Christmas is coming early for Jaguar customers, with a complimentary software update to its I-Pace SUV likely to bring more range to the already impressive luxury EV.The earliest buyers of the I-Pace have logged more than 80 million kilometres in their utility vehicles, and the automakers logged tonnes of data from those trips. Its also taken in data gleaned from the I-Pace racing series, such as battery management, thermal systems and all-wheel-drive torque improvements.The result is a software update that should offer 20 more kilometres of range, for a total of 470 in real-world driving.The Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY has generated a huge amount of data for us to analyse and those marginal gains, derived from competition on the track, are now being applied to customers cars to further enhance their driving experience, says I-Pace vehicle engineer Stephen Boulter.The new software updates optimise the powertrain control systems to improve efficiency and allow I-PACE drivers to travel even further on a single charge without any hardware changes it really is a case of the vehicle getting better with age.Instead of an over-the-air update like a Tesla, however, youll actually have to take your I-Pace into a dealership to have it installed. However, the software that will be installed at the dealership will allow future updates to be made
Origin: Jaguar software update may net better range for I-Pace SUV
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Jaguar boosts IPace efficiency with system tweaks
Jaguar boosts I-Pace efficiency with system tweaks Improvements have come from developments on the racing Jaguar Jaguar has rolled-out a range of updates to its I-Pace range, which see the pure-electric model’s range improved by up to 12 miles on a single charge. The improvements have come about thanks to technical knowledge gained from the I-Pace e-Trophy single-make race series. Battery management, thermal systems, and all-wheel drive torque settings have all been tweaked. The changes will be implemented on all new I-Pace models going forward, and existing customers are being invited to have the improvements retro-fitted to their models. The upgrade is complimentary, and enhanced over-the-air software upgrade functionality will be added at the same time. This means that the I-Pace now has a range of up to 292 miles (WLTP), despite no physical changes being made to the car’s hardware. Jaguar has changed the torque distribution between front and rear motors to offer greater efficiency in Eco mode. The I-Pace retains its permanent all-wheel drive status however. Thermal management improvements see greater use made of the active radiator vanes, closing them more frequently to smooth out aerodynamics more often. The car’s usable battery capacity has been improved too, allowing the I-Pace to run down to a lower state-of-charge than previously. Again, the gross capacity of 90 kWh remains, but the net capacity has been increased. Jaguar has also worked on the brake energy recuperation system to use regen more efficiently when the battery has a high state of charge, and the amount of energy recovery has been increased at lower speeds for a similar effect. Finally, the predictive range calculation algorithm has been refined for a more accurate and consistent estimate, one more reflective of the driving style. Performance figures remain the same, with a 0-62mph time of 4.5 seconds possible, while recharging is still possible at 100 kW on ultra-rapid points.
Origin: Jaguar boosts IPace efficiency with system tweaks
Watch the 2021 Jaguar F-Type hit 480 km/h (in Hot Wheels form)
Here at Driving, we dont usually cover mid-model refreshes you know, those largely cosmetic functionally-unchanged updates automakers try to pass off as all-new models.But were making an exception for Jaguars new 2021 F-Type because a) the already-sexy sports coupe has been rendered even more sensuous; and b) it was introduced with a tremendously cool Hot Wheels track that ran through Jaguars entire Gaydon design facility.Indeed, Jag says the entire track stretches 232 metres 761 feet from its top-of-stairs, soapbox-style launch to its outdoor, running-into-the-real-F-Type finale. And, according to our count, there are no less than 25 of Hot Wheels famous loop-the-loops and three Jaguar calls them gravity-defying jumps that I am sure, what with my experience some 50 years ago, took multiple takes.In between, the camouflaged it is a super-secret prototype after all! miniature raced past CAD/CAM prototyping computers, a pretty nifty clay model of the Jag two-seater, through the headrest of the revised Windsor leather front seats and through