Jaguar F-Type R vs F-Pace SVR: Goodbye V8

Well, it’s happening.

The new era of Jaguar (or, as it’s now styled, JaGuar) is around the corner. Not only is Jag ditching gas engines, but the British brand is setting its sights further upmarket, hoping to peel off would-be buyers from the likes of Bentley and Aston Martin.

Whether that is possible is a conversation for another day. We’re not here for that—and even if we were, it’d be drowned out. You see, Mike and I have got together to send off the last of Jaguar’s 5.0-liter, supercharged V8 models. Both the F-Type P575 and F-Pace SVR are about to disappear, marking the end of an era.

Cue the thunder.

What’s New for 2025:

Not the F-Type, that’s for sure. No, the iconic sports car is packing it up at the end of 2024 after 10 model years on the market. There’s been a steady drip of updates since the coupe and convertible got a facelift a few years back, including the move to a V8-only engine lineup. Trim names changed here and there, and this year saw the R75 join the lineup as a final-year celebration. That’s what we have here in droptop form, though in a more subdued color scheme than the other F-Type we drove earlier this year.

The F-Pace has been around for a while so no big changes are in store for the 2025 model year. The engine has been pumped up 25 horsepower and the SVR trim is renamed the SVR 575 Edition. Last year, new standard equipment included the Black Exterior Pack, more power sockets, a heated steering wheel, and an ebony roof liner.

Exterior Style:

Opinions remain split over the facelifted F-Type’s looks. The horizontal headlights emphasize the width of the car and how low that nose really is. They’re also less unique than the old units, making the Jag blend in. Not helping is the rather boring spec of this tester: Portofino Blue is nice enough on its own, but needs contrasting brightwork to stand out. The all-black treatment just blurs everything together.

Although the F-Pace debut nearly a decade ago, Jaguar has continued to update the SUV to it keep looking fresh. In fact, the 2025 F-Pace doesn’t look out of place in the modern luxury sport utility landscape: a testament to the original design’s staying power.

As the SVR, the F-Pace gets a unique front bumper, different cladding on the door, and of course that quad tip exhaust. The latter looks great with offset tips on either side protruding from the bumper. Our tester arrived painted in Ostuni Pearl White which contrasted nicely with the standard black package, red brake calipers, and two-tone wheels.

Powertrain and Fuel Economy:

“The entire premise of this feature centers around what’s under the hood of these Jaguars,” says Mike. It’s true; however admirable other aspects of the driving experience are—and they are, as we’ll get to later—it’s the 5.0-liter, supercharged V8 that ultimately defines them both.

The V8 makes 567 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque in the SUV. As mentioned, that’s a small increase for the final year of the V8-thumping F-Pace. Jaguar claims it can go from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.0 seconds with a top speed of 178 mph (286 km/h). We don’t doubt those numbers as the F-Pace is a torque-rich monster. Even if there are quicker SUVs on the market today, few capture the visceral feel of the Jaguar SUV.

Opening the exhaust into its sportiest setting unleashes a wall of thunder that nary a vehicle on the road today can match. The bark that explodes out of the quad tip exhaust under acceleration is matched by the pops, cracks, and bangs experienced off-throttle.

All that power does require barrels full of fuel though, reflected in the 2025 Jaguar F-Pace’s official fuel economy figures. In the city it is rated for 15 mpg (15.7 L/100 km) and 21 mpg (11.4 L/100 km) on the highway.

Even if it’s lighter, the F-Type is hardly the model of fuel efficiency either. It scores just a single mpg better than its big brother in the city and overall; it does manage a decent enough 24 mpg (12.7 L/100 km) on the highway though.

The droptop has the slightest of horsepower advantages (just eight more ponies) and a longer final drive ratio. Combined with that lower curb weight, it chops almost half a second from the SUV’s sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h). More than that, it offers an unimpeded position for maximum auditory enjoyment. With the fabric down and the valves open, the F-Type snarls and pops and thunders its way across the land and into our hearts. The supercharger ensures there’s no delay either, just a thick wad of torque and eagerness to rev right to the redline. It truly is a beast.

Handling and Drivability:

Even if the trim features the raciest letter in the alphabet ®, the F-Type is not some mean-mugging track rat. It’s too heavy for that, and the standard all-wheel drive ensures this cat keeps all four paws firmly in contact with the road. It’s a little looser, a little more relaxed than something like a Porsche, be it 911 or Boxster. There’s a natural balance that’s easy to judge, and the steering has an excellent consistency from lock to lock. There’s a lot of car ahead of the windshield, but the F-Type’s right-sized steering wheel ensures you feel comfortable threading it down the nearest backroad, even if the weighting is a tad light.

Despite the engine getting all the glory in the 2025 Jaguar F-Pace SVR, it can also hold its own once the road bends. Wearing 265/45R21 tires upfront and 295/40R21 in the rear, the vehicle hangs on quite well under moderate cornering. It can’t quite match the best performing competitors in its class, but it can hold its own.

