2017 Jaguar F-Pace 20d Diesel

Just a few years ago, the idea of Jaguar selling a diesel-powered SUV in the United States would have seemed about as unlikely as Russian interference in an American election. But here we are in 2017, and much of Jaguar’s lineup in the States is now offered with a compression-ignition four-cylinder engine, including the new F-Pace crossover.

When the F-Pace launched last year, the 2.0-liter turbo-diesel model (labeled 20d) anchored the bottom of the SUV’s price ladder. (For 2018, the name 25t denotes a new base engine, a 2.0-liter gasoline turbocharged four.) Jaguar enters the diesel market at a time when most others are exiting it; BMW’s X3 diesel disappeared from the lineup recently, Mercedes-Benz has given up on EPA certifying all of its diesel models for the time being, and we all know what happened to kill off Audi’s Q5 diesel.

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So the F-Pace 20d is the best new diesel-powered small luxury crossover you can buy today, because, well, it’s the only one. But given that every other F-Pace we’ve driven so far has been powered by Jag’s snorty supercharged V-6, a miserly little diesel four-cylinder is sure to change the character of this slinky and sporty crossover, right?

 

The Pace Takes a Hit

At the test track, that proved to be true, with the turbo-diesel inline-four laboring against the F-Pace’s 4340 pounds to turn in a languid zero-to-60-mph time of 9.0 seconds—nearly four whole seconds slower than the laziest six-cylinder F-Pace we’ve tested. A 16.8-second quarter-mile time puts this Jag solidly in economy-car territory. At least handling and braking are unaffected, with the 20d on Goodyear Eagle all-season tires matching the 171-foot braking performance of an F-Pace 35t on the same rubber and falling short of its skidpad grip by only 0.02 g.

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The trade-off for this sluggishness, as you might expect, is a significant uptick in fuel economy. We averaged an impressive 29 mpg in our time with the F-Pace 20d, matching the EPA’s combined estimate and beating the 35t model’s observed average by a whopping 11 mpg. It also beat the last X3 diesel we tested by 1 mpg. Disappointingly, the 20d didn’t shine as much on our 200-mile, 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, achieving 30 mpg, or 3 short of the EPA’s rating. Opt for one of Jag’s lighter, more aerodynamic diesel sedans if you’re looking for max freeway fuel-sipping potential in your British luxury cruiser. We achieved 40 and 42 mpg in Jaguar XF and XE sedans equipped with the same engine.

 

Smooth Operator

In everyday driving, Jaguar’s diesel—a member of the company’s Ingenium family of engines—is a mostly refined piece. You’ll know that you’re driving a diesel from its somewhat gruff sound, but there’s not much excess vibration or harshness once the engine warms up, and the auto stop/start system is unobtrusive and smooth most of the time. The gearing of the eight-speed automatic is well matched to the 2.0-liter’s low-end muscle, making the F-Pace more responsive in modest day-to-day driving than its test-track numbers would suggest. It’s only at wide-open throttle or higher speeds that the four-cylinder struggles to move the F-Pace with urgency.

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Like nearly every version of the F-Pace we’ve driven so far, this one was outfitted in the top R-Sport regalia, which brings 20-inch wheels, a subtle body kit, and sport seats. We’re eager to drive an F-Pace in one of the lower Premium or Prestige trims with smaller wheels, since the R-Sport’s large wheels and low-profile tires do the ride no favors, and the sober black interior with metal accents doesn’t look as if it belongs in a $60,000-plus vehicle—although wood trim is available. With the smaller 19-inch wheels, the supposedly lesser F-Pace models might actually end up being a bit more plush and supple to drive, at least on neglected roads.

Although our heavily optioned test car’s $66,360 price seems steep enough already, a bit of rejiggering for the new model year means that an equivalently equipped 2018 F-Pace 20d is $1000 costlier still. The arrival of the new gasoline four-cylinder 25t model now means that you pay a $1500 premium for the privilege of driving the diesel, which complicates the decision-making process a bit for F-Pace shoppers. We’re not sure this engine is worth it—unless you simply must have a new diesel-powered small luxury crossover, in which case it’s an F-Pace or nothing.