Alive
and Kicking
Introduction: Oh, my shattered nerves, what a sexy
hunk of burning love. I absolutely loved driving this test unit, finding excuse
after excuse to get behind the wheel to satisfy my intense yearning to hear
that decibel defying growl, piercing my fortunate neighbours’ ears, as I
accelerated like the wind from a Tornado, away from home. Jaguar on its 101-year
journey, from side cars in 1922, to its first automobile in 1935, has always offered
the discerning buyer a luxurious vehicle built with excellent performance,
powerful engines and the finest quality of materials used in their interiors. This
supercharged V8 flame breather, is no exception and eloquently matches tradition,
with prestige and class. Btw, The SVR badge stands for Special Vehicle Ratings
which represents a vehicle with enhanced performance and premium sports design.
With the world economy as it is, it is awesome to see that Jaguar is owned by the
mighty Tata company, which with a market cap as of July this year, of $300 billion
dollars, certainly keeps Jaguar in the game, so it can remain where it belongs,
in a league of its own.
Engine/ Economy/ Drive/ Comfort: The 5.0 Liter
V8 cranks out a whopping 423 Kws with 700 Nms of wanting torque travelling to
the strong and seamless 8-speed transmission. The power is on demand when
flooring it and the crazy hatching butterfly feeling of propulsion from
standstill to 100 kms/ hr in just 4 seconds, is completely titillating, thrilling
and fully exhilarating – it’s basically like jumping into an ice-cold Berg
River in Winter on a beautiful sunny day! Jaguar advertises that this 2.5-ton potentially
hostile beast, can average around 12 Liters per 100 kms, but I achieved a tad
more with much pride, pushing this average up to 14.7 – It was always going to
be higher considering my need for speed, but at this number way less than I
would have expected from this “expectant” “on paper” supposed fuel guzzler. The ride was
ultra comfortable and the SVR stuck to the road like bees to honey, despite
some pretty hectic cornering on one occasion when on the way to a school
function that I was late for.
Features: Satellite radio ready, Adaptive
cruise control, parking sensors/ assist, AWD, A stunning infotainment system,
lane keep assist, Android and Apple car play that connects via BT and with no
usb cable needed, USB C and A ports, wireless cell phone charging conveniently
located below the centre of the strikingly simple and uncluttered dashboard, adaptive
cruise control, back up, side, aerial and front cameras, lane departure
warning, cooled seats, sun and moon roof system with hand wave open and close,
keyless entry, start/ stop, navigation system, fog lights, rain sensor wipers,
triple memory, 14 way electric front seat settings for the driver and passenger,
dual zone air conditioning, heated steering wheel, auto tilt away steering
wheel, 3 x 12 V outlets, auto tailgate and so many more.
Interior/ Exterior/ Boot: Sophisticated
elegance are two words that describe the luxurious oyster semi - aniline
interior perfectly. There is a huge amount of legroom for all passengers and
the large sun/ moon roof system makes you feel like you are in a glass house,
bringing in plenty of natural light. The ultra blue metallic colour on the test
unit looked outstanding and, in my view, this colour, quietly makes a deserving
statement on arrival to wherever you might be going. The boot, with a sporty
looking spoiler, offers space of 613 Dry or 793 Wet Liters respectively, and a
40/20/40 split option, which is more than enough to lift the boys to the
spectacular 10-hole Beachwood Country Club for a round of golf. Thank you,
Beachwood CC, who were kind enough to allow me on to the course to take some
pics of this stunner!
Price/ Warranty/ Service Plan: From R2 197
400 - The Jaguar Care Plan includes: Warranty (5 years/ 100 000km), Service (5
years/ 100 000km). Please note that the work content of each routine service
will vary according to the distance covered and age of your vehicle.
In Summary:
Would I buy this Alive and Kicking, masterpiece of an SUV – A
non-negotiable resounding YES! This beautiful vehicle commands respect, is in
the upper echelon of SUV’s, prowls, and growls with pride, is hungry to please
and exudes power and confidence with or without attitude, depending on whose
driving!
The lyrics of the song in the article Title, made famous by the
group, Simple Minds, says it all,
…………You turn me on, You lift me up
Like the sweetest cup I'd share with you
You lift me up, don't you ever stop, I'm here with you
Now it's all or nothing
'Cause you say you'll follow through
You follow me, and I, I, I follow you………….
*This article is written in my opinion only. For detailed
information on the specs, please contact Jaguar SA*