the prototyping final assembly area. In between, Mattel estimates the tiny F-Type reached scaled speeds of 480 kilometres an hour!According to Jaguar, Mattel used the companys own CAD drawings to craft the ultra-precise 3D-printed model, recreating, says the company, every beautiful detail of the new F-Type, including its striking new clamshell bonnet, distinctive super-slim Pixel LED headlights and more sculpted front and rear bumpers. The Hot Wheels team also faithfully recreated the new Velocity Blue colour which Jaguar is making a big noise about from the SVO Premium Palette, and even hand-painted the F-Type badge on the back before the model was camouflaged ahead of its own reveal in the film.As for the car itself, the 2021 Jaguar F-Types powertrains turbocharged 2.0-litre four, 3.0L supercharged V6 and supercharged 5.0L V8 remain largely unchanged, although the all-wheel-drive Rs honking V8 gets a boost from 550 hp to 575, good enough, says Jaguar, to scoot to 100 kilometres an hour in just 3.7 seconds.Coping with that increased power is the Rs uprated chassis that includes stiffer springs and anti-roll bars, beefier rear knuckles and ball joints and revised adjustable shock damping.As for styling, a new clamshell bonnet is bordered by super-slim Pixel LED headlights and a subtly enlarged grille. Theres also something Jaguar calls Liquid Metal surfacing, but if youve got any idea what that is, let me know.The hind end likewise gets a design, this time with what Jaguars styling boffins call an unmistakeable chicane signature to its LED lights. Again, I will plead artistic cretinism, but the automaker says theyre inspired by the Jaguar I-PACE all-electric Performance SUV, with subtle monogram pattern detailing and a fine pinstripe beneath.Inside, theres the aforementioned Windsor leather and something called satin finish Noble Chrome. Details include monogram stitch patterns in the seats and door trims, Jaguar Leaper motifs in the headrests and subtle Jaguar Est. 1935 markings on the centre console.First Edition F-Types powered by either the 2.0L turbocharged four or the 3.0L supercharged V6 will be available with an Exterior Design Pack, Black Contrast Roof, unique 20-inch wheels and those 12-way Windsor Leather Performance Seats.Pricing for the 2021 Jaguar F Type starts
Origin: Watch the 2021 Jaguar F-Type hit 480 km/h (in Hot Wheels form)
Car Review: 2020 Jaguar F-Type Coupe
2020 Jaguar F-TypeBrian Harper / Driving OVERVIEW All-wheel-drive, two-seat sports coupe PROSStunning looks, smooth driving, sounds terrific CONSNo more manual transmission, poor visibility VALUE FOR MONEYFair WHAT TO CHANGE?Nothing HOW TO SPEC IT?As is but without the Checkered Flag package, power tailgate or all-wheel drive It was at the 2006 Concorso dEleganza where I saw the car a diminutive two-seat hardtop coupe called the Cisitalia 202, one of the first new sports cars to come out of post-Second World War Italy. Initially, I gave it a quick glance on my way to look at bigger, fancier, more exclusive automobiles dotting the lawn of the Villa dEste on the outskirts of Como. But something drew me back to the Pininfarina-designed 202 and I spent the next half-hour walking around it, studying the handbuilt coachwork from every angle before determining, in my mind, that the cars proportions were, in a single word, perfection. That one of the 170 or so Cisitalia 202s built has been on permanent display at New York’s Museum of Modern Art since 1951 has further bolstered this belief.The 202 was a progenitor of the coupe-bodied sports car, and since then, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times the now iconic silhouette has left such a profound impression, the last being at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show when Jaguar debuted the F-Type Coupe. A product of then-director of design Ian Callums fertile mind his extensive portfolio includes the curvaceous Aston Martin Vanquish and DB9 the F-Type was, and still is, the most gorgeous sports car he has ever penned, far more than a mere hardtop version of the F-Type Convertible that had predated it.Sensuous, with pardon the obvious clich a jungle cat stealth and perfectly integrated lines that accentuate not only speed and power, but elegance, the car still draws admiring glances from passersby, quite the accomplishment for an aging machine in this increasingly jaded world.With its looks, I could (almost) forgive the F-Type if it drove like a Massey-Ferguson tractor, which fortunately, it doesnt. The testers supercharged 3.0-litre V6 throws out a solid 380 horsepower, plenty enough to move the 1,674-kilogram coupe along at a quick clip zero