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2017 Jaguar F-Pace R-Sport: A Private Fleet Car Review
If one were to hop into the fabled time machine of H.G. Wells and travel back to the early part of the 21st century, you’d find that the letters S, U, V, were part of the alphabet and hardly seen in each other’s company. You’d also find that many luxury car makers would sniff at the idea of an all wheel drive capable vehicle being part of their stable. Note “all wheel drive”, not “four wheel drive”. Flash back to 2017 and there’s hardly a car maker of any decent size that doesn’t have an SUV. One such maker, a British brand known more for the slogan of “Grace, Pace, and Space”, has joined the SUV party albeit one with a slightly odd name.
Built around the basic looks of their two seater sports car, the Jaguar F-Pace has the leaping cat well and truly poised to make a serious indentation on the SUV market share. With four standard models and one limited edition run (as of early 2017), a range of engines, and a list of options almost too big to comprehend, the Jaguar F-Pace R-Sport was the vehicle supplied to Private Fleet in February 2017.
There’s a lot to like, up front, about the R-Sport. Captain of the team of likes is the monstrous 700 torques being twisted out by the diesel fuelled 3.0 litre twin turbo V6 fitted. There’s a 2.0 litre diesel as the standard with 132 kW and a not indecent 430 torques, or a supercharged 3.0 litre petrol, with 250 kW/450 Nm. Sir will take the 700 Nm, thank you. Along with the torque that’s enough to rip the cape from Superman’s shoulders, you get a surprisingly good fuel economy. Surprising because although the F-Pace looks a mid sizer, there’s a gross vehicle weight of 2570 kilograms. Jaguar quotes a combined figure of 6.0L of dino juice for every 100 kilometres driven from the 66 litre tank, 5.6L/100 km on the highway and a still better than impressive 6.9L/100 around town.
Private Fleet’s time with the F-Pave R-Sport coincided with a visit to the central west NSW town of Dubbo. Some 340 kilometres from AWT HQ, a country drive with four aboard and luggage seemed an ideal way to test the mettle of the Jaguar metal. The return was 7.3L per 100 kilometres, a fair result considering the cargo inside. That also involved some necessary overtaking and it’s here where that torque comes into its own. It kicks in, as a peak figure, at just 2000 rpm, with something like ninety percent available at around 1600 rpm, and that’s about where legal highway speeds sees the engine’s revs. 
However, there’s some conditions here. The starting point is the eight speed auto the F-Pace has, then factor in choosing either Drive or Sports via the vertically rising dial in the centre console. THEN you have four drive modes including Dynamic Plus, accessed via two console toggle switches. Not only does it tighten up the suspension, the gearbox and engine settings are changed to provide a quicker response, a sharper response, a surge of warp speed response. It’s exhilarating and breath taking and makes for a far safer driving experience than a leisurely “I think I can” move.
It’s a well packaged car, the F-Pace, with an overall length of 4731 mm, with a wheelbase of 2874 mm. Front and rear track sit well inside the overall width of 2070 mm with 1641 mm and 1654 mm. Inside there’s plenty of usable room with front headroom at 1007 mm and rear heads get 977 mm.
That cargo space has a nifty trick, with the floor on one said the standard interior carpet, but when rotated 180 degrees has a firm plastic surface for items such as scooters or bike.
The F-Pace also techs up with Adaptive Dynamics, which measures up to 500 times a second the driving style and body movement of the car You can then option up the Configurable Dynamics system, allowing a deeper measure of personalisation for gearbox changes, throttle mapping and steering feedback. Technology is a hallmark of Jaguar nowadays, with (optional) configurable mood lighting, keyless entry which includes waving a foot under the rear bumper to raise the powered tail gate leading to 508 litres of cargo, adaptive headlights, InControl Touch Pro (as fitted) which is a pair of widescreen oriented LCD screens at 12.3 inches for the multifunction driver’s screen and 10.2 inch console touchscreen which includes smartphone/tablet style pinch and move for the navigation.
There’s famed British audiomaker Meridian onboard, with 825 watts of thumping audio along with digital radio, a CD/DVD drive, and 10 gb hard drive space for your tunes. Ahead of the driver is the (optionable) super clear, laser lit, Head Up Display, showing speed, speed zones, driven gear and even navigation. The laser tech makes it both easier to read and easier on the eye. Aircon is controlled either via the touchscreen or, smartly (and something a few other makers should take note of) via soft press tabs which are clear and beautifully legible.
