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Jaguar F-Pace


Mazda CX-60

Summary

Jaguar F-Pace

Jaguar has announced that by 2025 it will only make and sell electric vehicles. That’s less than four years away and means the F-Pace you’re thinking about buying could be the last Jaguar with an actual engine that you ever own. Heck, it could be the last car with an engine you ever own.

Let’s help you pick the right one then, because Jaguar’s just called last drinks.

Safety rating
Engine Type2.0L turbo
Fuel TypePremium Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency7.4L/100km
Seating5 seats

Mazda CX-60

The CX-60 GT P50e is a new mid-spec plug-in hybrid model being offered by Mazda. It sits nestled next to its mid-sized stablemate, the CX-5, but Mazda is positioning it firmly in the premium SUV market with its equally premium price tag.

So, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that this new PHEV is being pitted against brands like Lexus and Volvo, both of which are well-known as leaders in luxury. 

But has Mazda created a true rival? I’ve been driving it for a week with my family of three to find out for you. 

Safety rating
Engine Type2.5L
Fuel TypeHybrid with Premium Unleaded
Fuel Efficiency2.1L/100km
Seating5 seats

Verdict

Jaguar F-Pace8.1/10

The F-Pace has been gifted new styling, new engines and more practicality making it an even better SUV than it already was. You could seriously pick any of the grades and be happy with your purchase. Then there’s the question of the engine…

Jaguar says there’s a few more years left in the combustion engine yet, but we know exactly how many years – four, because the company has gone on the record announcing it will go fully electric by 2025. The question for you is – how will you ring out the end of an era – with a four-cylinder petrol, a six-cylinder turbo diesel, an inline turbo six petrol or a cracking V8? 

The sweetspot in the range is the R-Dynamic SE 400, with just enough luxury and more than enough grunt.

 


Mazda CX-607.3/10

The Mazda CX-60 GT P50e will suit those families that don’t need the extra seats of its bigger siblings but still want some luxury and comfort. I like the features and the hybrid efficiency but don't like how it handles in the city. I got used to it but it’s not my favourite plug-in hybrid to drive and for the higher price tag, I did expect a smoother experience.

Design

Jaguar F-Pace9/10

The very first F-Pace arrived in Australia in 2016 and even after all these years and the arrival of more rivals I still think it’s the most beautiful SUV in its class. The new one seems to look a lot like the old one, but the styling updates have kept it cool.

If you want to see instantly how the design of the F-Pace has evolved from the original to the new one, be sure to watch my video above.

Short story is, this new F-Pace has been given a pretty major styling overhaul inside and out.

Gone is the old F-Pace’s plastic beak. That sounds weird but the previous F-Pace’s bonnet stopped short of the grille and a nose cone had been fitted to cover the rest of the distance. Now the new bonnet meets a larger, wider grille and its flow from the windscreen down isn’t disturbed by a large join line.

Also more pleasing to the eyes is the badge on the grille. The snarling jaguar head is now larger and no longer mounted on a terrible looking large plastic plate. The plate was for the adaptive cruise control radar sensor, but by making the Jaguar badge bigger, the plate was able to be house in the badge itself.

The headlights are slimmer, and the tail-lights have a new design which looks futuristic, but I miss the styling of the previous ones and the way they dipped into the tailgate.

Inside, the cabin has been made over with a giant landscape screen, new chunky climate control dials, a new steering wheel and the rotary shifter has been replaced by a regular upright one which is still small and compact, with cricket ball stitching. Again, take a look at the video I’ve made to see the transformation for yourself.

While all F-Paces have a similar look, the SVR is the high-performance member of the family and stands out with its giant 22-inch wheels, a tough body kit, quad tailpipes, a fixed SVR rear wing, and bonnet and fender vents.

For this update the SVR has been given a new front bumper and larger cooling vents flanking the grille. But it’s more than just tough looks, the aerodynamics have been revised to decrease lift by 35 per cent, too.

What hasn’t changed are the dimensions. The F-Pace is a mid-sized SUV measuring 4747mm end to end, standing 1664mm tall and with the mirrors out is 2175mm wide. That’s not huge, but make sure it’ll fit in your garage.


Mazda CX-60

For me, Mazda SUVs are a bit too similar to get me excited. It’s a case of ‘same same but different’ when they’re on the road.

Each one looks like a scaled version of the other but the GT’s body colour extends to the lower cladding and wheel arches, which makes it appear larger than the CX-5 at least.

The GT model is also set apart from the base Evolve model with the heavier use of black accents – like the gloss black side mirrors, 20-inch alloy wheels and honeycomb grille. It’s 'PHEV' and 'In-line 6' side badges are also blacked out for added sportiness.

