I drove a $63,000 Jaguar F-PACE SUV to see how it compares to the $72,000 original — here's the verdict

• A few years ago, we enjoyed the then-all-new Jaguar F-PACE SUV so much that we named it a BI Car of the Year runner-up.
• We recently had a chance to sample the 2018 F-PACE 30t Portfolio LE, which is a less expensive version with a smaller engine.
• The Jaguar F-PACE 30t we tested prices at $63,000.
• It can go from 0-60 mph in under six seconds and has a turbocharged four-banger that cranks out 296 horsepower. 
• The 30t goes up against the BMW X3, the Mercedes GLC, Audi's Q5, and the Range Rover Evoque. 
• In its segment, the F-PACE really stands out.

The F-PACE is the first-ever SUV from Jaguar. We got our first taste of this new big cat in 2016, and we were so smitten that we name the F-PACE a runner-up for Business Insider Car of the Year.

Enter 2018 and another crack at a slightly different trim level of the F-PACE. In 2016, we sampled a vehicle that had a 3.0-liter, supercharged V6 under the hood, making 380 horsepower. More recently, we borrowed a 2018 F-PACE 30t Portfolio LE. It can go from 0-60 mph in under six seconds and has a turbocharged four-banger that cranks out 296 horsepower. 

This version of the SUV is a good example of what Jag is engaged in with its overall business strategy. For a long time, Jaguar occupied an odd space in the luxury firmament, kind of below the Ferraris of the world but above the BMWs. That changed a few years back when Jaguar jiggered its pricing to be more in the heart of the premium market. Mind you, the 30t isn't cheap. But it isn't as dear as some other high-end SUVs that are on sale.

Would we remain awed by the F-PACE? Read on to find out.

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The F-PACE, designed by Jaguar's Ian Callum, is simply the most beautiful SUV on the road. Our COTY runner-up was the "First Edition" trim level, and the color was an alluring Caesium Blue. Only 275 were built.

Now here's the 2018 F-PACE 30t in classic British Racing Green. Same design, just a little less blacked out.

As I've noted before, an SUV is a rectangle with wheels, so to make one look this sharp is truly an aesthetic achievement.