Personally, it’s the bad-ass growl that pleases me most.

Handsome, useful cabin space.

It’s menacing, and something of a surprise given what’s under the hood of this 2024 Jaguar F-Pace P400 R-Dynamic S: a 3.0-litre four-banger, turbocharged and rated at a scintillating 400 horsepower. The 0-100 km time: 5.4 seconds.

And yeah, the adolescent-boy joy here is, at least in some minds, a bit old-fashioned, perhaps childish and irresponsible. Even for some at Jaguar.

In what is being called a “risky gamble up-market,” Jaguar said way back in 2021 that the tony but long-struggling sports car brand would reimagine itself as an all-electric luxury brand from 2025.

Late last summer, The Times of London and others, in fact, reported that Jaguar will kill off the I-Pace EV and petrol models in the 2025 shake-up. The lively, eye-grabbing all-wheel-drive I-Pace was indeed revolutionary back in 2018 when it arrived, but it’s to be overtaken by an all-new generation of EVs starting next year.

Bold exterior.

Alas, the I-Pace was unloved by both consumers and by Jaguar itself – the latter simply could not find a way forward to profitability. And so, as Jaguar Land Rover boss Adrian Mardell told it to Top Gear, “Jaguar is going to be reborn.”

We are told the first of three new Jaguar EVs will be a 100,000-pound four-door GT sitting on the new Jaguar Electric Architecture. The new GT, Top Gear says, is targeting 700 km of range and abundant power, though specifics remain fuzzy.

As for how the new Jaguar EVs will look, the conversation from JLR types is vague and hyperbolic: “When these new Jaguars appear for the first time, they need to have a jaw dropping moment,” JLR creative leader Gerry McGovern told TG in his usual understatement. They apparently will shock you, and in a good way.

All this, of course, means we will soon enough bid adieu to the F-Pace P400. If you want something this raw, that electrifies with petrol power not batteries and motors driven by electrons, then act now.

The F-Pace, introduced in 2017, was intended to be Jaguar’s answer to, say, Porsche’s Cayenne or perhaps even the Macan crossover wagon. Other rivals include Mercedes-Benz’ GLE and the Genesis GV70.

Style but substance, too.

Sadly, the F-Pace never quite stuck the landing. Which is a shame, really. Because I would argue the F-Pace is a far more interesting design and when kitted out just right, a wonderful driving machine.

The P400 R-Dynamic hits the sweet spot and at a base price of $81,150, it is a lot of high-performance for the price. The performance tuning provides the agility you’d expect in a racy crossover, without any ride-comfort compromises.

The steering is particularly delightful in that it delivers very nice feedback and requires only just the proper amount of effort. You want responsive, easily-modulated brakes in a fast car and you get them here, too. And a suite of driving aids is there to assist if needed.

Driver-centric.

My tester’s sport seats snuggled up to fit me just right, though more under-thing support would have been welcome. The infotainment interface is a mixed bag, however.

The system is managed through a crystal-clear touchscreen, but the operations seem a bit more complicated than they should be. Jag also includes touch-sensitive buttons. The redundancy is a good idea, but they are a bit finicky to the touch.

The Meridian sound system is powerful and makes music and deliver conversation without distortion. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are there for smartphone integration, and there are charging docks all about.

Cabin room overall is generous, the cargo space is very good and the rear seatback folds 40/20/40 for versatility. Yes, yes, this F-Pace is as functional as it is attractive.

I’m not in the prediction game, but if I were a wealthy gearhead, I might take a chance on this Jaguar as a possible future collectible and today’s pleasant commuter. I mean, this is the best F-Pace ever made. It also represents a Jaguar crossover gambit at the end of an era of petrol cars dating back more than 100 years.

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