Full LED exterior lights in Mazda’s classic slim-line look plus some added ‘in-take’ vents at the front complete the overall package.

In the cabin, there’s a strangely wide panel on the dashboard that separates the centre console from the media system and it doesn’t look right compared to the skinny air-vents and button panel that sits below it.

The interior does sport black leather-accented trims and enough soft touchpoints that there is a sense of quality throughout but I was hoping for a more luxuriously-appointed interior, given the price tag. Especially considering the top-spec CX-5 model is a good $25K more affordable.

Practicality

Jaguar F-Pace8/10

The F-Pace was always practical with a big 509-litre boot and great rear leg and head room for even me at 191cm tall, but the cabin re-design has added better storage and usability.

The door pockets are larger, there’s a covered area under the floating centre console and in a victory for common sense and practicality the window switches have been relocated from the window sills to the armrests.

This is along with a deep centre console storage area, and two cupholders in the front and another two in the rear fold-down armrest.

Parents will be happy to know that all F-Paces come with directional air vents in the second row as well. And there are ISOFIX outboard child-seat anchors and three top-tether restraints, too.


Mazda CX-60

The cabin is practical with its great sense of space in both rows, which is not always the case for a mid-sized SUV. Taller families will love how much legroom there is to be had.

The front passenger can get comfortable with the eight-way power adjustments on their seat but the driver enjoys the most perks with 10-way adjustments, lumbar support and two-position memory function.

Both seats have heat function (up to three levels) and are well-cushioned for a longer trip.

The rear seats are well-padded and feature a handy 40/20/40 split-fold for internal storage. The outboard seats also have a heat function for added comfort.

My six-year old found this car to be super easy to get in and out of because of the 175mm ground clearance. He also enjoyed a good view from the wide windows and liked the amenities, like the directional air vents and reading lights.

Individual storage is decent in both rows but the front passengers get the best options with two cupholders, extra-large storage bins in each door, a glove box and a middle console, which is on the shallow side.

Back seaters get two cupholders in the fold-down armrest, small storage bins in each door and a couple of map pockets.

The technology looks upmarket with the dashboard being headlined by two separate 12.3-inch digital screens.

The multimedia system is easy enough to use but I wish Mazda enabled touchscreen access on this as it’s a pain to use the rotary selector dial while on the go.

That said, it’s fab that you get wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, plus built-in satellite navigation.

The premium Bose sound system with its 12 speakers makes for a concert-like experience and the charging options are good throughout the car.

Up front you get two of the faster USB-C ports, a 12-volt socket and a wireless charging pad to choose from.

In the back seat you get another two USB-C ports plus a handy 220-volt (150W) port for bigger items. In the boot you get another 220-volt port but this one has 1500W capacity, so larger appliances can be hooked up.

The boot rounds out the cabin practicality with a decent 477L of capacity but you can bump it to 1726L if you fold down the rear seats. There are manual levers in the boot to do this.

The level load space makes it easy to slide things in and out and I always enjoy having a powered tailgate. A flipside to all of this room though is that you only get a tyre puncture repair kit rather than a physical spare.

Price and features

Jaguar F-Pace8/10

There’s a Jaguar F-Pace for every budget as long as your budget is somewhere in between $80K and $150K. That’s quite a large range in price.

Now, I’m about to take you through the grade names and I need to warn you that it’s going to be messy and confusing a little bit like white water rafting, but not as wet. Life jacket on?

There are four grades: the S, SE, HSE and top-of-the-range SVR.

They all come standard with the R-Dynamic pack.

There are four engines: the P250, D300, P400 and P550. I’ll explain what this means in the engine section down below, but all you need to know is 'D' stands for diesel and 'P' for petrol and the higher the number the more grunt it has.

The S grade only comes with the P250. The SE comes with a choice of P250, D300 or P400. The HSE only comes with the P400 and the SVR has exclusive rights to the P550.

Following all this? Great.

So, the entry grade is officially called the R-Dynamic S P250 and it lists for $76,244 (all prices listed are MSRP - before on-road costs). Above this is the R-Dynamic SE P250 and it lists for $80,854, then there’s the R-Dynamic SE D300 for $96,194 and the R-Dynamic SE P400 for $98,654.

Almost there, you’re doing super.

The R-Dynamic HSE P400 lists for $110,404 and at the top is King F-Pace – the SVR with the P550 listing for $142,294.

There you are, wasn’t so bad was it?

Coming standard from the base grade up is the new 11.4-inch touchscreen, sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, there’s keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone climate, power adjustable front seats, leather upholstery, LED headlights and tail-lights, and an auto tailgate.

