In 2013, Jaguar took the wraps of its C-X17 concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Now, at the same venue, the same design team has turned that concept into the Jaguar 2017 F-Pace. Combining the sportscar performance of a traditional Jaguar with more room and family-friendly features, the luxury five-seater SUV derived from the F-Type launched not only into the showrooms, but into the Guinness Book of Records.
It's the sort of stunt that one would expect from a supercar in a movie, but not from a 4x4 aimed at the urban family market – which the F-Pace is. The C-X17 was already something of a head-scratcher, with the marque that's best known for E-Types and bank manager luxury sedans trying its hand at an SUV. Now, with the production F-Pace it's almost like Jaguar Land Rover is competing with itself as both brands race to create a luxury, high-performance SUV that won't be mistaken for a hot hatchback.
Jaguar showed off its commitment to the new all-aluminum architecture featured in the F-Pace with an eye-catching stunt. The day before Monday's formal unveiling in Frankfurt, British stunt driver Terry Grant drove a first-edition F-Pace through a 19.08 m (62.59 ft) tall, 360-degree loop with a force of 6.5 Gs to set a new record for the largest ever "loop the loop."
Jaguar showed off its commitment to the new all-aluminum architecture featured in the F-Pace with an eye-catching stunt. The day before Monday's formal unveiling in Frankfurt, British stunt driver Terry Grant drove a first-edition F-Pace through a 19.08 m (62.59 ft) tall, 360-degree loop with a force of 6.5 Gs to set a new record for the largest ever "loop the loop."
The design team has toned down the styling of the C-X17 for the F-Pace. The lines are more harmonious and the front and rear have more balance. They even managed to keep the wheels a practical size, yet proportioned so they don't look like something about ready for a safari. That being said, Jaguar is going hard for a fast, rakish feel that exudes performance with its upright grille and power bulge in the bonnet, but, unfortunately, the overall result isn't something that necessarily stands out from the crowd.
Whatever the strengths and weakness of the basic styling, Jaguar has put a lot of effort into creating a five-door performance car. The chassis shares the heavy emphasis on the high torsional stiffness found in the XF, which is designed to improve handling and smooth the ride. In addition, the long wheelbase keeps the center of mass between the axles, and there are high-pressure diecast aluminum front suspension turrets, large front crossmembers, subframes, and subframe mounting points for greater stiffness without greater weight.
The body is an aluminum monocoque with a composite tailgate featuring power opening and closing functions, magnesium cross-car beam, and a front-end carrier. Aerodynamics are enhanced by providing a front/rear balance similar to that of a sedan.
For a touch of style there are also adaptive all-LED headlamps with daytime running lights and the signature Jaguar "J" Blade design.
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