2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR breaks cover

High-performance Jaguar F-Pace SVR goes public with a 5.0-litre supercharged V8. 

Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) is at it again. This time the special division has got hold of the company’s F-Pace crossover and given it the ‘SVR’ treatment. What that means is that the F-Pace now gets the firm’s revered 5.0-litre supercharged V8 along with a couple of chassis enhancements. And the outcome of this entire exercise is billed as the F-Pace SVR – a go-faster and more hardcore version Jaguar's posh crossover.

As mentioned above, the new powertrain takes centre stage in the new F-Pace SVR. The supercharged V8 develops 542bhp and 680Nm of torque, and the drive is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. As per Jaguar, the SVR derivative does 0 –100km/h in 4.3 seconds and has a top speed of 283km/h!

The F-Pace SVR isn’t just about straight-line performance. The folks at the SVO division have also tweaked its chassis to handle the additional horsepower. The front and rear springs are more progressive and 30 and 10 per cent stiffer than regular variants, while the anti-roll bar reduces the body-roll by 5 per cent. Lightweight 21-inch forged wheels are standard, while bigger 22-inch wheels are optional. There are a couple of aerodynamic enhancements in the shape of larger air-intakes and bigger side fender vents – these lower the pressure in the wheel arches and reduce lift, says Jaguar.

The exterior design hasn’t changed dramatically, albeit you’ll find SVR badging, a new rear bumper and a quad tail-pipe arrangement. The exhaust system also features Jaguar's Variable Valve Active Exhaust System for a more ‘charismatic soundtrack’. Also, it’s 6.6kg lighter than the standard F-Pace’s exhaust.

Inside, the cabin looks similar to the standard model, but you've got a number SVR bits and bobs such as sporty seats, SVR branded steering wheel and aluminium paddle shifters. A 10-inch touchscreen infotainment and a 12.3-inch HD instrument cluster are part of the kit as well.

The Jaguar F-Pace SVR will debut at the 2018 New York Motor Show and will subsequently go on sale in major global markets. It’d be interesting to see if the F-Pace SVR comes to India. If launched here, the F-Pace SVR will battle with the Porsche Macan Turbo.