The entry-level S and the SE above it come with a six-speaker stereo, but as you step into the HSE and SVR more standard features appear such as a 13-speaker Meridian sound system, plus heated and ventilated front seats. A fully digital instrument cluster is standard on all grades apart from the entry S.

The options list is extensive and includes a head-up display ($1960), wireless charging ($455), and an Activity Key ($403) which looks like an iWatch that locks and unlocks the F-Pace.  

Paint prices? Narvik Black and Fuji White are standard at no extra cost for the S, SE and HSE. The SVR has its own standard palette and includes Santorini Black, Yulonhg White, Firenze Red, Bluefire Blue and Hakuba Silver. If you don’t have the SVR but want these colours it’ll be $1890, thank you.


Mazda CX-60

There are three models for the CX-60 and ours is the mid-spec model, which will cost you $80,300, before on-road costs.

You get a decent number of features in this grade, so it feels well-positioned against its rivals.

The Lexus NX350h F Sport Hybrid AWD beats it by a smidge at $80,500 (MSRP) and the Volvo XC60 Recharge Plus sits well above at $92,990 (MSRP).

As you’d expect there are some luxury items to be found, like the panoramic sunroof, heated front seats, heated leather steering wheel, and heated rear outboard seats.

You also enjoy the following as standard - dual-zone climate control, electric front seats, leather-accented trim, electric steering wheel adjustment, satellite navigation, keyless entry, a hands-free powered tailgate and a 360-degree view camera system plus a bunch of upmarket technology which we’ll touch on later. 

Under the bonnet

Jaguar F-Pace9/10

Jaguar’s engine names sound like forms you have to fill in when you apply for a home loan.

The P250 is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine making 184kW and 365Nm; the D300 is a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo diesel producing 221kW and 650Nm; while the P400 is a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo petrol with outputs of 294kW and 550Nm.

The P550 is a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 producing a colossal 405kW and 700Nm.

The SE grade gives you the choice of the P250, D300 and P400, while the S only comes with the P250 and the SVR of course is powered only by the P550.

The D300 and D400 are new engines, both are straight sixes and replace the V6 engines in the old F-Pace. Superb engines, they are also found in the Defender and Range Rover.

Jaguar calls the D300 and P400 mild hybrids, but don’t be misled by the terminology. These engines are not hybrids in the sense that an electric motor is working to drive the wheels along with a combustion engine. Instead, a mild hybrid uses a 48-volt electrical system to help take the load off the engine by helping it start and running the electronics such as climate control. And yes, it does help save fuel, but not stacks.

There’s plenty of grunt from all these engines no matter which you choose, they all have eight-speed automatics and all-wheel drive.

You are also very likely looking at the last combustion engines to go into an F-Pace. See Jaguar has announced that it will only sell electric vehicles beyond 2025.

Four years and that’s it. Choose wisely.


Mazda CX-60

The GT P50e has a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol plug-in hybrid powertrain with a maximum power output of 241kW and 500Nm of torque.

This is an all-wheel drive and has an eight-speed auto transmission.

Overall, it’s fairly gutsy and you’ll be pleased with that power when you hit the open road.

On the electric motor side of things, this also has a lithium-ion battery with a relatively small 17.8kWh capacity which gives you a driving range of up to 76km when in pure EV mode. 

It has a Type 2 AC charging port but it can’t be hooked onto a fast charger as it lacks the CCS DC connector.

On a 7.0kW system you should be able to get from 20 to 80 per cent in as little as 90 minutes. The household plug charging time is more like seven or eight hours, so best to leave overnight when at home.

Efficiency

Jaguar F-Pace7/10

It doesn’t make sense that Jaguar has announced that it will be going all electric by 2025 yet doesn’t offer a plug-in hybrid in its Australian line-up, especially when there is one available overseas.

Jaguar says it doesn’t make sense either, but by that they mean business sense, in bringing one to Australia.  

So, for fuel economy I’m marking the F-Pace down. Yes, the D300 and P400 use clever mild-hybrid tech, but it doesn’t go far enough to reducing fuel use.

So the fuel consumptions, then. The official fuel consumption for the petrol P250 is 7.8L/100km, the diesel D300 will use 7.0L/100km, the P400 is stated to sip 8.7L/100km and the P550 V8 petrol will drink 11.7L/100km. Those figures are "combined cycle" numbers, after a combination of open and urban driving.


Mazda CX-60

The official combined cycle fuel figure is 2.1L/100km but after an almost 600km roadie and charging it twice, my real-world usage came to 6.4L.

That's a good result considering this car's power and size but you will get the best efficiency if you charge the battery regularly. 