As a bonus, the F-Pace SVR still has SUV-like ground clearance with 8.6-inches on tap, although the tires aren’t exactly suited for mud or rocks.

Ride Quality and Comfort:

Ride comfort isn’t wholly sacrificed in the name of lateral grip either. Not the softest sprung luxury SUV on the market, it delivers a compliant ride, especially on freeways. We spent back-to-back days driving 4+ hours and never felt uncomfortable or stiff at journey’s end.

Part of this is attributed to the 14-way adjustable driver’s seat which is supportive, yet adjustable enough to find the proper comfort point. The rear seats are decently accommodating as well, with 37.5-inches of headroom and 37.2-inches of legroom.

The F-Type is snug, but it’s comfortable for the driver and lucky passenger along for the ride. Its seats are broadly the same as those in the SUV: sculpted enough to hold folks in place, yet stopping shy of feeling restrictive, with a good range of adjustment to boot. The roof is plush and near-silent in operation; as we know from earlier this year, it will happily handle winter duty.

In its regular setting, the F-Type rides well enough, though it never lets you forget there’s a whole lot of wide, short-sidewall tire out back. Road noise is above average, though we’d argue that’s kind of the point of a sports car. Swap over to the sharper drive mode and the F-Type changes from acceptably firm to downright stiff, bucking over even minor bumps in a way that becomes more tiring than anything else.

Interior Style and Quality:

The 2025 Jaguar F-Pace SVR 575 Edition can be had with a choice of four two-tone color interiors. There is grey/back, brown/black, white/black, and what our tester arrived in, red/black. This isn’t a small dabble of red here and there either. There’s a lot of red throughout the cabin, covering the glovebox, center console, seat trim and more.

Despite the vehicle’s age, it does a reasonable job feeling modern inside. Some of the switch gear is aging, but the large infotainment screen, digital driver information center, and multi-menu climate control dials feel up to date.

It’s a testament to the inherent rightness of the design that the F-Type’s cabin still feels fairly modern. The inset piano black of the center console does look a little low-rent, but everything else looks and feels properly premium. Sure, the rising vent is a nice bit of theatrics—but I still worry it’s just another thing to break.

If I want to be nitpicky, that shifter doesn’t feel suitably substantial for something as menacing as the F-Type.

Tech and Safety:

All the modern technology expected of a luxury SUV are present in the 2025 Jaguar F-Pace SVR 575 Edition. Wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, head-up display, 3D surround view monitor, a wireless phone charger, Meridian sound system, and the digital driver information center are some of the highlights. The F-Pace also includes the brand’s latest infotainment software and screen, something that’s lacking in the F-Type.

Safety wise, it’s once again a full house. Driver assist features include adaptive cruise control with steering assist, blind spot assist, rear traffic monitor, lane keep assist, driver condition monitor, as well as front and rear parking assist.

The F-Type’s assist suite is largely the same as the F-Pace. The back-up camera is hilariously grainy for something six figures though, and we wouldn’t say no to a 360-camera. The adaptive cruise control does what it needs to, but lags behind the more sophisticated setups found in the premium realm.

As mentioned, the F-Type never got the Pivi Pro infotainment system, instead sticking to the last-gen Jag setup. Don’t worry about it being sluggish and ugly; with the top down, the screen gets washed out almost to the point of invisibility. It’s a feature, not a bug!

One thing we both agree on: Jag’s push-pull-twist climate controls remain brilliant, incorporating plenty of physical controls into one satisfying dial.

Value Dollars and Sense:

The F-Pace starts at $79,275 ($115,277 CAD) including destination charges. That’s a pretty sweet deal for a rear-drive, V8-powered coupe. This top P575 R75 edition convertible, however, rings up at a tougher $121,175 ($137,850 CAD).

The 2025 Jaguar F-Pace SVR 575 Edition starts at a price of $93,775 ($108,950 Canadian) including destination charges. With the Driver Intelligent Pack, heated windshield, and Meridian sound system added, out tester came in at $96,525 ($110,380 CAD).

Final Thoughts:

Jaguar did the right thing by paring down the F-Type lineup to only V8s. While the old six-cylinder was great, the V8 is drama distilled into five liters, a barely contained animal. It provided near-supercar shove for a price closer to terra firma, which is what Jaguar has, at its best, always been about. The flip side is that the V8 now feels so integral to the F-Type experience, the car might as well retire alongside the engine. It’s served its purpose, and will be remembered fondly—perhaps even more now, depending on the response to new-era Jag.

The F-Pace is a more modern vehicle. Sure, it still feels a little rough around the edges compared to the Germans, but stick a regular engine in the SUV and it can still manage to feel modern enough. Jag will kill it soon enough, barring any walkbacks on the EV-only plan, but for now, it’s a stylish and well-mannered choice in a crowded segment.

But boy oh boy will we miss that V8.

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