Jaguar F-Pace SVR vs. Audi RS Q8 Vorsprung, Porsche Cayenne Coupe GTS, BMW X6 M Competition F96

With their giddy power outputs, coupe-esque bodies and hefty 4x4 underpinnings, these super-SUVs shouldn’t work. But boy do they… Words Ben Barry. Photography Alex Tapley.

Giant test: super-SUVs Jaguar F-Pace SVR takes on three German 4x4s with the focus on performance

THE BEST JAGUAR IN YEARS F-PACE SVR BATTLES PORSCHE, BMW & AUDI

GIANT TEST THE DEFINITIVE VERDICT Cut & thrust Fast, fancy and ferociously thirsty: super-SUVs tested

Nothing is parked at today’s automotive crossroads quite like the Jaguar F-Pace SVR. A large and decadently potent SUV, it was refreshed and relaunched immediately after its maker revealed plans to go battery-electric by 2025.

I enjoy the electric i-Pace and progress and all that – but, well, it’s a cold soul who can’t appreciate the SVR’s rumbling V8, its rush of supercharger whine when you really pin it and the fluttering thunderclaps that pass for gearchanges. And we’re hardly coal-rolling the hippies here: there’s even a petrol particulate filter.

Some high-performance cars need speed and thumb screws to spill their secrets, but the SVR talks if you so much as run a feather over its toes. It’s the characterful bustle of that old-school five-point-0 and the promptness of its throttle, gearshifts, brake pedal and steering – it’s eager and limber right off the bat, no matter the (lightest on test!) 2058kg kerb-weight. This isn’t unusual for a sporting Jaguar.

More unusual is the highly compelling financial case, especially against arch rival Porsche. The Jag’s footprint slots between Macan and Cayenne, but its performance (542bhp) and cylinder count are on point with the Cayenne Turbo despite undercutting it by £30k. This Cayenne GTS Coupe is £19k pricier than the Jag, yet 88bhp down.

No sporting equivalents of the Audi Q8 Type 4M and BMW X6 F96 play in that fiscal ballpark – instead you need the RS Q8 and X6 M Competition, which up the ante to circa 600bhp and over £100k territory. The Jag’s tempting in that context too, no?

The F-Pace SVR wasn’t broken, but Jaguar has sweated the details in line with a model-wide facelift. There’s a nip and tuck for a design that was right first time (better aero, less drag), and the dynamics are gently dusted too: new steering rack, some suspension bits and bushes, new tune for the dampers and e-diff, and a new brake booster gives a stronger bite from the pedal. The supercharged 5.0-litre V8 gets no more power, saving the Range Rover Sport SVR’s blushes, but there’s a 15lb ft torque bonus and a new torque converter from the XE SV Project 8 – it can now take all 516lb ft in first gear, dropping the 0-62mph dash a few tenths to 4.0sec.

I collect the SVR from Jaguar’s doorstep at Gaydon, pointing it east cross-country to meet the others after a prod at the sat-nav – this Pivi Pro infotainment is arguably the most crucial reason to buy an SVR new versus last year’s, and it’s here because the F-Pace has switched to new electrics (EVA 2.0). It instantly lifts the interior with its 11.4-inch curved-glass touchscreen positioned over rotary climate dials featuring digital displays. You even get over-the-air updates. Steady on.

The touchscreen isn’t as neatly integrated as a Velar’s, the new gearshifter no longer lets you work it like Clint Eastwood twirling a pistol, and there’s a frustratingly redundant step to configuring your own Dynamic mode. But ultimately there’s newfound calmness and quality to this highly luxurious, sporting interior, and a clarity and user-friendliness previously absent from the infotainment. Our example has optional sports seats in semi-aniline leather that are firm but cup you comfortably, while textured leather on the steering wheel and chunky milled-aluminium paddleshifters up the feelgood factor. Lovely.

The SVR aces the cross-country drive. The chassis is simply coils and anti-roll bars, and it’s a little busy in town, but it flows naturally given speed. The front Pirellis bite hard, the body’s mass is nicely supported as it begins to roll, and because it’s settled and there’s so much traction you power out early too, building a rhythm with fluid steering that anchors your connection with the tarmac. There’s sure-footed confidence to really hustle this car, but it’s also fleet-footed enough to gently adjust its line if you ease the throttle mid-corner, or even require a little opposite lock if you squeeze the throttle early – Dynamic mode can send 90 per cent of the torque to the rear. This chassis could soak up a load more power, but the V8 gives you the tools to work it hard and, while old, it’s hardly lacking in appeal: refinement, response and bandwidth all wrapped up with more attitude than the Sex Pistols.

