Two 2020 Jaguar F-Pace special editions are coming, and here’s why you should care

Yeah, I know. The Jaguar F-Pace is another crossover in a world with too many crossovers.

And as a car enthusiast who continues to lament the proliferation of look-alike crossovers and the continued phase-outs, especially by U.S. manufacturers, of sedans and coupes, anything I write about a crossover is going to be at least a little bit grudging.

But, let’s face it. While I do think the world would be a better place if more people considered wagons for their family vehicles, SUVs and crossovers do play an important role in our automotive lives.

For most couples with kids who live in suburban or rural environments, owning an SUV or crossover makes entirely good sense from a lifestyle perspective. My only request is this: don’t fill your garage or driveway exclusively with crossovers and SUVs. If you do that, you’re missing out on too many other more exciting, dynamic driving experiences that the automotive world has to offer.

Now, with that anti-crossover mini-rant out of the way, let’s talk about the 2020 Jaguar F-Pace 300 Sport and Checkered Flag limited editions that Jaguar announced this week. That announcement gives me an opportunity to write about the F-Pace, a vehicle to which, thus far, I’ve devoted fewer words than it deserves.

It’s like this: in spite of my mini-rant above, I’m actually glad that the “fast-crossover” category, to which vehicles like the F-Pace and the Porsche Cayenne belong, exists.

Not only do they add exciting dimensions of driving experience to an otherwise humdrum category: these vehicles in luxury-manufacturer lineups also continue to make great sports cars like the Jaguar F-Type and the Porsche 911 financially viable.

In other words, without the sales of high-end soccer-game haulers and grocery getters like the Jaguar F-Pace and Porsche Cayenne, the Jaguar F-Type and Porsche 911 might not exist any longer.

Moreover, let’s be real: one of the vehicles in my two-car family is a Toyota RAV4. That’s the standby family car in my lineup. If I could afford it, would I rather have a Cayenne or F-Type? You bet I would, even though I wouldn’t want it to be MY daily—just like the RAV4 isn’t my daily.

So what do the special edition Jaguar F-Types have to offer?

For starters, the Jaguar F-Pace 300 Sport features a 296HP turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine producing 295 lb-ft of torque and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 145 mph.

Those are some pretty respectable stats for a crossover.

The Jaguar F-Pace Checkered Flag edition puts more emphasis on luxury features. But it boasts some respectable numbers as well, with a 247HP 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder Ingenium gasoline engine, which powers the F-PACE from 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds and to a top speed of 135 mph—no matter how late you are to the youth soccer game, that should be fast enough.

In the luxury appointments department, the Jaguar F-Pace Checkered Flag edition offers a blend of luxurious materials and crafted finishes, with features including leather trim, meshed aluminum detailing and “Checkered Flag” badging on the treadplates.

Interior amenities also feature 18-way electric front sport seat and a Meridian Sound System, with 12.3-inch Interactive Driver Display and InControl Touch Pro infotainment system—perfect for keeping your youthful soccer boppers happily listening to one Kidz Bop mp3 after another—as standard.

So, good for you, Jaguar, for continuing to find new ways to stay relevant in the high-end crossover market.

As someone who grew up around Jaguars and had visions—still unfulfilled—of owning an E-type constantly dancing in my head throughout my youth, I’m still a hopeless fanboy whose heart always beats a little faster every time I run across even the most casual mention of the Jaguar brand.

As long as you continue to also make breathtaking sports cars like the F-Type (even though, due to the Callum DNA, it looks too much like a Mustang in my opinion)—not to mention keeping the classic traditions alive through offerings like the current electric E-Type restoration program—I’ll be happy to see you continue add more exciting and luxurious alternatives to the crossover category.

Jaguar says their 2020 F-Pace lineup starts at $45,000.