Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia has officially launched
the entry-level Jaguar F-Pace, one that is powered by a 2.0 litre four-cylinder
Ingenium petrol engine. Prior to this, Jaguar’s first SUV – also the 2017 World
Car of the Year – was offered here solely as the 35t model with a 3.0 litre
supercharged V6 petrol.
Three trims are available, starting from the base
Prestige (RM 425,800), R-Sport Mid-spec (RM 476,800) and R-Sport Hi-spec
(RM 498,800) – the top-of-the-line 2.0L model is a full RM100k cheaper than the
3.0L V6 Prestige (RM 598,800). Prices are GST inclusive but excludes road tax,
registration and insurance. Each purchase comes with a five-year warranty plus
the Jaguar Care programme – five-year/65,000 km free service and three years
roadside assistance.
All three trims share the same 2.0 litre turbo four
banger, producing 250 PS and 365 Nm of torque (90 PS and 85 Nm less than the
3.0L V6). With the standard ZF-sourced 8HP45 eight-speed auto and all-wheel
drive, the SUV sprints from 0-100 km/h in 6.8 seconds. The higher tuned 300 PS
version gets there in six seconds flat, but so far there’s been no indication
of its arrival here.
According to Jaguar, the 8HP45 transmission is more
compact and features a state-of-the-art pendulum damper in the torque converter
to absorb low frequency vibrations, allowing the engine to run at lower speeds
without compromising refinement. The higher torque-rated 8HP70 is used for the
supercharged V6 model instead.
The F-Pace also comes with Configurable Dynamics,
which enables drivers to choose between Normal or Sports settings for the
throttle response, gearbox and steering. There’s also Adaptive Dynamics that
modifies damping qualities – this system analyses acceleration, cornering,
throttle and brake pedal activity to optimise the suspension settings.
In the looks department, it’s not entirely different
than the 3.0L model. The front fascia is largely the same with full LED
headlights and huge mesh-type grille, while the lower valance gets LED DRL bars
and air curtains.
The wheels are 20-inch alloys and there’s even a
fixed panoramic roof as standard. Only the R-Sport High-Spec gets 360-degree
surround camera system, adaptive cruise control with queue assist and the
12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster with four graphical themes.