When I meet the others, two things are striking: one, that this appears a highly suspect gathering; secondly, how comfortable the F-Pace looks in a group of ‘coupe’ versions of other SUVs – its roofline already looks pretty fast. It’s actually 77mm shorter than the Porsche (the next most compact), yet there’s only 21mm extra in the Porsche’s wheelbase. So the Jag’s 22-inch wheels are pushed to the corners, accentuating its athletic look, and there’s still ample room in its second row and actually more luggage space. Hmm.

The Cayenne blooded the high-performance luxury SUV in 2002, but it took Porsche longer to follow BMW’s lead and launch a coupe version. The transformation is far less radical than an X6, but the new roofline is neatly integrated and brings a 911 window graphic to the profile, spanning the small divide between Macan and Cayenne. The key metrics are 20mm lower, 10mm longer than a Cayenne, unsurprisingly a little pricier (by almost £3k), but 30kg heavier too, at 2175kg.

Leather sports seats with alcantara centres tee up a perfect driving position in a cabin defined by the vaultlike solidity and logic you expect from Porsche. There’s also a grown-up flair here, with slick tech and restrained sprinkles of red. The curvier roof makes little difference for most adults – six footers have two inches’ clearance and ample space behind their own driving position. Boot space drops substantially, but only the F-Pace lugs more.

Last generation, the GTS got a V6, where this one gets a version of the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8. Never mind your neighbours covering their ears, they’ll duck when you twist the key – this thing’s rowdy. For all the attitude it’s also a sophisticated engine that’s as flexible through the rev range as you’d hope of a big, blown V8. It is without lag or a mushy throttle, always has performance to spare when extended towards 6500rpm, and sparkles with brawny character. Pick off gears manually if you like, but the software is so well mapped I leave it in auto.

Key options here are air suspension and rear-wheel steering, if not the extra-cost active roll control. Even on air, the ride is a little knotty and there is some lateral rocking (presumably because of the anti-roll omission) but it’s the sort of thing you notice with the family onboard then forget when they’re not.

The Porsche handles so well that initially it feels at odds with such a raised driving position. The steering’s flow is sullied slightly by all-wheel-drive friction, but more noticeable is how hard the front tyres grip, how keenly it hooks into corners and how stoutly it resists roll, yet this chassis isn’t so competent as to feel remote. Its P-Zero rubber is narrower at the front (like all bar the Audi), and you can make it understeer progressively under constant throttle through lower-speed corners, but really this is neutral to rear-biased all-wheel drive with a transparently authentic feel despite electronics decoding your inputs. Straight-line comparisons expose the GTS’s relative power deficit, but get the V8 on the boil, knit the performance and accomplished handling together, and it’s astonishingly rapid. The mind boggles that the BMW adds almost an entire 320i’s worth of extra performance.

Every bone in my body wants to resist the BMW X6 – it looks like an armadillo from outer space and flaunts its impracticalities like assets. I splay my knees like a motorcycle pillion in the rear seats, there’s less headroom, rearward visibility is more compromised and 580 litres of luggage space is the smallest on test. It feels like a big car from the driver’s seat, though, more comparable to a 7-series than a 5-series. It’s an indulgent environment, with gorgeous seats featuring plump hexagonal pockets of leather and active bolsters that can be electronically adjusted to fit your frame, plus BMW’s iDrive infotainment that leads the pack with its flexibility, clarity and intuitive interface. Luxury is amped up on our test car with the Ultimate package, bundling fully £18k of extras in a list longer than an Indian restaurant menu: carbon engine cover, panoramic roof, laser lights, massage seats, rear-seat TVs, peshwari naan... total price £133,815.

