IT'S not often that a newly-launched car has the sort of impact that the Jaguar F-Pace has had.

The ‘performance crossover' represented a belated foray into the SUV sector and a big step out of its comfort zone for the Coventry-based premium car maker.

But the ambitious move has paid off big-time. The F-Pace has barely been on the road a year and has already landed enough industry awards to fill its accommodating 650-litre boot - including being crowned 2017 World Car of the Year in New York in April.

More importantly for Jaguar, it has been flying out of showrooms at breakneck pace - quickly becoming the company's fastest selling car.

Figures released in April revealed that sales for the marque reached a record 172,848 in the last financial year - up a mammoth 83 per cent on the previous year and primarily driven by the F-Pace.

So what has made it such a hit?

Style cues from the F-Type sports car give it a sleeker, more athletic look than its competitors while trademark features mark it out unmistakably as a product of the big cat stable.

F-Type derived chassis technologies and lightweight aluminium construction also lend the F-Pace some serious dynamic capabilities, agile and responsive handling making it a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining car to drive.

Push into bends too quickly and there will be some body roll as, despite the F-Type trappings, this is still a sizeable SUV - but other, than that it's stable and settled.

Grip is never less than assured, with plenty of high-tech kit designed to keep you glued to the road, including an intelligent all-wheel drive system.

This too is based on the one used in the F-Type. In normal driving conditions power is sent to the rear wheels, maintaining a sportier character, but whenever greater traction is needed a calculated amount of torque is transferred to the front axle.

Trim levels come in the familiar Prestige, Portfolio, R-Sport and S grades seen in Jaguar's saloons, while engine options include efficient 2.0-litre Ingenium petrol and diesel units across most of the range with a supercharged V6 petrol reserved for flagship S versions.

This range-topper, however, featured a 3.0-litre, 300ps diesel that you can also specify in Portfolio cars and offers really punchy performance without breaking the bank in fuel costs.

Paired exclusively with Jaguar's super smooth eight-speed automatic transmission it'll knock off the 0-62mph sprint in just 6.2 seconds while offering up to 47.1 miles per gallon on average, and effortlessly eats up motorway miles.

SUVs though are about more than just performance. Space and practicality are crucial - and the F-Pace comes up trumps.

The sumptuously appointed cabin has plenty of head and legroom and, with the car being almost two metres wide, three will be comfortable in the back - although a chunky transmission tunnel impacts on foot space for the one in the middle.

There are plenty of personal storage cubbies too, and a 40:20:40 split rear seat back adds extra load-carrying versatility to the impressively proportioned boot.

As with all premium cars, there's a long list of options to bump up the price but generous standard kit means you shouldn't have to unless you really want to show off.

S grade cars, in particular, come with all you need and more, including a sophisticated eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Wi-Fi, sat nav, leather upholstery, torque vectoring, dynamic stability control, electrically adjustable heated front seats, climate control, 20-inch alloys and all manner of bespoke sporty design flourishes.