Jaguar F-Pace SVR 2019 first drive

“An unspecified component supply problem” is the bone offered up to the historical record to explain the near year-long delay of the third ‘SVR’-branded performance car from Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Operations division: the Jaguar F-Pace SVR.

This hot SUV was just weeks from its launch to the press in July 2018 when, as a result of a batch of components delivered for production which apparently weren’t as Jaguar ordered them, the decision was taken to cancel the launch and delay the car until the problem could be fixed.

That’s the official reason, at any rate: a component supply issue that took nine months to resolve. Hmm. Not sure we’re getting the whole truth there. And it just so happens that SVO has had a new boss, at least one cancelled project (that we know about), and the ripples and repercussions of JLR’s declining corporate fortunes with which to contend during the intervening period between the hot F-Pace’s original introduction timing and now, should you feel inclined towards supposition about other potential explanations for the delay. Plenty clearly do, judging by the rumours I’ve heard.

For what it’s worth, though, I don’t buy the theory that new broom Michael van der Sande (formerly of Alpine) could have sent this car back for significant overhaul as one of his first orders of business. A nine-month delay might seem like a long one to us, but in the car industry it’s about enough time to re-engineer a pair of wiper arms and a boot light.

Jaguar’s answer to the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, Porsche Macan Turbo, Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S and every other daftly over-endowed mid-sized SUV that £70,000 can buy has been mooted since the launch of the regular Jaguar F-Pace in 2016, but assiduously denied by JLR spokespeople for a long while thereafter. It brings Jaguar’s bombastic supercharged 5.0-litre lump to a class where V8 engines are a relative rarity, and where it should therefore post some outstanding performance stats.

Except that it doesn’t; not quite. 542bhp is certainly an outstanding output for the Jaguar to be able to lay claim to, but 1995kg is a pretty significant number too when one or two of the car’s key rivals are the thick end of 200kg lighter.

And so, needing 4.3sec to hit 62mph from rest, the F-Pace SVR is actually slower off the mark than several of its rivals according to the manufacturer claims; and, to people who value these cars for the sheer absurdity of them, I fear that may not be unimportant. It’ll be interesting to find out how the car goes against our road test timing gear, and to extract a few more meaningful performance measurements for it when we get a chance – because I just can’t believe a car with this engine, up against rivals that almost all offer less under the bonnet, isn’t a more dominant accelerative force. We’ll see.