to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds is Jaguars claim.In addition to being offered with a milder 340-horsepower version of the supercharged six, the F-Type can also enhance its pace with a supercharged 5.0L V8, available with as much as 575 horsepower. Conversely, if a more sedate boulevardier appeals to you, the base model comes with a 2.0-litre turbo-four with 296 horsepower. Finally, though rear-wheel drive is the normal state of affairs, all-wheel drive is optional on V6 and standard on V8 models, this tester being so fitted.As if supermodel beauty and a decent amount of scoot werent enough, the F-Type announces its presence with an aural alert from its four inboard-mounted tailpipes, starting with a somewhat obnoxious fart on startup. Then theres the cars active sports exhaust; by pressing the console-mounted override button, electronically controlled bypass valves in the exhaust open and alter exhaust gas routing into a freer-flowing path to reduce backpressure and enhance sound quality. The result is a thundering blat under hard acceleration especially in Dynamic mode and, on downshifts via the eight-speed automatics paddle shifters (the manual has since been discontinued), a snarling, crackling stanza of hooliganism that startles all those within earshot. Sophomoric? Yes, but it still gives me the giggles. Despite the cars performance bona fides, the F-Types ride and handling is neither extreme nor unpleasant. Its not as sharp or precise as a Porsche 911; theres a little more comfort built in to the suspension so as not to rattle your teeth when the 20-inch Pirelli P-Zero tires roll over a tar strip. In fact, the car proved quite livable during a 1,100 kilometre-long summer road trip. My wifes sole complaint was that the seat back did not recline enough for her to properly nap while I drove.This particular 2020 model-year tester bears the unwieldy name of F-Type Coupe P380 AWD Checkered Flag Limited Edition $110,600 as-tested the latter half of this designation denoting a cosmetic package adding nothing to the cars performance capabilities. According to Jaguar, Checkered Flag models celebrate the automakers rich sports car heritage dating back to the 1948 XK 120. It does so by featuring a range of subtle visual enhancements to the exterior and to the driver-focused cabin.Externally, the Checkered Flag edition adds extended side sills, plus exclusive twin-spoke 20-inch wheels and red brake calipers. Inside, highlights include a black contrast headliner and a luxurious Windsor leather interior featuring performance seats with embossed headrests, red seatbelts, contrast stitching throughout the cabin, dark brushed aluminum centre console trim, and a steering wheel
Origin: Car Review: 2020 Jaguar F-Type Coupe
Jaguar F-Type 2020 facelift seen again ahead of imminent reveal
Jaguar is getting ready to reveal an updated F-Type, and the latest spyshots give us our best look yet at the redesigned sports car ahead of an anticipated reveal in the coming weeks. The photographs, taken near Jaguar Land Rover’s Gaydon technical HQ, show a number of prototypes are shedding camouflage as testing ramps up. We can now see the restyled front end more clearly, with a new clamshell bonnet, slim, angular LED headlights mounted lower down the nose and a more prominent grille. A look at the rear shows it retains the same vertical bootlid, but with new wraparound tail-lights and a reshaped bumper. A quick glimpse at the cabin doesn’t reveal much, but it looks like the infotainment has moved on a generation, while the rotary dial climate display remains. It’s expected that much of the more advanced technology and infotainment features from the I-Pace and the 2019 XE will make its way into the F-Type. That means new digital dials, a larger and more feature-laden touchscreen, and substantial upgrades to the materials. Jaguar Land Rover is now phasing out its long-running supercharged V6 in favour of a new turbocharged and hybridised straight six, and the F-Type will benefit from this more efficient powertrain. The turbocharged four-cylinder and supercharged V8 engines should be carried over to the new car with limited changes, however. Indeed, this prototype registers as a 5.0-litre V8, putting paid to rumours JLR would bring in a BMW-sourced 4.4-litre unit. What remains unclear is whether the new F-Type will retain a manual gearbox option. The current V6 is still offered with one in the UK, although it has reportedly been removed from sale in the US. Regardless, manuals account for a tiny fraction of overall F-Type
Origin: Jaguar F-Type 2020 facelift seen again ahead of imminent reveal
New Jaguar F-Type: 2020 restyling shown with less disguise