Two red missile-launching buttons on the steering wheel do the best job here of navigating and organising the multiple performance modes on offer: M1 button for the school run; M2 for fun. Done. It’s a welcome reminder that the X6 M Competition F96 (G06 based) is effectively a highrise BMW M5, with the same 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8 nestled between the bank of cylinders (like the Porsche and Audi), and talented M xDrive all-wheel drive. This is an astonishing powertrain, with a high-tech, near-digital signature and an intensity unrivalled here. There’s all the smoothness and midrange muscle you’d expect from a BMW turbo V8 with a torque converter, but with a fury and reach that extends to 7200rpm where the others fall away. At this point, the gearbox, so smooth at an amble, becomes a semi-automatic firearm. Even with 2295kg to tug along, it feels 616bhp strong and endlessly rapid if you find space.

Depth of engineering means it’s far more than just a hot-rodded SUV: plenty of stiffening for powertrain and suspension mounting points, extra bracing for the body, significantly revised chassis. It’s all there to make the big BMW feel precise and connected from behind the wheel, which you expect after reading the spec, less so the delicacy and feel of a heavy car that must also pamper.

The ride is quite firm (no air option here), but it’s entirely tolerable, and standard anti-roll tech means it actually flows very nicely. A little more steering weight to work against wouldn’t go amiss with a rack this rapid but there’s also a strikingly precise feel to how this car turns in, like you’re on ice skates rather than 295-section Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber. BMW talks up ‘extremely high camber values’ for the double-wishbone front end, and it certainly carves your intended line with real crispness. Sometimes its aggressive set-up manifests as more road frequencies seeping into the cabin.

Even in its default setting the all-wheel drive is markedly rear-biased. But in Sport it feels even more extrovert than the Jag, and insists you slacken the stability control. Yet it’s stable and so easy to smear through corners. No other all-wheel drive is so dexterous.

I... like the X6 M F96. But I’d prefer the slightly less expensive and more versatile X5 M instead. I just don’t have the front to drive something so extrovert.

I’m far less conflicted about the RS Q8, which you’ll probably know is spun from the same building blocks as the Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus. It’s striking yet less in-your-face than the BMW. It’s also gorgeous inside, with quality like a penthouse suite and deeply cushioned seats that hold you securely about the middle and massage you like a cat without the claws. Plenty of space in the rear, decent boot, cushy rear headrests for instant sedation – what a plush, welcoming cabin.

RS Q8 prices start from £105,300, but ours gets the Vorsprung pack that bumps the price to £123,300 in exchange for an Audi salesperson doing a trolley dash down the options list; sports exhaust, matrix LED headlights, panoramic roof, sports seats, endless driver-assistance systems, it’s all there. Those are 23-inch rims and 295-section Continentals. Wow.

Low-speed ride quality is a little knobbly, as large tyres with thin sidewalls would suggest, but the RS is specified with air springs with anti-roll control as standard and it’s actually nicely composed given just a little speed – I’d put the family in this over anything else, which isn’t insignificant given this segment’s all-round appeal. The steering is also better than the Porsche’s, with a more natural freeness to its self-centring action, the feel boosted by a grippy alcantara wheel.

The RS Q8 is the heaviest (2315kg) and longest (5012mm) SUV on test (by a modest amount versus the other Germans, by 257kg/260mm versus the Jaguar). The bulk’s partly explained by this being the only power unit here to include 48-volt mild-hybrid tech, which can coast and recover up to 12kW of energy – admirable, if to little benefit according to the figures.

And while the V8’s fundamentally the same building blocks as the Cayenne GTS Coupe’s, here it makes a much chunkier 592bhp and 590lb ft, placing it second behind the X6 M. There’s a charismatic V8 rumble that’s a welcome surprise given the Audi’s high-tech look, comparable response and flexibility to the Porsche when you’re just cruising about, but a whole new level of explosiveness should you prod harder. The gearbox mapping isn’t quite as intuitive as the Porsche’s, so there are more reasons to default to paddleshifters, but the blend of comfort with short sharp shifts is on-point.

While the RS Q8 can send as much as 85 per cent of its torque to the rear, it has the most neutral-feeling balance of all, something no doubt accentuated by having 295-section rubber all round. It just sticks and mops up all the performance you throw at it, though it turns in very eagerly, contains its bodyroll ably and provides a very secure platform for the driver to work from.

