DAYUM. It’s the slang version of damn. A word the Urban Dictionary describes as being not unlike whoa. It’s used to convey extra damn-ness or hotness when describing something, and it’s a nice way to summarise the 2020 Jaguar F-PACE S 30d.
Whether your shooting your next rap video, taking the family on a road-trip or dealing with traffic on your daily commute, this Jag will have you feeling all kinds of special.
The iconic Jaguar emblem laid against the gloss black grille, the body draped in Portofino Blue paint, smooth sexy body lines and gorgeous 22-inch black and satin black rims. It all screams phat-ness.
That’s the pretty hot and tempting kind of phat. Yep, this car just oozes class, style and sex appeal. SUV traditionalists should be prepared to have their minds changed, it’s that good a car.
The F-PACE is generous with its 650-litres of boot space, growing to 1,740-litres when you drop the split fold rear seats. That’s plenty of space for those holiday essentials, Titleist clubs, grocery provisions, or the Gucci and LV luggage bags.
Leave the keys in your bag or pocket and slip into the luxurious, 10 or 18-way electronic, supportive and extremely comfortable Ebony and Pimento Grained leather front seats. Rear passengers are offered the same amount of back and bottom comfort too.
There’s adequate leg room back there too, and that interior colour just adds to the uber cool feel of the Jag.
Push the ignition button and flood the whisper quiet cabin with 825 watts of auditory bliss through the Meridian surround sound system, powered via the 10.2-inch touch screen display that offers DAB+ audio and even a CD player.
But if you’re anything like us, you’ll plug in your smartphone and pump those 90’s beats through the 17 speaker system (including a sub-woofer), with the full support of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and full pro navigation.
Did we mention you’ll also find an in-car Wi-Fi hot spot which enables passengers to connect up to eight devices to the internet. There’s power outlets galore too, with the inclusion of two USB ports and 18V port for the rear.
Just like the new XF Sportbrake we tested recently, the F-PACE scores the amazing suede cloth headliner, and once again the temptation to keep touching the roof is strong. We often find ourselves subconsciously stroking the pillars or roof lining.
And the feature list is long too, with a rear view camera, key-less entry, emergency braking (EB), valet mode, emergency brake assist, dynamic stability control, traction control, perimeter sensing alarm and immobiliser all on board.
Jaguar’s smart key system with key-less start, power operated child locks, front airbags, with passenger seat occupant detector, front side airbags, full length side window curtain, and automatic hazard lights under heavy braking form part of the safety offering as well.
There’s also ISOFIX child seat support, driver condition monitor, lane keep assist, and front and rear parking aids. About the only thing missing is a 360 degree camera. But the F-PACE is not just about looks and features.
It’s shockingly amazing how well it drives and handles. In fact, if it wasn’t for the raised driving position and ride height, you would honestly think you were behind the wheel of classy sports car.
The JaguarDrive control system, lets you change from grocery getting, school delivering, daily driver to weekend exploring torque monster at the press of a button, offering five different drive modes.
Engaging each one adjusts the throttle response, steering and gear change timings. The F-PACE S 30d is enjoyable in all its modes, but Dynamic mode will induce a permanent grin.
With a gross weight of 2,570kg you are blissfully unaware as the tank becomes a race car, and the handling is exceptionally smooth. There’s acceleration aplenty as you watch the Jag pull through its 8-speed gearbox on the heads up display.
The 2020 Jaguar F-PACE S 30d is powered by a 3.0-litre twin turbo V6 diesel engine producing 221kW or power and 700Nm of torque. The AWD SUV has a claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.4 seconds and fuel economy of 6.6-litres/100km.
Those stats alone are sexy, but we only managed an 8.9-litres/100km fuel economy figure, probably thanks to our spirited driving. The F-PACE range starts at the 132kW 20d and tops out at the powerhouse supercharged SVR edition, delivering 405kW.
Our only major pain point with this exciting offering from Jaguar is one that’s been a beef for us for some time. All the ‘I gotta have that’ bits are optional paid extras, and the best features don’t come standard.
With prices for the F-PACE S 30d starting at $110,000 one can only imagine what a fully optioned version might do to most potential buyers piggy banks. It does come with a 3-year unlimited kilometre warranty and roadside assist though.
The shiny blue Jaguar is also available in Valloire White Pearl, Narvik Black, Spectral Racing Red, British Racing Green, Madagascar Orange or Carpathian Grey, along with a trillion other colours – actually 29 in all.
And if you thought choosing the exterior paint colour was hard, wait till you have to decide from the 13 wheel options, seven leather seating combinations, nine veneer options and four headliner choices.
With all these options available, your vehicle can be customised to your own unique tastes and that’s one of the bonuses with the 2020 Jaguar F-PACE S 30d – individuality. We were quite frankly blown away by how good it is, and how its improved over its predecessor.
Our test vehicle was provided by Jaguar Australia. To find out more about the 2020 Jaguar F-PACE S 30d, contact your local Jaguar dealer. Images courtesy of J_Hui Design/Photography.
