2021 Jaguar F-Pace refreshed with new styling, luxury and tech

The Jaguar F-Pace SUV is on the receiving end of some significant updates for 2021, which the automaker detailed Monday. Inside, outside and under the skin, this hot-selling crossover has been refined and improved in ways drivers are sure to appreciate.

New looks

The F-Pace’s grille is larger and its hood is reworked to match, gaining a more prominent power bulge in the process. Flanking that frontal opening are slimmer LED headlamps, which incorporate a J-blade graphic for the daytime running lights, as well as animated turn signals where the lights flash in sequence to show which way the driver intends to go.

Matching its grill, the bumper vents are bigger, giving the F-Pace a wider stance and there are noble chrome (read: satiny silver) accents sprinkled around. The F-Pace’s fender vents are new, incorporating the iconic Jaguar “leaper” logo. ‘Round back, the redesigned, all-LED taillamps feature a chicane graphic like the one on the electric I-Pace utility vehicle. Higher-end models with more-powerful engines feature integrated exhaust outlets in the redesigned rear bumper.

It’s what’s inside that counts

The exterior changes Jaguar made to this vehicle will surely be appreciated, but more important enhancements are found inside. “Really, we’ve just gone over the car with a fine-tooth comb and made everything better,” Julian Thompson, Jaguar’s design director, said during a webinar with media last week. There are new materials and tech, a fresh look and more attention to detail than before.

Front and center is an 11.4-inch HD touchscreen display housed in a magnesium-alloy frame. It’s a whopping 48% larger and three times brighter than the outgoing F-Pace’s 10-inch screen. This display is home to Jaguar’s Pivi infotainment system, which is inspired by mobile devices and therefore designed with a simplified menu structure for easier navigation. Supposedly, 90% of the things it can do are just two finger taps from the home screen.

Two flavors of Pivi are offered. The Pro variant comes with integrated navigation while the base offering, which is standard on the entry-level F-Pace 250 model, does not. Alleviating this burden, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality are standard across the board. You can also connect two devices to Pivi via Bluetooth for added flexibility and it has dual-sim technology with two LTE modems for maximum connectivity. Thanks to the automaker’s new vehicle electrical architecture, Pivi starts up instantly since it has a dedicated power feed. Over-the-air software updates are supported, as well, for enhanced convenience.

If that’s not enough screen real estate, a 12.3-inch reconfigurable digital instrument cluster is available in the 2021 Jaguar F-Pace. A head-up display is offered, too.

As for the touchy-feely aspects of this SUV, expect higher-quality materials throughout the cabin and much greater attention to detail. During the same webcast, Siobhan Hughes, Jaguar’s chief designer of colors and materials, said, “We see our Jaguar interiors as sanctuaries.” She described the F-Pace’s new digs as feeling handcrafted and being inspired by contemporary British design.

Expect plenty of soft materials on the dashboard, door armrests and elsewhere. The seats have broader cushioning and now support massage functionality. The more steeply raked center console has a wireless charger and elegantly sweeps up to meet the instrument panel. Open-pore wood trim and aluminum accents are used throughout. Highlighting its British heritage, the leather-trimmed gear selector features cricket-ball stitching and a motif inspired by the classic Jaguar lozenge logo is employed throughout the cabin, on rotary dials, leather perforations and lighting designs.

Keeping unwanted racket at bay, the new F-Pace features active noise cancellation — oddly, a first for Jaguar — and engine noise cancellation. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high beams, heated seats, keyless entry and a 14-speaker Meridian sound system are standard across the model range. A new feature called Clear Exit Monitor is on the menu, too, which alerts passengers to the presence of approaching traffic, be it another car or even a cyclist, so they don’t get hit while leaving the vehicle.

Technical tidbits

Every 2021 F-Pace will come with all-wheel drive for added traction in a wide range of weather conditions. Torque is routed through a standard eight-speed automatic transmission and apportioned to the four wheels as dictated by conditions.

American drivers will have three different gasoline engines to choose from. The base unit, which is offered in F-Pace 250 and S 250 models, is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. With Continuously Variable Valve Lift (CVVL), direct fuel injection and other technologies, it delivers 246 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque, perfectly respectable figures.

For motorists that crave a bit more, two flavors of inline-six are also offered, both of which feature CVVL, a twin-scroll turbocharger and an eclectic supercharger, but that’s not all. Additionally, they’re augmented by a 48-volt electrical system, which includes a small lithium-ion battery pack mounted under the rear cargo area. This whole arrangement should help improve vehicle performance and efficiency. F-Pace S 340 models are graced with 335 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque, but top-shelf R-Dynamic S 400 variants brandish even more. How does 395 hp and 406 lb-ft sound?

As for performance, the base 2021 F-Pace should be able to scamper from a standstill to 60 mph in a respectable 6.9 seconds. Of course, if that’s too slow, the alpha-dog model can do the same deed in as little as 5 seconds flat.

Pricing and availability

There’s quite a bit to like about the refreshed 2021 F-Pace. This SUV not only looks nicer and more luxurious that before, its technology appears to be lightyears ahead of where it is today. With extra comfort, new drivetrains and plenty of thoughtful touches, there’s no reason this vehicle won’t continue to be Jaguar’s best-seller.

Per usual, pricing has not been announced just yet, but it probably won’t be radically different from the outgoing model, which kicks off at around $46,000 including delivery fees. Look for this vehicle at Jaguar dealerships soon, likely before the end of the year.