There’s a downside, though: the rear seat passengers get their own controls which, in the test car, seemed to control the front seats…and a major bugbear in that the superbly comfortable and looking sports style seats DON’T. HAVE. COOLING. Any and all Australian spec cars with leather seats should have ventilation. Even Renault’s Koleos Intens has ventilation. Also, the door, dash, and centre console plastics are hard, with nary a touch of give. Then there’s locating the seat’s memory buttons where, logically, the power window switches should go, and vice versa.
The touchscreen has icons laid out across the bottom, allowing a quick access to a certain function, unlike manufacturers that have everything hidden inside a primary folder. It makes using the screen far easier. There’s also a screen for when you’re in full Dynamic, offering extra information such as a G-Force sensor and allows for more personalisation.
Where the F-Pace R-Sport will win your heart is on the road. Let’s start with that number, 700. That torque figure makes driving in all dry conditions an absolute pleasure. Even with a light foot the torque simply reaches out and grabs the eight ratios by the neck, bending them to its need. It’s almost effortless, and wonderfully quiet inside the cabin, as the tacho swings around as does the speedometer. 
That’s in Eco and Normal modes. Gently push the selector down and clockwise into S, tap the drive mode button into Dynamic, sit back, press the go pedal, and feel your soul compress into a neutrino as the F-Pace gathers its thoughts for a nano-second before launching itself towards the horizon. Dynamic also firms up the steering and suspension, which has the effect of providing even more feedback and flattening the road further.
Under normal conditions, the R-Sport is sure footed, adept, with each corner riding over road irregularities with minimal bodily intrusion. Sure, you’ll know what each wheel and tyre is doing, and you’ll feel the movement of the suspension as each corner works alone. Dynamic ups that feeling, with shorter travel yet an unexpected decrease in bumps and thumps. On the twisted and bent road surfaces west of Bathurst, this quality became invaluable and has an unexpected but very welcome side effect: it decreases the tiredness level of the driver. These same roads showed how well tuned the engineers have the car. Although sitting up high, as you do in an SUV, there’s no feeling of that, and you’ll feel confident in the way the car hangs on in long sweepers, unsettled and corrugated surfaces, and when the need is called for, how effective and quick the brake pedal tells you the pads are on the disc. All round, the F-Pace R-Sport stamps itself as a driver’s car.
At The End Of The Drive.
The F-Pace has garnered acclaim and plaudits world wide, and with good reason. It’s a heavy-ish car, but superbly agile; the diesel is mutely powerful and will hasten the F-Pace along at indecent speed; and it’s beautiful to look at both inside and out. The technology on board is user friendly and non-confrontational, which is both appealing and amps the safety factor by not having eyes off the road for longer than neccessary.
What niggles there are, are just that. Niggles. It’s a comprehensive package and in R-Sport trim, provides a balance between economy, luxury, and room. The modern equivalent of Jaguar’s old calling phrase, perhaps?
For further information on the Jaguar F-Pace, go here: 2017 Jaguar F-Pace
Tech Talk: How Power Torques.
When car makers advertise their products, apart from price you’ll probably notice or hear xxx kilowatts. Great. Wonderful. Fantastic.
Huh?
A kilowatt is, unsurprisingly, one thousand watts. You’re probably familiar with the term via your home theatre system or perhaps in kilowatt-hours for your power bill. But what does it mean in car talk, and, how does it relate to the more important yet ignored part of an engine output, torque?
Kilowatts and torque are produced by an engine spinning, be it electrical, petrol, or diesel powered. Kilowatts or horsepower are a measure of power, as defined here: It is the amount of energy consumed per unit time. Having no direction, it is a scalar quantity. In the SI system, the unit of power is the joule per second (J/s), known as the watt in honour of James Watt, the eighteenth-century developer of the steam engine.
A petrol and diesel engine work by ingesting fuel into cylinders and either igniting (petrol) or compressing (diesel) those fuels in the cylinders. Those explosions rotate a crankshaft which spins at so many times per second. By their very nature, petrol engines will spin to a higher rpm (revolutions per minute) than diesel, and it’s a high revolutions that petrol powered engines make their peak amount of kilowatts. Motorbike engines, in particular, make their power at well over ten thousand rpm, but are limited, in a sense, as to the outright capacity of the cylinders.
