2019 Jaguar F-Pace vs 2020

What's the difference?

Jaguar's first foray into SUVs was the F-Pace. Odd name but built on a brand new, aluminium platform, it is an impressive machine. More impressive is the fact that the vast majority of them now run Jaguar's own 'Ingenium' engines - with sometimes startling outputs - for a 2.0-litre turbo.

The F-Pace has been with us for a few years now and is holding its own in a very busy part of the market. It's always surprising to people when you tell them the price - they seem to expect it's going to be well into six figures but look pleasantly surprised when you tell them the F starts under eighty grand.

The range-opener Prestige is powered by a range of 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engines of Jaguar's own making, with a lightweight aluminium-rich chassis and a surprisingly big interior.

In the 21st century Jaguar has finally mastered the art of recognising it’s star-studded back catalogue without getting stuck in the past. And if you need evidence of that, look no further than the subject of this review. 

Emerging in 2016, the F-Pace emphatically moved beyond the famously British maker’s walnut and leather heritage that had held it in a design and engineering time warp for so long.

Yes, the F-Type sports car broke a lot of that ice, but this was an SUV. Cool, contemporary, and aimed at young families, rather than ‘men of a certain age.’ 

As the name implies, the R Sport 25T leans on sporty looks and driver engagement to go along with the five-seater’s day-to-day practicality promise. So, how does this ‘around $80K’ machine, with the growling cat on the grille measure up?