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Given the range of opinions about the F-Pace, spending a year with one seemed necessary.

ARRIVAL 2017 Jaguar F-Pace Edward Loh

“Love love love the way it looks, and I’m not a ‘looks’ guy when it comes to SUVs.”

(From my SUV of the Year notebook.)

EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 18/23/20 BASE PRICE $57,295PRICE AS TESTED $64,343

The Jaguar F-Pace was by far the most polarizing contender at our 2017 SUV of the Year program. Here is a sampling of our judges notebook:

“Intended to look hot, drive hot, and convey a bad boy image. Nailing it!”

“The styling sets a new benchmark. Improbable as it sounds, this is an SUV that looks as sexy as a Jaguar should.”

“That ride quality … a sports car I can forgive. A luxury SUV, I’m having more trouble with.”

“When the styling makes one’s knees go this wiggly and the driving dynamics put this big a smile on one’s face, one is prepared to forgive a lot of flaws.”

“I couldn’t recommend this SUV to a friend without the warning: ‘This Jaguar rides like a Conestoga wagon.’ ”

We clearly had to know more, so we put an order in for a nicely specced F-Pace 35t. Jaguar launched its first SUV in the U.S. with three engines: a 2.0-liter 180-hp four-cylinder turbodiesel (named 20d) and two supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 gas engines, making 340 hp and 380 hp and branded 35t and S, respectively.

We took the middle path with a F-Pace 35t, not only because we figured it to be the volume seller but also because of the poor ride, noise, and vibration attributes of the S model, which we attributed to the 22-inch wheels and low-profile tires.

Jaguar ended up sending a nicely loaded R-Sport version, which slates midway up a trim-level roster that includes an unnamed base version, Premium, Prestige, R-Sport, S, and First Edition. For 2018, Jaguar eliminated the 35t and its 340-hp V-6 in favor of two additional

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