There’s a sense that the chassis aids (rear steering, sport diff, wheel-selective torque control) only really step in towards the limit rather than enhance the drive at saner tempos, but it’s engaging and composed over a demanding road in any conditions, and it’s more nimble than a car this chunky has a right to be. Really it’s pretty comparable to the Porsche, if a little more neutral in feel. And the performance isn’t far removed from the Urus. In fact, nothing here comes anywhere close to being a dud. All of which gives way to much head-scratching…

FINAL RECKONING King of the Oxymorons

For all the hand-wringing, declaring a winner is actually beautifully straightforward – it’s the Jaguar F-Pace SVR. It’s more compact and lighter than these German rivals, but is similarly powerful, at least as usable, and massively cheaper. What a combination: your head’s on-side before the test drive. Then you poke around and your heart flutters. It was always attractive, and the recent gentle tweaks have enhanced its design, while the cabin – which needed work – has benefitted from the necessary TLC, most notably with vastly improved infotainment.

The F-Pace is engaging to drive regardless of speed, striking a deft balance between comfort, safety and driver interaction, while its supercharged V8 – admittedly on its last legs – makes a rousing accompaniment. The vast majority of in-market CAR readers will gel with it, no matter their usage.

The rest of the order should be guided more by your needs. If you want maximum performance, nimble handling and lairy excitement, the BMW X6 M places second. The powertrain and all-wheel drive are the best here, flicking from refinement to tarmac terrorism with a push of the pre-configured M2 button. The BMW’s a more extreme and aggressive car than the Jaguar. It’s also much heavier and feels markedly longer and wider, but there’s a delicacy beneath its brutish competence.

World-class infotainment, too. The case against lies mainly with design, its steep premium over the F-Pace, a lack of practicality and the truth that you might tire of its relatively firm – if far from poor – ride.

The Audi is a true all-rounder and your alternative second place. Its V8 is explosively rapid and deeply characterful too, with a charming bellow, plus the RS Q8 is balanced and engaging to drive quickly (if not as razor-sharp as the BMW) and steers with more finesse than the Porsche. It also mostly rides well, despite the huge wheels, and deals with even the trickiest surfaces thanks to active anti-roll control. It goes big on tech, luxury and comfort inside, makes an effort with hybridisation, and you might just prefer it because it looks better than the BMW.

This puts the Porsche last, but that isn’t representative of the GTS. It’s here because it’s the closest in spirit to the SVR at a comparable price point. In its price bracket, I’d place it second to the F-Pace. And with its charismatic V8, sheer speed and endless appetite for cross-country fun, you’ll wonder why you’d bother spending so much more on the Audi RS Q8 or the 2022 BMW X6 M.

Ever get the feeling you’re holding things up?

1st JAGUAR F-PACE SVR Backs up keen price with great design, upgraded infotainment and sparkling dynamics=2nd BMW X6 M Rapid. Deft handling and dexterous 4WD, but ride is firm, some road noise, and design cramps space=2nd AUDI RS Q8 Huge performance meets sharp design and a techy interior. Needs speed to reveal the depth of talent in the chassis3rd PORSCHE CAYENNE Great alternative to the F-Pace for similar money. Down on power; could ride better

I enjoy the electric i-Pace and progress – but it’s a cold soul who can’t appreciate the SVR’s V8

Audi interior hugely impressive. RS Q8 huge. Ian Callum, if you’re reading this, are you sure retirement’s for you? Go on, do it. Be the brave soul who green-lanes their six-figure SUV. M division is on a roll, and it’s cars like this one doing the heavy lifting. Cayenne so good to drive that stepping down from the superb-but-lofty driving position feels weird. What’s worse than one scary big SUV in your mirrors? Jag the baby of the group, though usefully big on the inside. Plush like a £130k car. Because it is. Waze – sometimes it gets carried away

The Porsche Cayenne’s is a neutral to rear-biased all-wheel-drive system with a transparent, authentic feel

The X6 M Comp is effectively a high-rise BMW M5; same 4.4-litre V8 and talented M xDrive all-wheel drive

The RS Q8 just sticks, mopping up all the performance you can throw at it

Sensor array (top) betrays a host of Audi lazy-driver tech. F-Pace maintains open and detailed driver comms. Velar interior a touch slicker, perhaps, but this is a fine cockpit.