Jaguar is in the process of testing an updated F-Type due for reveal next year, and new shots give us the closest look yet at the external and internal changes for the new model. The photographs, taken near Jaguar Land Rover’s Gaydon technical HQ, show two prototypes are shedding camouflage as testing ramps up. We can now see the restyled front end more clearly, with a new clamshell bonnet, slim, angular LED headlights mounted lower down the nose and a more prominent grille. A look at the rear shows it retains the same vertical bootlid, but with new wraparound tail-lights and a reshaped bumper. A quick glimpse at the cabin doesn’t reveal much, but it looks like the infotainment has moved on a generation, while the rotary dial climate display remains. It’s expected that much of the more advanced technology and infotainment features from the I-Pace and the 2019 XE will make its way into the F-Type. That means new digital dials, a larger and more feature-laden touchscreen, and substantial upgrades to the materials. Jaguar Land Rover is now phasing out its long-running supercharged V6 in favour of a new turbocharged and hybridised straight six, and the F-Type will benefit from this more efficient powertrain. The turbocharged four-cylinder and supercharged V8 engines should be carried over to the new car with limited changes, however. Indeed, this prototype registers as a 5.0-litre V8, putting paid to rumours JLR would bring in a BMW-sourced 4.4-litre unit. What remains unclear is whether the new F-Type will retain a manual gearbox option. The current V6 is still offered with one in the UK, although it has reportedly been removed from sale in the US. Regardless, manuals account for a tiny fraction of overall F-Type sales. Jaguar’s priorities for 2019 are the roll-out of the new XE and the launch of a similarly updated XF and F-Pace. However, we could see the revised F-Type early on in 2020, with an on-sale date not soon after
Origin: New Jaguar F-Type: 2020 restyling shown with less disguise
Jaguar Land Rover returns to profit after revenue boost
Jaguar Land Rover boss Ralf Speth that the firm’s turnaround programme is firmly on track after it returned to profit in the last financial quarter. Hit by falling sales, the British firm posted a £395 million loss between April and June of this year. But it turned that around in the quarter running from July to September, recording a £156 million pre-tax profit – a £246 million year-on-year improvement. The improved results were driven by Jaguar Land Rover’s revenues rising to £6.1 billion, an 8.0% year-on-year increase. While retail sales dipped by 0.7%, the firm was boosted its performance in China, where sales grew 24.3%. The arrival of the new Range Rover Evoque also helped, with sales of that model up 54.6% compared to the previous year. Range Rover Sport sales rose 17.5% over the same period. Jaguar Land Rover has been undergoing a massive £2.5 billion cost-cutting and restructuring programme, named Project Charge, and Speth said the improved results reflected the success of those efforts. The firm has already achieved £2.2 billion on efficiencies, and is on track to reach its goals by the end of March 2020. It has also invested in new facilities, such as the recentl;y opened Product Creation Centre. “Our people have responded very positively to the challenging circumstances over the past year,” said Speth. “The improved performance this quarter reflects their ongoing passion and
Origin: Jaguar Land Rover returns to profit after revenue boost
New virtual Jaguar concept could preview future EVs
Jaguar has revealed a new model designed for the Gran Turismo videogame, which could offer a glimpse of its future electric sports car design. The Vision Gran Turismo Coupé concept is the latest addition to the virtual motorsport title, and will be available for players to download from the end of December. Jaguar has expressed no intent to bring it to production in real life, however. The concept is said to have been “designed and developed from the ground up, taking inspiration from the brand’s incredible racing lineage,” with the brand’s historic C-Type and D-Type racers listed as styling influences. The coupé’s powertrain, while not taken from any one real model, is based on that featured in the firm’s I-Type and I-Pace electric racers. The virtual model packs a combined 1006bhp and 885lb ft from three high-output electric motors, one driving the front axle and two at the rear, which is enough to push it from 0-62mph in under two seconds, and on to a top speed of over 200mph. There has been no indication of a hypothetical range figure. In terms of its design, the concept takes clear