PETROL PACE MAKER (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 49

In Plug-in P400e form, Jaguar's F-PACE offers a powerful blend of performance, efficiency, class and practicality. Pricing's a little higher than some obvious rivals from this era, but you get more power beneath your right foot. And, as usual with a PHEV, you'll make some handsome tax bill savings.

Modelsword count: 5

5dr SUV (2.0 petrol PHEV)

Historyword count: 136

If you're choosing a premium badged mid-sized executive SUV these days, the clever choice tends not to be a conventional diesel but a plug-in hybrid. Jaguar's F-PACE, long hobbled by not being able to provide such a thing, gained PHEV tech as part of its 2020 mid-term update, creating the car we're going to look at here, the F-PACE P400e. The tech you get is much the same as featured from this era with this model's two arch-rivals, the Audi Q5 TFSI e and the BMW X3 30e. But the combined power output on offer with this Jaguar - 404PS (yes really) was quite a lot more. So, hot rod performance and high rate returns should both feature here. The F-PACE was discontinued when Jaguar pulled out of the UK market at the end of 2024.

What You Getword count: 280

Apart from the P400e badgework and the addition of a charging flap, there's nothing to visually mark out this plug-in hybrid F-PACE variant from a more conventional combustion engine derivative. Which means that it gets all of the visual updates that embellished the revised post-2020-era F-PACE model. That means a more sculpted bonnet with a wider power bulge and more precisely defined surfaces. It flows down into a larger grille with 'diamond' detailing, while the side fender vents feature the iconic 'Leaper' emblem. The front bumper was re-designed as part of this update, plus the car gained super-slim LED quad headlights with 'Double J' Daytime Running Light signatures. At the rear, re-designed slimline lights feature Jaguar's 'double chicane' graphic. And the bumper and tailgate have a more sculpted look. Inside, there's a sporty-looking centre console that sweeps up to the instrument panel which features a sophisticated 'Pivi Pro' 11.4-inch curbed-glass HD touchscreen in an elegant magnesium alloy casing. You may sit higher in an F-PACE than any other Jaguar but it still feels more sports car than SUV and there's no seven-seat option. There's comfortable space for a couple of adults in the rear. There is a boot space downside this PHEV though. Because this car's D7a platform was only ever designed to take a space saver spare wheel, there isn't much room under the boot floor, the rear-mounted battery intruding into luggage space, which falls from 601-litres with a conventional model (dry capacity behind the second row) to just 485-litres with this PHEV. So you might have to flatten the second row bench more often, using the provided 40:20:40-folding split. Which will free up a dry capacity of 1299-litres.

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