Jaguar F-Pace SVR review

Despite the weight – 2,133kg is a lot for a car on a 'lightweight aluminium architecture' – the SVR gains speed with effortless force. The supercharged V8 just flicks away one gear after the other til you've chewed through more of the eight, and acquired bigger numbers on the speedo, than are reasonable.

The transmission will mostly do what you expect, but control increases hugely if you use the aluminium wheel paddles. Hold it in a gear and the engine's better characteristics are laid gloriously open. It's fast-responding and progressive in its delivery: no crazed turbo explosion, but instead torque that's there right at your bidding.

Although this SVR V8 is a banging-loud thing under other bonnets – F-Type and Range Rover Sport especially – here it's a whole lot less of a canon squadron. Don't get me wrong, it plays great tunes. But it farts out less overall volume and much less of the over-run pop-and-bang fakery. So people are surely a whole lot less likely to hate you as you slow down into their village, or accelerate to overtake them.

It's a big car but an easy one to place accurately on the road, thanks to beautifully sorted steering and a suspension that isn't knocked left and right by bumps and ridges, either under power or brakes. The dampers control the weight really deftly.

So you just bowl along, slightly wondering about that SVR badge.

Then you push harder, hit the Sport button and the one that partially loosens the traction controls. Then it properly livens up. It pivots promptly underneath you, with the central diff becoming rear-biased, the rear one opening and closing to help the turn, and brake vectoring augmenting your steering intention. There's surprising steering feel, and a wey-hey emphasis on power to the rear. It'll kick into definite oversteer before the fronts pull you straight again, but in a benign fashion.

Had your fun? Then ease off and notice its sweeter than other fast SUVs, and tyre noise surprisingly low thanks to an active cancellation system.