Theres a curious alchemy at work in the design and development of any new automobile, an unpredictable fusion of people, politics, and process. The 2020 Jaguar F-Pace 25t Checkered Flag is a case in point. The F-Pace is built on the same all-aluminum D7a platform architecture as the Jaguar XE and XF sedans and wagons . Jaguar Land Rover s D7a architecture also underpins the Range Rover Velar . Now, the F-Pace and the Velar are both SUVs and both about the same size, each rolling on a 113.1-inch wheelbase. They also share powertrains, transmissions, and a host of other JLR components. But they look and feel completely different. Why? Money, thats why. The Jaguar F-Pace is the Range Rover Velars poor relation. Literally. Off the record, JLR insiders freely admit the automaker spent less on the F-Pace during its development program. Not in terms of the fundamentals, but the details. And it shows. The Jaguars interior, for example, doesnt have the same luxurious ambiance as the Range Rovers, especially in terms of switchgear, soft-touch surfaces, and the jewelry of the brightwork. And no F-Pace gets the plush air suspension thats offered as an option on six-cylinder Velars. As a result, depending on trim level, the F-Pace can look cheaper and feel coarser than its Range Rover cousin. A Jaguar interior always used to be an experience, the epitome of the British wood and leather and splashes of chrome aesthetic that became a visual shorthand for luxury used by everyone from GM to Nissan to ZIL. But the F-Paces cabin borders on the austere, especially in the entry-level models, with way too much hard, black plastic in evidence. We loved pretty much everything else about the F-Pace when it arrived in the U.S. in 2016, so its fair to say the interior cost Jaguars first ever SUV our 2017 SUV of the Year award. Blame the bean counters. The reason the F-Pace didnt get the fiscal love the Velar did was that Range Rover was selling a lot of vehicles and making a ton of money while Jaguar, late to the SUV party, was struggling, in terms of both sales and profitability. With the dismal logic that gladdens only an accountants heart, it was determined that Jaguar couldnt charge Range Rover prices and expect Range Rover sales numbers, and so costs would have to be cut. How much does the Jaguar F-Pace 25t cost? Prowl through the Jaguar and Land Rover configurators, and you can see how the money men juggled the numbers. An entry-level F-Pace 25t stickers for $46,225. An entry-level Velar S, which has the same 247-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the same eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive driveline, as well as coil-spring suspension like the Jag and much the same level of standard equipmentsliding panorama roof, Meridian audio systemis $57,325. OK, the Jag might only get 18-inch wheels versus the 19s that are standard on the Velar S, and 10-way front seats trimmed in something called Luxtec instead of the 14-way leather-trimmed items with memory function fitted to the Rangie. But theres no difference in straight-line performance between the two, and the Jaguars slightly sharper suspension and steering tune mean its more fun to drive. At the entry level, if you can live with the interior, the $11,000 cheaper F-Pace is a value buy. But the math falls apart if you want an F-Pace with some toys. The F-Pace 25t Checkered Flag, a limited edition feature package based on the $57,525 F-Pace R-Sport 25t, costs $59,425. Compared with the entry-level F-Pace, that extra $13,200 basically buys you gloss black-painted 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED headlights, leather-trimmed 18-way power sports seats with lumbar and memory, and a heated steering wheel at the end of an electrically adjustable steering column. You also get sportier front and rear bumpers, keyless entry, adaptive speed limiting via traffic sign recognition technology, plus the digital instrument panel and JLRs top-end infotainment interface. But heres the thing: A similarly equipped Velaran R-Dynamic S with the four-cylinder engine and optional 20-inch wheelscosts just $1,400 more. And our 25t Checkered Flag tester actually stickered at $63,150, thanks to the addition of 22-inch wheels ($2,550) and the 360-degree camera system ($900) and the dark headliner ($275). A Velar R-Dynamic S with 22s and the camera costs just $795 more. At these prices the F-Pace really does start to feel like the poor relation. Its not just the interior, which, even with leather on the seats and other upper surfaces, is still somewhat austere, especially in black, and still too obviously plasticky. On 22-inch wheels and 265/40 Pirelli P Zero tires the F-Pace simply doesnt feel as composed as a comparably equipped Velar. The ride is always busy, even in the regular drive mode, with lots of brisk vertical inputs that become sharper when you switch to Dynamic mode. This F-Pace never feels entirely relaxed, and a Jag should always feel a little relaxed, even when driven with purpose. The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder powering the F-Pace 25t makes its 247 hp at 5,500 rpm and 269 lb-ft of torque from 1,200 rpm to 4,500 rpm. Its not quite as refined as the VW Groups four-banger in the entry-level Porsche Macan , which makes 248 hp from 5,000 rpm to 6,800 rpm and 275 lb-ft from 1,600 rpm to 4,500 rpm. The Jaguars eight-speed automatic transmission also doesnt shuffle through the ratios as rapidly as the Porsche s seven-speed PDK, which may explain why this powertrain slightly underwhelmed us in the Velar. The four-cylinder Velar R-Dynamic SE we tested in 2018 ran 060 mph in 7.7 seconds, a full second off its claimed number and 1.4 seconds slower than the claimed time for the four-cylinder Macan. Jaguar claims a 060 time of 6.6 seconds for the F-Pace 25t, but our last 30t (making 296 hp and 295 lb-ft from the same engine) needed 6.7 seconds, so until we get a 25t to the track, call us skeptical. On real-world roads, however, the four-cylinder F-Pace feels more responsive than the numbers might suggest. Left to its own devices, the eight-speed transmission makes good use of the little engines decent low-end and midrange torque, and when you want to have some fun, switching to Dynamic mode and using the paddle shifters manually adds an extra layer of liveliness, especially once the tach needle swings past 4,000 rpm. The steering is terrific, clear, and concise, and although the ride suffers on the 22-inch rims, the tightly controlled suspension, combined with good chassis balance, means the big, tall Jag is among the most comfortably agile SUVs in the business. The bean counters may have whiffed the details, but theres nothing wrong with the F-Paces fundamentals. Carefully specd, the Jaguar F-Pace 25t makes a decent entry premium SUV. Our choice would be the Prestige 25t, which starts at $53,225$3,000 less than the V-6-powered Prestige 35t and $4,100 less than the cheapest Velar you can buy. It offers a good selection of premium hardware, including leather trim, 10-way adjustable front seats with memory, a heated steering wheel, and the top-end infotainment interface. Oh, and good-looking 19-inch wheels. Which means this F-Pace rides more like a Jaguar should. And doesnt look and feel so much like the Range Rovers poor relation. 2020 Jaguar F-Pace 25t Checkered Flag PRICE $59,425 LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE 2.0L/247-hp/269-lb-ft/ turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4 TRANSMISSION 8-Speed automatic CURB WEIGHT 3,900 lb (mfr) WHEELBASE 113.1 in L x W x H 186.3 x 76.2 x 65.6 in 0-60 MPH 7.3 sec (MT est) EPA FUEL ECON, CITY/HWY/COMB 22/27/24 mpg ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY 153/125/140 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.81 lb/mile ON SALE Currently The post 2020 Jaguar F-Pace 25t Checkered Flag First Drive appeared first on MotorTrend .