Time and time again, makers of fast, capable SUVs fall into the same trap of attempting to make their cars into something they’re not. Yes, you can counter body roll by massively stiffening up the chassis, but what’s the point when the result is something horrible to drive everywhere apart from the Nurburgring Nordschleife?
That’s why we like the Jaguar F-Pace SVR. Jag’s chassis engineers pulled off something brilliant with the go-faster F-Pace, making sure it’s brilliant to drive without being fantastically uncomfortable. The only downside was the naff interior, but now, that’s been fixed.
Following on from the facelift for the less bonkers models in the F-Pace range, Jaguar has given the SVR a same nip and tuck. That means it gets an I-Pace-like cockpit featuring a new steering wheel and a completely redesigned dashboard housing an 11.4-inch glass infotainment screen. The only thing we’re not so keen on is the oddly shaped gear selector, replacing the F-Type style one seen in the pre-update car.
The tweaks to the outside aren’t quite so drastic, but still noticeable. You’ll find a reshaped grille and a redesigned bumper at the front, while both ends are treated to new light clusters.
There wasn’t really anything wrong with the car’s 5.0-litre supercharged V8 (incredible thirst aside), but Jaguar has sought to make some changes. Now produced by Jaguar in-house, the AJV8 still produces 542bhp and 516lb ft, but the torque curve is now different.
Thanks to this and the new launch control feature, it’s possible to crack 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds, an improvement of three tenths. 0-62mph takes four seconds dead, meanwhile, and the top speed is up by 2mph to 178.
It’s available to order now, with a starting price of £77,595.
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