This time last year, the Jaguar F-Pace technically didn’t exist yet. One year later, it’s poised to become the best-selling model of Jaguar’s entire lineup. Fortunes do change that quickly in the auto industry and Jaguar is poised to reap the benefits of finally diving into the crossover/SUV market. But Jaguar customers aren’t the only ones who are looking forward to the F-Pace. That applies to aftermarket tuners as well and one of them, Lumma Design, has already prepared a tuning program for the SUV, promising an engine upgrade package that would give the F-Pace 480 horsepower to play with.

Of course, the kit itself isn’t complete yet because Jaguar is only starting the process of delivering the SUVs to its prospective owners. That’s why Lumma Design indicated that orders for the kit won’t begin until the third quarter of 2016. Be that as it may, the details of what Lumma Design is offering provides a sharp preview of what we can expect out of this program. There’s a comprehensive carbon fiber aerodynamic kit. There’s a new set of massive wheels. There’s a promise of a lavishly decorated interior. And there’s that part about the engine upgrade that will add an extra 100 horses into the F-Pace’s 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 engine.

Considering the excitement surrounding the range-topping V-6 model, I wouldn’t be remiss into thinking that once Lumma Design starts taking orders for its new Jag program, it’s going to receive quite a handful of attention from interested buyers who want to immediately go “next-level” with their new SUV. On that note, I can’t say that I blame them.

Continue after the jump to read the full review.

Exterior

One look at the renderings Lumma Design presented of the kitted up Jaguar F-Pace and it’s clear that the German tuner took the opportunity to give the SUV a dramatic exterior makeover. It doesn’t look like the standard F-Pace anymore and that’s all thanks to a myriad of carbon fiber PU-RIM body styling components that include a new front bumper, a custom hood, wheel arch extensions, side skirts, and a new rear apron. All these new carbon fiber bits add up to create a lighter and more dynamic looking SUV. The wheel arch extensions, in particular, help convey the menacing new look of the F-Pace that’s further enhanced by the massive set of ultra-light 24-inch alloy wheels that the tuner says is a first in the company’s own history.

Interior

Interior upgrades are also available, even though photos of the possibilities have yet to be released. Be that as it may, Lumma Design is promising a fair share of cabin upgrades courtesy of its own design studio. Expect generous helpings of fine leather and Alcantara, as well as contrast trim inserts and a choice of either carbon fiber and traditional wood veneers on those cabin surfaces. Rounding out the interior upgrades are sets of aluminum pedals and custom floor mats that come with engraved logos of the German tuner.

Drivetrain

As impressive as the exterior and interior upgrades are, Lumma Design’s program for the F-Type revolves around what the German tuner did to the SUV’s 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 engine. Without diving into details apart from showcasing its new sport exhaust system, Lumma Design claims that it was able to increase the output of the F-Pace’s V-6 engine from 380 horsepower to a mouth-watering 480 horsepower.

An increase in torque numbers wasn’t included but given the generous increase in horsepower, expect something along the same lines for the torque. Perhaps something along the lines of 430 pound-feet of torque? That would be an improvement of about 100 pound-feet of twist compared to the standard model’s 332 pound-feet of torque output. In any event, an F-Pace that generates close to 500 horsepower is something that’s definitely worth keeping an eye on.

As an added bonus, Lumma Design is expected to offer engine upgrades on the other engine variants of the F-Pace, the details of which will become available at a later date.

Competition

Volvo XC90

Unless we venture into the world of the BMW X5 M or the AMG-powered SUVs, there aren’t that many premium SUVs that have gotten mainstream tuning kits. That’s not to say that Lumma’s work on the F-Pace is an anomaly, but it is different from what we’re used to. So in lieu of making that comparison, it would be right to take aim at some of the F-Pace’s real-life competitors, one that includes the Volvo XC90. As positively received as the Jag SUV has been, its counterpart in Volvo can make a similar argument. The XC90, for all intents and purposes, is one of the most delightful SUVs in the market today and Volvo did a good job at keeping its performance credentials intact. One of the more important engines of the XC90 is a 2.0-liter supercharged and turbocharged four-cylinder engine that pumps out 316 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It’s admittedly not as powerful as the F-Pace in standard configuration, but the XC90 has the advantage of also having a hybrid variant that puts out a combined 400 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque.

Read our full review on the Volvo XC90 here.

BMW X3

A similar case can be made for the BMW X3 with regards to its status against the Jaguar F-Pace. On its face, the X3 has a much longer history that its counterpart and in the course of its life, it has proven to be one of the go-to-SUVs of BMW’s lineup. A big part of the X3’s success lies in its engineering, something that BMW takes great pride in. It’s hard not to argue that point. But the X3 also suffers from the same thing that the XC90 does relative to the F-Pace. It’s closest engine setup to the Jaguar is a 3.0-liter inline six engine that produces 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. Not quite where the F-Pace is with its output, but still, it’s the BMW X3. It’s one of the most popular models of its segment, a level the F-Pace is still trying to reach.

Read our full review on the BMW X3 here.

Conclusion

A part of me looks at this program and is impressed by what Lumma Design has come up with. But another part of me wants to wait for the real product to be shown. The renderings look great, but until the real deal is shown, it’s hard to make out how the modifications, especially in the exterior, will translate to the actual Jaguar F-Pace. Still, kudos to Lumma Design for cooking something up that will definitely catch people’s attention in more ways than one. On that note, I’d be very interested to see how a 500-horsepower Jaguar SUV runs too.