2021 Jaguar F-Pace P250 S with Baby on Board  

Alisha Boudreau and her husband Alan recently welcomed a new member of their family: it’s sleek, sturdy and features an engine that purrs just like feline for which this vehicle brand was named. It’s the Jaguar F-Pace and its arrival comes on the cusp of a truly momentous occasion: the soon-to-be birth of the couple’s first baby in July.

A temporarily on-hold hairstylist with a hankering to explore, Boudreau felt it was time that she had her own set of wheels beyond the Range Rover she shares with her car enthusiast partner. With safety and sturdiness being their biggest priorities, the couple set out to find the perfect SUV for Boudreau. With so many models to choose from, she tells us why she loves her 2021 Jaguar F-Pace P250 S.

“My husband and I test drove quite a few comparably-sized SUVs, but this one was our favourite by far,” said Boudreau, who purchased her Jaguar F-Pace from Grand Touring Automobiles, located at Dundas and Broadview.

“What got me was the feel of the drive — it felt safe and sturdy. I could have gone with a sedan, but I wanted an SUV because it’s higher up and there’s just more space. If I’m loading the baby in and out of the car it will be easier on the back,” she said. “I really love that the F-Pace is nice and sporty. I didn’t want to feel like it was just a regular SUV. I wanted to be, you know, a ‘cool mom.’ I feel like SUVs are the new minivans for parents.



“For the most part this car will be for getting from Point A to Point B with the baby. We were sharing the Range Rover before but because my husband travels quite a bit for work and with COVID creating some travel barriers we decided it was time to get another vehicle.

“My in-laws live in North York and they will be our primary source of support when the baby arrives. It would just be really challenging for me in these current circumstances to take the subway to their place. Plus, we don’t have a grocery store within a decent walking distance from our house so this car will be very helpful for that.

“And there is of course room to fit a stroller among other things. We have a dog now —Hugo — and my family is also in Nova Scotia. So right now, being pregnant and going on an airplane sounds disastrous. It would be nice to drive down in the future and that was also a factor in our decision. Just alleviating that feeling of being a bit stuck,” Boudreau said.

A CLOSER LOOK:

On display

Always ready to entertain on the road, the Jaguar F-Pace S P250 features an 11.4-inch touchscreen with a newly designed interface that’s compatible with Apple or Android. “I was very particular about the placement of the screen,” said Boudreau. “I really wanted it to be somewhere that wasn’t quite as distracting. I’m a short person so they’re often in my viewpoint and I wanted to make sure that with the baby it was still safe. It’s perfectly in the middle and it’s nice and large.”

Noise reduction

Whether you’ve got a sleeping baby in tow, or simply need a moment of respite from your day, the Jaguar F-Pace S P250’s innovative Active Road Noise Cancellation allows everyone in the car to experience a quieter and more comfortable cabin experience. On the other hand, if it’s time for some tunes, the vehicle’s Meridian Audio system, with its strategically placed speakers and advanced acoustic technology, works to intensify the levels of depth, clarity and realism of the sounds that is being played.

You’ve got options 

A unique feature of the F-Pace is it gives drivers the choice between prioritizing full dynamic performance or maximizing fuel economy. How? Via the JaguarDrive Control system that performs gear shifts more quickly in Dynamic Mode and upshifts earlier in Eco Mode. Alternatively, the vehicle’s Rain/Ice/Snow Mode switches to more gentle progress in low-grip conditions. What’s more, the F-Pace is available with the latest four-cylinder or new six-cylinder gas Ingenium powertrain.

This article was edited for space and clarity. Want to be featured in Why I Love My Vehicle? Email us at Wheels@thestar.ca.