SECOND OPINION JAMES TAYLOR

At first, it takes a while to feel at ease in the X6 M, and not just because you feel like you’re unintentionally intimidating anyone and everyone in your path. Its sheer bulk and the quickracked, strongly assisted power steering mean there are more layers to dig through to feel at one with it than in a typical performance car. After several hours everything begins to click and its exuberant, excitable, power-over-steer- hungry character shines through brightly. It’s thumpingly fast out of corners by any standards, not just those of a 2.3-tonne SUV. Build quality feels stupendous, too. It’s an expert execution of a nonsensical concept.

SECOND OPINION TIM POLLARD

It’s simple really. You seek sporty. You want an SUV with the fun quotient dialled sky-high. You need reliability guaranteed. All these boxes, and more, are ticked by Porsche, one of the earliest SAV adopters. The Cayenne defined the company’s recent success story and this latest Coupe style is a subtle update, one whose gentlest of sloping rooflines provides a trompe l’oeil suggestive of a sportier stance while still maxing out interior space. At 6ft 3in I’m comfy in the second row. The GTS treatment is the icing on the cake: crackling exhaust note, endless thrust and measured controls. It’s everyday practicality with a glint in its eye.

PRE-FLIGHT BRIEFING JAGUAR F-PACE SVR

Why is it here?

We liked it when it first launched and now the SVR’s been refreshed. The dynamics get a fettle (including some new suspension hardware and a new steering rack), the design is gently finessed, torque is increased by 15lb ft and it now sprints to 62mph three-tenths faster (4.0sec) thanks to a torque converter borrowed from the XE SV Project 8.

Any clever stuff?

The engineers have re-visited various calibrations (powertrain, dampers, e-diff), and there’s new Pivi Pro infotainment with a 11.4- inch curved glass touchscreen.

Which version is this?

There’s only one eight-cylinder high-performance F-Pace and you’re looking at it. Key options on our car include sports seats in semi-aniline leather, Meridian Surround System, Sanguinello Orange paint and highly pleasing 22-inch ‘5117’ alloys (21s are stock).

PRE-FLIGHT BRIEFING BMW X6 M COMPETITION

Why is it here?

The X6 set the template for the whole sub-genre of coupe SUVs (Sports Activity Coupe, officially), now followed by Audi and Porsche, and this is the third generation. Add in the largest (4.4 litres), most potent (616bhp) V8 on test and M dynamics and it’s a force to reckon with.

Any clever stuff?

Includes a 4WD Sport mode, just like the M5, if not an all-out Drift mode. The others shuffle torque around on demand, but nothing does rear-drive quite as extrovertly as the BMW. Uses active anti-roll to quickly tailor response on individual wheels. No rear-wheel steering.

Which version is this?

The UK only gets the X6 M Comp: 25bhp more, for 616bhp, 21-inch front and 22-inch rear rims, rather than 21s all-round. Ultimate Package (£18k) brings massage seats, laser lights, extra driver-assistance tech, rear TVs, 181mph top speed uplift and a ‘Golden No.2’ perfume.

PRE-FLIGHT BRIEFING AUDI RS Q8

Why is it here?

RS Q8 is the first full-size SUV to wear Audi Sport’s RS badge. It squares up directly to the BMW X6 M Comp on paper and with its SUV-coupe body style, and shares DNA with the Porsche Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus. If the excellent RS6 were an SUV, this would literally be it.

Any clever stuff?

In alphabetical order: active roll stabilisation, air suspension, all-wheel drive, (rear) e-diff, mild hybrid system that lets the V8 coast when you’re cruising, rear-wheel steering, torque vectoring... You can also check all your crucial temps on one neat graphic.

Which version is this?

It’s the top-spec Vorsprung, which bumps the price from £102,410 to an astonishing £123,100 but throws in everything including 23-inch wheels, matrix LED headlights, panoramic sunroof, massage sports seats, driver-assistance systems and technology galore.

PRE-FLIGHT BRIEFING PORSCHE CAYENNE COUPE GTS

Why is it here?

The original very fast off-roader, the Cayenne GTS is the closest the Germans come to a price-comparable model to the F-Pace SVR, though it’s still pricier and down on power. But Porsche has form embarrassing more powerful rivals, not to mention enviable residuals.

Any clever stuff?