As a rule, bigger capacity engines are able to make more power however some aren’t physically able to rev as high as some smaller capacity engines. A great example is a car from Honda in the early part of the 21st century. The S2000 was initially powered by a two litre capacity engine, which was extended to a two point two litre size. Its peak power in Japan was quoted as 184 kilowatts. However, in order to produce that amount it had ro rev to 8300 rpm. Holden’s Chevrolet sourced V8, with a capacity in excess of six litres, produces 304 kilowatts, at between 5500 and 6000 rpm, somewhat less that the peak rpm of the smaller engine.
Torque is the forgotten part of the equation and is actually the part of driving that’s initially and constantly more important. To go back to the initial part of this, about how makers quote a kilowatt figure, it’s simple marketing to have those numbers in your headspace, but it’s torque that gets your car going and, especially in towing, becomes vital. Here’s the balance: torque is always produced at a lower rpm than power and it’s here that its useability is what you’ll notice.
It’s been said that torque is what gets you going and power is what keeps you going. In acceleration tests as seen in a certain British car oriented TV program, it’s the torque that will launch the cars off the line, but it’s the power (leaving out the weight of cars and the gears in their gearboxes) that garners the attention as they cross the finish line.
One of the characteristics of diesel engines is where, in their rev range, the peak torque is made. Because the crank is spun by the reaction of fuel being compressed to explosion, there’s torque being produced far lower in the rev range than petrol. Torque is also a measure of force, a twisting force Think of loosening a stuck screw; by twisting the screwdriver you’re exerting force or torque to (hopefully) start twisting the screw, before power takes over to finish the job. 
Torque’s also visible in a physical form. We’ll presume you’ve seen a car do a “burnout”, where the tyres are spun to a point that they produce smoke. It’s torque that will eventually break the traction of the tyres.
Power is also a gradual climb before fading off, but torque can be found within a rev range as a constant number between two points on a rev range. Measured in either foot-pounds or Newton-metres, a flat torque delivery will make the sheer driveability of a car easier and safer. This graph shows one example of a “table top flat” toque delivery.
So when shopping for your next car, consider HOW the car will be used. Will you be towing, will it be a tradie’s ute, are you driving around town more than driving on freeways, are you driving the under 8’s netball team around? Although a peak power of 200 kilowatts might sound attractive, consider that in order to have that figure you’ll need to have your engine constantly at 6000 rpm…everywhere you go. Torque is what will get you going and is a real world more usable figure. Check out the information available on company websites for the car you’re looking at.
(Burnout figure thanks to Street Machine, info sourced from online sources).
ACCC Addresses Car Insurance Concerns.
Stratton Finance CEO Rob Chaloner has backed the ACCC’s stance to oppose a 20 per cent cap on commissions paid to car dealers who sell add-on insurance products, arguing that a commission cap will lessen competition and ultimately harm consumers.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has issued a report named “A market that is failing consumers: The sale of add-on insurance through car dealers”
, which claims consumers are being sold expensive products that often provide little to no benefit – and are sold at a time when the consumer is often buying a new car and distracted. It recommended a 20 per cent cap.
Chaloner argues: “Removal of competition has always resulted in a bad outcome for the consumer. In this case, the competitive nature of provision of insurance products to dealers means if commissions are the same industry-wide, insurers won’t compete for business and premiums will rise. This means higher costs hitting consumers’ wallets.
“If commissions are capped at 20 per cent, premiums will rise to bolster the dealers’ income to make it viable. There is no way around it, the consumer would suffer. Markets need to find their own level and free competition does that.
“Well done to the ACCC for not going along with this commission cap. It would simply hurt the people it purports to help.”
Chaloner also contends that a number of add-on insurance products are in fact highly valuable to customers, contrary to the ASIC report.
“GAP in particular saves consumers from harm in the real world. It can cost as little as $600-800 over a 60 month loan to know that if you write off your car, you won’t have to write an expensive cheque. Currently a dealership may earn a $240 commission from this. It takes considerable time to offer the product, inform the customer of the features and benefits and complete the contract. Let’s be realistic, if the service commission is capped at $120 nobody would bother and consumers would be harmed as a result,” notes Chaloner.
Add-on insurance is usually associated with consumer credit insurance, gap insurance, walk away insurance, and trauma insurance. Alternatively, it may relate to the vehicle itself, such as comprehensive insurance, extended warranty insurance, or tyre and rim insurance.
