The very last F-Pace left the assembly line last week at Jaguar’s Solihull plant in England. This highly symbolic moment brings the curtain down on a significant model for the British automaker, but it also marks the end of the internal combustion engine era at Jaguar.
What’s more, it means that pending the start of production for the future 00 electric model, the brand is currently not building any vehicles.
The F-Pace: a historic turning point for Jaguar
Launched a decade ago, the F-Pace represented a bold gamble. As the first SUV in Jaguar's history, it broke with the tradition of sedans and sports coupes dear to the brand. Against most expectations, the F-Pace quickly became the best-selling vehicle in the manufacturer's history, attracting a new clientele without disowning the dynamic and refined DNA of the British brand.
Production briefly stopped on 19 December to mark the departure of the final F-Pace. Long-time employees, engineers and managers gathered to witness the moment. For many, it was the conclusion of a project shaped over more than a decade, one devoted to exemplary craftsmanship and industrial rigour.
Meanwhile, the Range Rover Velar — a close technical cousin of the F-Pace — will continue on, a reminder that this page is turning only for Jaguar, and not for Land Rover.
The very last unit assembled is a black F-Pace SVR. This highly symbolic choice echoes the legendary black E-Type that marked the end of another era at Jaguar. Rather than being sold, this vehicle has been entrusted to the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust and it will be added to the national collection at Gaydon, alongside the most significant models from the brand's 90-year history.
During the speeches, the focus was on the dedication of the teams. Trevor Leeks, operations director at the Solihull plant, highlighted the precision and expertise required to assemble a vehicle composed of tens of thousands of parts perfected over the years.
A look towards an electric future
Despite inevitable nostalgia, the atmosphere was not one of regret. Jaguar is looking towards the future and its transformation into an exclusively electric brand. The next model will be an ultra-luxury sedan (code-named Jaguar 00), a vehicle already controversial due to a highly polarizing brand repositioning campaign.
The end of the F-Pace is fraught with meaning: Jaguar is saying goodbye to its most popular model and to thermal power simultaneously. It is a bold and risky shift, but consistent with the ambition to reposition the brand in electric ultra-luxury. It remains to be seen whether the Jaguar 00 can convince where the F-Pace succeeded.
