A Jaguar-badged family SUV seemed sacrilegious when the firm first announced it – leave the off-roaders to Land Rover, critics said, and concentrate on your saloons and sports cars. Years on, and the F-Pace has been a success and a money-spinner for the brand, and one of its most popular models.

Mechanically it’s very similar to the likes of the Range Rover Velar as well as the XF saloon, sharing their engines and aluminium framework. The F-Pace was conceived along similar lines to the Alfa Romeo Stelvio – to bring a brand known for its commitment to dynamics into the SUV age with a crossover that puts driving pleasure above everything else.

Of course, to many people a great driving experience matters less than practicality, equipment or finance packages, and so the F-Pace has competition from all kinds of premium SUVs – from the Mercedes GLC, BMW X3 and Audi Q5 to the home-grown Range Rover Velar.

The F-Pace range is extensive, with Jaguar offering three petrol engines, two diesels and a plug-in hybrid across a range of trim levels.

At the top of the range sits the Jaguar F-Pace SVR – a hot version powered by a ballistic 5.0-litre V8 engine, rivalling cars such as the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 and the Porsche Macan GTS.

Relatively recently updated to keep its interior looking fresh next to its rivals, the F-Pace remains strong competition if sometimes overlooked in favour of the German brands. But should you buy one? Read our review to find out.