Jaguar F-Pace interior
The Jaguar F-Pace’s interior has a classy appearance but closer scrutiny reveals it has hollow-sounding hard plastics and an infotainment system that’s tricky to use on the move
Style
If you’re looking for posh SUV that’s feels sporty inside, the Jaguar F-Pace could be the car for you. The low-mounted driver’s seat and raised centre console – like those you get in the smaller E-Pace – make you feel like you sit in, rather than on, the car. It’s almost like a Jaguar F-Type sports car on stilts.
Sadly, it isn’t all good news. The Jaguar’s interior doesn’t feel quite as solid as that in an Audi Q5 or Mercedes GLC; closing a door or whacking parts of the interior is greeted with a hollow ‘thud’. Peer closely at the dashboard and you’ll spot some less-than-arrow-straight stitching, too.
All models come with leather seats and funky mood lighting, while luxurious (and more expensive) Portfolio cars get a soft, Windsor Leather interior. R-Sport models look the sportiest – they get sports seats, aluminium trim pieces and R-Sport-branded kickplates on the door openings.
You can make the F-Pace feel even posher with luxury options including a suede-effect headlining and a variety of woods trims – including ash and ebony veneers. Adjustable mood lighting – with a choice of ten colours – is also available and you can have door sill plates that light up with Jaguar’s insignia – but you’re better off saving your money.
The wavy leather stitching on the F-Pace’s dashboard makes it look like the sewing machinist was drunk
- Used
- £16,620
Infotainment
Watch our Jaguar F-Pace infotainment and interior video review
All Jaguar F-Pace models come with an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, called InControl Touch. It’s alright – the graphics are clear and it’s easy to navigate – but it isn’t quite as simple to use as the system you get in an Audi Q5, Mercedes GLC or BMW X3.
You do get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring should you want to use your phone’s navigation apps instead of Jaguar’s built-in system, but the touchscreen operating system is much harder to operate on the move than the rotary dial-controlled systems in the Mercedes GLC or Audi Q5.
The Jaguar F-Pace’s upgraded InControl Touch Pro system is still operated via a touchscreen but is worth having. It has a faster processor, a larger 10.2-inch screen and a 12.3-inch digital display that replaces the conventional instrument binnacle. This can be used to display a huge navigation map right in front of you, making it a doddle to follow sat-nav directions. It comes with your choice of Meridian sound systems – with either 380W (sounds brilliant) or 825W (sounds even better).
Go for the Touch Pro system and you can also specify Jaguar’s dual-view display that means the driver can follow sat-nav directions while the passenger watches a DVD on the same central screen. It sounds like a bit of a novelty but works brilliantly in practice.
Unlike the Range Rover Velar with its additional touchscreen, the Jaguar F-Pace comes with conventional buttons and dials for the heating and ventilation. As a result, it’s much easier to adjust the cabin temperature while you’re driving.
- Used
- £16,620