inspiration from the current F-Type, with visual references to previous Jaguar concepts, including the 2013 C-X75 supercar. It is constructed using a range of experimental lightweight materials, with a carbonfibre monocoque tub at its core helping to achieve a 1400kg kerbweight and near-50:50 weight distribution. The concept’s roofline is low to the ground, and a swooping rear deck and domed glass cabin feature for maximum aerodynamic efficiency. An active rear wing is said to “optimise energy efficiency while generating the perfect amount of downforce”. Further retro-inspired design touches include a vintage-style grille that features Jaguar’s ‘Leaper’ mascot, and twin rear charging sockets as a reference to the first-generation XJ saloon. The retro-modern theme continues inside, where Gran Turismo players can make use of an on-board artificial intelligence system called Kitt-E, which uses hologram technology to display three-dimensional maps and telemetry. Augmented reality digital glass can alert the driver to unseen dangers, while a transparent information cluster allows for a clearer view of the road ahead. Jaguar design director Julian Thomson said: “This project has been completely led by our young designers and represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them to create a vehicle steeped in our incredible heritage but pushing the boundaries of future design. “The team have done an incredible job in creating something which is clearly identifiable as a Jaguar, inspired – but not constrained – by our iconic
Origin: New virtual Jaguar concept could preview future EVs
Jaguar could revive C-X75 concept as next-gen F-Type
One of many stumbling blocks to developing the new sports car is the platform itself, which – if to be designed from scratch and bespoke to the model – would require lots of cash and resources at an uncertain time for Jaguar Land Rover. The company lost £395 million in the last financial quarter and hopes models such as the updated Jaguar XE, new Range Rover Evoque and heavily revised Land Rover Discovery Sport can offset significant recent investments and a slump in demand from China. One cost-effective solution is to again join forces with BMW. The British and German makers recently announced they would develop and assemble electric drive units for future models together, but already sources suggest BMW will supply combustion engines to JLR too. As previously revealed by Autocar, JLR may also use BMW’s FAAR front-driven platform for a range of compact models, including Land Rover SUVs. BMW bosses are said to be deciding whether to turn the next-generation i8 into a fully electric sports car. Prototypes of such a model have already undergone testing, according to a Munich-based engineering source. By sharing development of an EV sports car platform, BMW and JLR could considerably reduce costs while at the same time pooling engineering expertise and resources. Another alternative is to make use of Jaguar’s well-proven electric car platform used in the I-Pace. This would require investment to adapt it for a different purpose, but EV platforms tend to be easier to modify to suit different bodystyles and drive configurations than ICE ones. With Callum’s departure, the F-Type has immediately become his legacy in terms of Jaguar sports cars. With global sales of around 62,000 (70% in coupé form, 30% as convertibles), the model has helped rebuild Jaguar’s reputation as a maker of alluring sports cars – as it also strives to become renowned for other types of car such as SUVs. While the F-Type’s sales continue to significantly trail those of class leaders such as the Porsche 911, Callum is adamant that a successor is integral to the brand. “We will also do sports cars,” he said. “End of story.” The C-X75 was a groundbreaking supercar originally conceived to use jet turbines as generators for an electric propulsion system when Jaguar first unveiled the concept in 2010. Working prototypes were then produced that instead used a more conventional petrol-electric hybrid system. But by the end of 2012, the decision was taken to pull the plug on the whole project, meaning Callum’s highly praised exterior design never made it to
Origin: Jaguar could revive C-X75 concept as next-gen F-Type
2020 Jaguar XJ: electric-only saloon teased at Frankfurt