2017 Renault Koleos Zen & Intens: A Private Fleet Car Review
Renault’s 2017 Koleos has undergone a huge transformation compared to the model it supercedes. Based on Nissan’s X-Trail it’s bigger, brawnier, smarter and a whole lot prettier. Built on a three model and four trim level range, being the Life 4×2, Zen 4×2 and 4×4, and Intens 4×4, Private Fleet backs up the mid spec Renault Koleos Zen 2WD against the top of the range Renault Koleos Intens All Wheel Drive.
The heartbeat of the Koleos is a fuel injected 2.5L petrol engine. Yep, no diesel. And if you’re looking for a traditional manual or auto, fawgeddit. It’s a CVT and a somewhat seemingly slippery one at that. What you’ll get is 126 kW (6000 rpm) and 226 torques (4400 rpm), hauling a mass of between 1550 and 1700 kilos dry. 
Renault quote a towing weight of 2000 kilos as well, along with an urban cycle consumption figure of the Euro5 compliant engine of 10.4 to 10.7 litres per one hundred klicks. That drops appreciably on the highway, down to 6.4 to 6.9. A Wheel Thing found 7.7L/100, admittedly on longer and free flowing suburban drives, from the 60 litre tank.
It’s around town that the CVT’s faults are, naturally, most apparent. They’re prone to feeling like an old school manual slipping clutch at the best of times but this one’s even slipperier. From a standstill it becomes a raucous and almost overbearing roar as the engine gets up to 4000 and then varies in note as the transmission’s built in steps kick in. Note, too, there’s no paddle shifts to ease the pain although there is the mandatory sports shift on the geat selector. It genuinely feels that there’s a lack of gearbox traction when really pressing hard, however the Zen seemed more amenable to a lighter pedal pressure than the Intens, possibly due to the weight difference. What is also baffling and contradictory is the sensation of watching the speedo numbers change faster than the seat of the pants says they should.
It’s a handsome car, the 2017 Koleos, and far prettier than the previous model. Where that was sharp and angular, the incumbent is fluid, rounded, smooth. There’s LED tail lights and daytime running lights in a C shape, along with LED headlights for the Intens. In profile it’s well proportioned, with a pleasing balance from bonnet to tapered rear. the Intens gets a powered tailgate as well. In fact, it’s a hard thing to find any angle of the Koleos that isn’t good to look at. The Intens gets a full length glass roof adding to the airiness of the feel of the interior. Consider a 4672 mm overall length and 2705 mm wheelbase, along with over 1400 mm shoulder room front and rear plus 290 mm knee room for rear seat passengers.
Both cars come with blacked out insides and vary in a couple of key areas. Renault, unlike far too many makers, include ventilation for the front seats, not just heating, inside the Intens. There’s mood lighting in the Intens, however both get changeable themes for the driver’s LCD screen and centre dash display, of which the Zen has a different look to the Intens to help differentiate. Both have a swag of controls built into the touchscreen, such as aircon, DAB radio, even Blind Spot Alert and Tyre Presure Monitoring. 
The overall look is classy, user friendly, but not without quirks. For example, Renault have located the Cruise Control buttons in the centre console and have a separate stalk for audio under the right side of the steering column. Although not exactly ergonomic to look at, once used a few times it becomes second nature to use. Both cars appeal with their looks, with a luxury feel that mirros more expensive luxury SUVs. Cargo varies from 458 litres to 1690 litres with the seats folded and Renault have recognised the value of family by having two USB ports and an extra 12V socket under the rear aircon vents.
Another winner for both is the ride quality. For a car of its size, it’s surprisingly well damped, taut enought to hold corners without roll and compliant enough to absorb most road irregularities. There’s even, oddly, enough oomph initially to chirp the front tyres in the Zen, backed up by a modicum of squeal when pushed in corners compared to the Intens. It’s a fluid and well balanced ride, with even the cursed speedbumps dialed out nicely, whilst hilly switchbacks saw the pair almost in sports mode, such was the grip and ride quality. Steering itself was well balanced, with good weight although not overly communicative in the Zen compared to the Intens, even though both should feel the same as both are fitted with the same 225/60/18 rubber.
To further sweeten the deal, Renault offers as standard a five year warranty, five year roadside assist and three services at a capped price along with an attractive starting price of just $33990 driveaway.
At The End Of The Drive.
Renault is on a clear winner with the Koleos, especially with the Intens. A fabulous ride, a good looker, good mix of trim and equipment, a surprisingly quick mover, and good economy make the Koleo range a very attractive proposition and a worthy alternative to those seen as a more popular choice. To check out the four levels of Koleos, go here: Renault Koleos information
Level 2, 9 Help Street