► Best spyshots yet of Jag’s SUV
► Proof that C-X17 style intact
► Jaguar 4×4 due for launch in 2016
As the dust settles over that name, early prototypes of the Jaguar F-Pace SUV have been spied testing on West Midlands roads ahead of a production launch in 2016.
Even underneath all that camouflage war paint, it’s clear that much of the original C-X17 SUV concept’s exterior will make the jump from showfloor to showroom unscathed.
Jaguar’s initial teaser image of the F-Pace badge confirmed that the F-Type aping tail-lights have been retained, but these images reveal that the same upright grille, fast-sloping rear screen, ultra-short front overhang and sinewy haunches of the show car are still present and correct.
Those black alloy wheels aren’t quite the monster 23-inch rims of the show car, we’d estimate, but nor do they look particularly small.
Jaguar F-Pace: technical details
The F-Pace will be built on Jag’s new aluminium architecture, a platform which gets its first outing underpinning the new Jaguar XE compact saloon. F-Pace will have more in common with the next-gen XF, however, with which it will share both suspension layout and engine range.
JLR’s latest Ingenium four-pots will almost certainly form the foundation of the range, with Jaguar’s 3.0-litre supercharged V6 from the F-Type providing some extra muscle for sportier models.
According to the DVLA, the Jag SUV prototype pictured here is powered by a 3.0-litre petrol engine. Certainly our snapper says it sounded more F-Type than F-Pace…
When does the Jag F-Pace go on sale?
Most likely, spring to summer 2016. Production will be at JLR’s Solihull plant in the West Midlands. No firm word on pricing just yet, but expect pricing to shadow that of the Porsche Macan, pointing to a starting price of around £40,000.
For the inside line on Jaguar’s first SUV, you can read an in-depth feature on the Jaguar F-Pace in the latest issue of CAR, on sale now.