V8-powered Jaguar F-Pace under consideration
Jaguar ponders applying new SVR badge to its first SUV.
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Jaguar's three-pronged F-Pace arsenal could be eventually complemented by a high-performance flagship in Australia.
Company stakeholders told Drive overnight that a supercharged V8 version of the new SUV is on the table, however they were reticent to provide any further details or firm assurances.
The long-awaited SUV was unveiled to a private gathering of journalists in Frankfurt ahead of its reveal at Tuesday's annual motor show. It will enter Australian showrooms from September next year.
Along with the existing petrol and diesel powertrains, Drive understands there is scope for Jaguar Land Rover to fit its powerful supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine under the bonnet of the sporty F-Pace.
"The temptation's there but we can't talk about that at the moment," F-Pace vehicle program director Andy Whyman told Drive.
"There's a lot of work going on with our SVR structure and branding at the moment, and we're going through all options."
The V8 engine, which is already found on the Jaguar F-Type R and Range Rover Sport SVR has been tuned to produce a mammoth 405kW and 680Nm in its most powerful guise – translating to a 0-100km/h time of well under 5.0 seconds on the Rangie.
It is understood the F-Pace's long, drawn-out bonnet has been designed to accommodate something as big as the supercharged bent-eight. The addition would also provide a foundation for engineers to integrate Jaguar's active exhaust technology into the F-Pace, a function which will not be available on regular models.
"We can't discuss that," Whyman coyly said of the V8, adding: "if you drop it from a big enough height anything will fit, won't it.
"Nothing's impossible and there is a huge amount going on at Jaguar Land Rover at the moment and that's one of the options that we're looking at. There's a lot going on."
If Jaguar hopes to level - or even outgun - the Porsche Macan, quoted as the major rival of the F-Pace during the company's Frankfurt presentation, stakeholders acknowledge that engine choices will form a crucial role.
"The supercharged V6 is toe-to-toe with the Macan S. The V6 diesel is also quicker than the equivalent Macan," Wayman said.
"We've got plenty of powertrain combinations that the Macan hasn't got."