ON THE ROAD: SOMETIMES being late to the party can be a good thing - you can make an impression after all the early arrivals have lost their appeal.

That is certainly the case with the F-Pace, Jaguar's first foray into hotly contested luxury SUV market.

Jaguar bill the F-Pace as the performance crossover you can use every day and I saw nothing to contradict that claim during my week with it.

We did long runs, short runs, took the kids out for the day, went shopping and took the dog to the kennels and it coped admirably in all scenarios.

It's certainly bold enough with that huge bonnet up front and those massive 22in alloys.

There's a wide range of engines to put under that bonnet, from a frugal 2.0 litre diesel all the way to a fire-spitting 3.0 litre V6 petrol that will do 62mph in 5.5 seconds.

We tested the 3.0 diesel which I felt offered the best of both worlds, decent return from the pumps and pretty good performance when pushed.

Using lightweight underpinnings, the F-Pace belies its girth on the open road. There's little body roll to talk of and it acquits itself well over surfaces that are other than perfect.

ON THE INSIDE: THE cockpit of the F-Pace feels familiar, the rising control dial and other touches reminiscent of its luxury saloons. You sit higher up than in its brethren, obviously, but it still feels lower than in other SUVs I've been in.

The sports seats in our car held you in securely and the high quality leather provided ample support.

The bonnet is long and judging distances can be difficult at times. The sloping rear means the view over your shoulder is somewhat restricted, but thankfully there's a reversing camera to help.

WHAT DO YOU GET: OUR S-badged car came with, over and above standard equipment, 10x10 way 'S' Sports Taurus leather seats, red brake calipers, configurable adaptive dynamics, dark hex aluminium veneer, S front and rear bumpers, power-folding mirrors, Jaguar smart key system, Meridian 380W sound system, rear view camera, premium carpet mats, multifunction steering wheel with satin chrome paddles. Options included glacier white paint, jet and red interior, meshed aluminium veneer, activity key and privacy glass.

HOW PRACTICAL IS IT: THERE are some that might think the F-Pace is more style over substance, but get behind the wheel and it soon becomes apparent that it's a hugely practical beast. You can stretch out in front, even those taller than myself at 5ft 8ins, should have little or no complaint. Three average sized passengers can sit in comfort in the rear, though it's probably best suited to two. The boot has 650 litres of space which should be more than enough for most people and dropping rear seats created a load space almost flat in nature.

RUNNING COSTS: JAGUAR say it should be possible to get 47.1mpg on the combined cycle from our big diesel. We, in fact, managed 35.3mpg. CO2 emissions are 159g/km.

VERDICT: STRIKING design, allied to great driving characteristics and practicality make this a winner.

ALTERNATIVES: PORSCHE Macan, Audi Q5, BMW X4