Kiwi interest in Jaguar’s first sports utility model has heartened the local distributor.

F-PACE has elicited an unprecedented number of pre-launch orders and sales enquiries for a Jaguar here, the distributor says.

Jaguar Land Rover New Zealand has signaled that inquiry is running hot – they say it is 275 percent above the pre-release interest in any previous model they have fronted with.

They also say the five examples of a special launch model, called the First Edition, earmarked for this market out of a total build of 1700 units have been snapped up in a rush that has accounted for 15 percent of this year’s allocation.

The percentage is difficult to translate as it has not said how many cars are in the 2016 consignment.

However, the Auckland-based distributor says this suggests F-Pace will be a much sought-after item when it officially launches next month.

New Zealand fans get their first glimpse of the elevated wagon this week as it is on display at the national Fieldays, the annual agricultural fair that has also become the singlemost important show for vehicle distributors.

Jaguar Land Rover general manager Steve Kenchington says interest in the F-Pace is rewarding.

“This is an exciting opportunity not just for Jaguar enthusiasts throughout the country, but anyone that is looking for sports car performance combined with SUV practicality.”

As MotoringNetwork has previously reported, JLRNZ intends to offer F-Pace in four versions, all all-wheel-drive. The line starts with an entry Prestige format – at $95,000 the only sub $100,000 version - an R-Sport (from $100k to $115k, depending on engine), an S at $125k in diesel and $130k in petrol and then the First Edition.

The latter’s top dog status might be fleeting, with Jaguar having signalled that high-performance F-Pace cars are under development. A 400kW-plus edition using the brand’s well-considered 5.0-litre supercharged petrol is an obvious start.

For now, it is anticipating a big general interest in the type regardless of engine or specification format simply because the sports utility and crossover sector is booming and premium vehicles of this nature are among the hottest sellers.

The Prestige powertrain is the same 132kW/430Nm Ingenium four-cylinder turbo-diesel found in the XE sedan. The model can dash from 0-100kmh in 8.7 seconds and consumes 5.3 litres of fuel per 100km on the combined cycle.

This engine also avails in the R-Sport, which can be ordered with a more powerful 3.0-litre six-cylinder oil-burner delivering 220kW/700Nm and a 250kW/450Nm 3.0-litre six-cylinder supercharged petrol unit.

The 3.0-litre diesel can complete the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.2s and consumes 6.0L/100km. The petrol, from the base F-Type, does 0-100km/h in 5.8s and consumes 8.9L/100km.

The F-Pace S use the same 280kW/450Nm 3.0-litre supercharged six-pot as the First Edition. This engine is from the F-Type S and offers up a 5.5 second 0-100kmh time and fuel use of 8.9L/100km.

In Prestige guise, the F-Pace standard features list is expected to include a powered tail-gate, bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights and auto levelling, leather seats, 10x10 -way electric front seats with memory, 40/20/40 split-fold rear seats, analogue dials with 5.0-inch full colour TFT display, 11-speaker Meridian sound system, InControl Touch navigation with 8.0-inch touchscreen, keyless start and 19-inch silver alloy wheels.

At this level, standard safety gear includes a reversing camera, front and rear parking aids, tyre pressure monitoring, lane-departure warning, autonomous emergency braking, torque vectoring by braking and the All Surface Progress Control system that acts as a low-speed cruise control helping drivers pull away on slippery surfaces.

The R-Sport has everything above and gains different 19-inch wheels, a wrapped instrument panel with stitching, perforated leather seats with contrasting stitching, gloss black window surrounds, special R-Sport-themes front and rear bumpers, metal tread plate, door claddings and multi-function steering wheel, as well as side power vents and the Configurable Dynamics system that adjusts throttle and steering response and gear shifts.

The S adds 20-inch alloy wheels, Adaptive Dynamics, red brake callipers, unique leather and suede-cloth seats, satin chrome gearshift paddles, suede-cloth headliner and S exterior styling flourishes.

First Edition buyers get 22-inch alloys, panoramic roof, roof rails, electrically reclining seats, special carpet mats, illuminated tread plates storage rails in the cargo area, InControl Touch Pro with a 10-inch capacitive touchscreen and 60GB solid state hard drive and a 12.3-inch high-definition virtual instrument display.

Jaguar is working to impress that its car is not just an ordinary high-riding wagon, but a vehicle with the essence of a sports car. That’s why it offers a torque vectoring system to apportion power between the left and right wheels, along with an advanced all-wheel drive system that will siphon power to where it's needed most.