more – for some extra power? Whatever makes you feel like the cool parent on the block, right? It’s not something you may need, but it’s a pretty amazing thing to want.

Or maybe you’re just not a fan of little cars anymore and in addition to power, you want some added height. Enter the fiercest cat of them all, you’ve got yourself a fun toy, and no need for a phone since the friends you’re picking up can hear you coming from a mile away.

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Or maybe you like to drive fancy cars to your boring day job, but you go to secret underground race tracks at night. Is that a thing? I don’t know, but if you click Dynamic-I on the infotainment screen, you have some racy options to play around with, like a stopwatch, lap times, and G-meter.

The quick pick-up is great while driving through the city, or on the highway, but also comes with a few minor faults. For example, in a Krispy Kreme lineup that requires tons of stop-and-go action (honestly, have you been there since the pandemic started? It’s crazy!) auto-stop is a great function to have, and takes some pressure off your foot holding down the brakes for long periods of time. However, in the Jag, the slightest tap to get her going again means you’re still doing a little jolt forwards (over and over, until you get to the front of the line).

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One thing I’m always looking for in a new car (other than a CD player) is a generous amount of cargo space. And this luxury SUV comes through with the space. I can fit my stroller and a full week’s worth of groceries. And trust me, that’s saying a lot!

A few final thoughts: circling back around to the bucket seats, I actually really like them. It’s kind of like a hug. And to be honest, a couple extra slices of pizza just meant a tighter hug (so, eat all the pizza!). Also, I have no idea what those little holes in the seats are for, right by the headrest, but I like them because I can turn around and peep at the kid behind me.

So, at the end of the day, there’s a whole lot more to this loud cat than just a family-friendly luxury SUV. In fact, it’s probably the most fun family vehicle you’ll get your hands on, and that’s saying a lot, coming from someone who loves minivans.

So, I guess the real question is: would I give up my minivan for this luxury SUV? The answer is yes, in a second (provided I had the sufficient funds). I definitely don’t need the upgraded SVR trim, but do I want it? Absolutely!