Based on my usage and the 50L tank, I’d be able to get a rough driving range of 781km.

Driving

Jaguar F-Pace8/10

My two test cars at the Australian launch of the new F-Pace were the R-Dynamic SE P400 and the R-Dynamic S P250. Both were fitted with the road noise cancellation system which comes with the optional $1560 Meridian stereo and reduces the level of road noise coming into the cabin.

Which would I rather? Look, I’d be fibbing if I didn’t say the SE P400 with its smooth inline six that has seemingly endless shove, but it’s $20K more than the S P250 and neither engine is low on grunt and both handle and ride almost identically.

That ride has been improved in this new F-Pace with the rear suspension being retuned so that it’s not so firm.

Steering is still on the sharp side, but body control feels better and more composed in this updated F-Pace.

On the twisty and quick country roads I tested the S P250 and SE 400, both performed superbly, with responsive engines, great handling, and serene cabins (thanks to the help of the noise cancelling tech).

The second part of the test was driving both in city traffic for the best part of an hour each which isn’t pleasant in any car. The now wider F-Pace seats were comfortable and supportive, however, the transmission seamlessly swapped gears and even rolling on 22-inch wheels in the SE and 20-inch alloys in the S the ride was excellent.  


Mazda CX-60

Well .. let’s unpack that shall we? Yes, this thing certainly has power but the biggest surprise for me was how the electric motor and combustion engine talk to one another because it doesn’t make for the smoothest driving experience in the city.

Therein lies the rub, for me. At this price point I was hoping for a smoother drive experience. In fact, it performs in the strangest of ways - when you’re accelerating, it feels like you’re in a much lower gear than you ought to be.

Almost like you’re stuck in 4WD. There is a sensation of the engine being held back and fighting you when you drive this in built up areas.

The ride comfort in the city was affected by this because it has a tendency to bunny hop/lurch when you hit corners at lower speeds. However, it has beautiful manners on the open road and that is where this model shines for comfort and handling. 

In this environment the steering feels concise and you can handle winding roads at speed without much roll. It can get a little noisy in the cabin as the electric motor wheezes a lot but otherwise, it’s alright for highway driving.

Overall, it's pretty good to park and I like the tight 10.8m turning circle. The 360-degree camera system is clear, too, but coupled with the front and rear parking sensors, you won’t have any issues.

Safety

Jaguar F-Pace8/10

The F-Pace scored the maximum five-star ANCAP rating when it was tested in 2017. Coming standard is advanced safety tech such as forward auto emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot assist, lane keeping assistance and rear cross-traffic alert.

This tech is great, but in the five years since the F-Pace first arrived safety equipment has moved on even further. So, while the AEB can detect pedestrians, it’s not designed to work for cyclists, there’s no reverse AEB, nor evasive manoeuvre systems, nor a centre airbag. All are items which weren’t common in 2017 but are now on most 2021 five-star rated cars.


Mazda CX-60

The CX-60 has a lot of safety features I like to see on a family car and a highlight is the intelligent blind-spot monitoring system which shows the vehicles around you in a dynamic display on the instrument panel.

Other standard safety features include LED daytime running lights, lane departure alert, lane keeping aids, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning, intelligent seat belt reminders, a driver fatigue monitor, front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree view camera system.

It also has adaptive cruise control but it was a bit hit or miss. It’s quite sensitive and sometimes registers a larger vehicle, like a truck, as still being in your lane despite overtaking.

It has autonomous emergency braking with car, pedestrian, cyclist and junction assist detection that’s operational from 10–80km/h (although the car detection is operational from 4.0–160km/h).

I’m happy to say this system works well – a ‘roo jumped out in front of me this week and the car performed an emergency stop with plenty of room to spare.

It achieved a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2022 and it has eight airbags, including a driver’s knee- and a front centre airbag.

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard seats and three top tethers and while two seats will fit best, you might get lucky with three skinny booster seats. There’s also plenty of room when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed.

Ownership

Jaguar F-Pace8/10

At the launch of the new F-Pace Jaguar announced that all of its vehicles would be covered by a five-year unlimited/kilometre warranty, a step up from the three-year coverage it used to offer.  

Service intervals? What are they? The F-Pace will tell you when it needs maintenance. But you should sign up for a five-year service plan which costs $1950 for the P250 engine, $2650 for the D300, $2250 for the P400 and $3750 for the P550.


Mazda CX-60

The ongoing costs are pretty reasonable. It comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty which is usual for the class. It also has capped-price servicing for five-years or up to 75,000km, whichever occurs first.

Services cost an average of $518, which is a little expensive for this class but servicing intervals are fine at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.