GTS gets 20mm-lowered coil suspension and adaptive dampers as standard, but this test car rides on optional three-chamber air suspension and gets rear-wheel steering. No hybrid system; that’s reserved for the cheaper E-Hybrid and toppy Turbo S E-Hybrid.

Which version is this?

It’s the GTS with the Coupe body style, which makes a Cayenne look a bit more Macan-meets- 911. The GTS is shrewdly positioned – it costs £13k more than a Cayenne S, but you trade up to a twin-turbo V8 and get a load more kit, if only a modest 20bhp increase.

F-PACE SVR VS RIVALS THE DETAILS

2022 Jaguar F-Pace SVR

Price £77,655 (£93,420 as tested)Representative PCP £675 (47 payments), £14k deposit (inc £4k deposit contribution), 10,000 miles per year, 3.9% APRTypical approved used value £45k (20k miles)Engine 5000cc 32v supercharged V8Transmission Eight-speed automatic, all-wheel driveStructure AluminiumWeight 2058kgSuspension Double-wishbone front, multi-link rearLength/width/height 4762/2071/1670mmBoot capacity 793 litresOfficial consumption 23.1mpgTested consumption 13.0mpgOfficial range 416 milesTested range 234 milesEmissions 275g/km CO2Max Power 542bhp @ 6250rpmMax Torque 516lb ft @ 3500rpmTop speed 178mph0-62mph 4.0sec

2022 Audi RS Q8 Vorsprung Type 4M

Price £123,100 (£123,100 as tested)Representative PCP £1325 (47 payments), £10.5k deposit, 10,000 miles per year, 6.0% APR Typical approved used value £65k (20,000-mile, 68-plate)Engine 3996cc 32v twin-turbo V8Transmission Eight-speed automatic, all-wheel driveStructure Steel/aluminiumWeight 2315kgSuspension Multi-link front, multi-link rearLength/width/height 5012/1998/1694mmBoot capacity 605 litresOfficial consumption 20.2mpgTested consumption 12.5mpgOfficial range 378 milesTested range 234 milesEmissions 304g/km CO2Max Power 592bhp @ 6000rpmMax Torque 590lb ft @ 2200rpmTop speed 155mph0-62mph 3.8sec

2022 Porsche Cayenne Coupe GTS PO536 / 9YA

Price £92,600 (£98,646 as tested)Representative PCP £1198 (47 payments), £9.2k deposit, 10,000 miles per year; 5.9% APRTypical approved used value £55k (20,000-mile, 68-plate)Engine 3996cc 32v twin-turbo V8Transmission Eight-speed automatic, all-wheel driveStructure Steel, aluminiumWeight 2175kgSuspension Multi-link front, multi-link rearLength/width/height 4939/1995/1656mmBoot capacity 625 litresOfficial consumption 20.2-21.2mpgTested consumption 13.5mpgOfficial range 400-420 milesTested range 267 milesEmissions 302-318g/km CO2Max Power 454bhp @ 6000rpmMax Torque 457lb ft @ 1800rpmTop speed 168mph0-62mph 4.5sec

2022 BMW X6 M Competition F96

Price £115,815 (£133,815 as tested)Representative PCP £1427 (47 payments), £11.5k deposit, 10,000 miles per year, 2.9% APRTypical approved used value £72k (20,000-mile 68-plate)Engine 4395cc 32v twin-turbo V8Transmission Eight-speed automatic, all-wheel driveStructure Steel, aluminiumWeight 2295kgSuspension Wishbone front, multi-link rearLength/width/height 4941/2019/1693mmBoot capacity 580 litresOfficial consumption 21.6mpgTested consumption 10.4mpgOfficial range 394 milesTested range 190 milesEmissions 284-289g/km CO2Max Power 616bhp @ 6000rpmMax Torque 553lb ft @ 1800rpmTop speed 181mph0-62mph 3.8sec

AFFORDABILITY WE SAY... Jag gets off to a solid start in the bang-per-buck stakes

POWERTRAIN WE SAY... BMW brawniest; Audi the brainiest with mild-hybrid tech

PERFORMANCE WE SAY... Porsche lags behind on paper but rapid on road

BODY/CHASSIS WE SAY... Weight and height are the big case against, but all hide it well

EFFICIENCY WE SAY... When the official figs are low 20s, you know you’re in trouble