Jaguar has given a sneak peek of its next-generation electric-only XJ flagship saloon with a teaser image shown at the Frankfurt motor show. The brief image of the new XJ’s rear was shown during a video played at the firm’s press conference, where sister firm Land Rover revealed the new Defender. It shows a classic saloon-style rear end, with thin rear lights that feed into a light strip running the full width of the bootlid. The model also features both the Jaguar logo and the company’s name spelt out. Jaguar design director Julian Thomson told Autocar the new XJ would look different from a traditional executive saloon. “Even saying F-segment long-wheelbase luxury saloon sounds awful, we don’t want to do that,” he said at the Frankfurt show. “We want to do a car that explores the best of Jaguar. “We want to make it a beautiful car, with an engaging drive, a luxurious interior – we’ll do each of these our own way. We won’t be putting a tape measure on rivals to just match, match, match. “We want to present something that challenges the norm, offer an alternative that makes it better and more engaging on all levels to own and to drive, that’s what we’re all about, the love of the car.” Thomson said that the next XJ’s design would “not be conventional”, adding: “I don’t think you can be. You don’t stick a poster on a wall of a German long wheelbase luxury saloon I don’t think. Jag’s positioning of cars is to lust after, to want and desire. We can absolutely do that and it’s a fabulous looking thing, for sure.” Thomson noted the packing of an EV would offer increased cabin space, but said that also presented challenges to designers. He added: “We’re learning how to do the aesthetic. They’re heavier, need more structures for crash. The mass means you have normal building blocks in different places. These are things we’re learning. “We feel we’ve had an advantage with I-Pace. We’ve learned a lot from it, not just with the technology but what we can do with space. EVs are serene and have a sense of calm, more of a spiritual quality. It’s as close as you can get to doing yoga in a car. We’ll bring that into XJ, bring a sense of cabin ambience that’s calm and refreshing.” The firm recently confirmed that the XJ will be relaunched next year as an electric model and will be built at its Castle Bromwich plant. Jaguar announced the news on the day that production of the current XJ ends at the factory. The electric XJ will be the first electric model produced at the plant, but Jaguar Land Rover said it plans to manufacture “a range of new electrified vehicles” at the facility. JLR’s current electrified models, the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport plug-in hybrids, are built at its Solihull plant, while the electric Jaguar I-Pace is produced by contract manufacturer Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria. Autocar first reported that the next-generation XJ would go electric in 2015, but this is the first time that the Coventry-based firm has confirmed the bold move for its largest saloon. It said the new XJ will “build on the characteristics synonymous with its predecessors: beautiful design, intelligent performance and revered luxury”, adding that it will be built by the same “expert team of designers and product development specialists responsible for delivering” the I-Pace. Today’s announcement builds on JLR’s plan, confirmed earlier this year, to bring its battery and Electric Drive Unit assembly to the Midlands. The Battery Assembly Centre at Hams Hall, opening in 2020, will be capable of producing 150,000 units annually, while the Wolverhampton Engine Manufacturing Centre (EMC) is the home of JLR’s global EDU production. JLR, which announced 4500 job losses earlier this year, said the news “safeguards several thousand jobs in the UK”. Work on Castle Bromwich will begin later this month in order to allow it to support JLR’s next-generation Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA), which can house diesel and petrol vehicles alongside electric and hybrid models. JLR chief executive Ralf Speth said: “The future of mobility is electric and, as a visionary British company, we are committed to making our next generation of zero-emissions vehicles in the UK. “We are co-locating our electric vehicle manufacture, Electronic Drive Units and battery assembly to create a powerhouse of electrification in the Midlands.” Speth, when asked about the scale of the investment, commented: “When you get into new architectures like we have, you’re into the billions, spread over years to come.” JLR said that while the expansion of its electrified line-up will see customers offered a greater choice, “increased consumer take-up remains a challenge”. It called on government and industry to work together to bring a Tesla-like giga-scale battery production facility to the UK to put the country at the “leading edge of electric mobility”. Speth said: “Convenience and affordability are the two key enablers to drive the
Origin: 2020 Jaguar XJ: electric-only saloon teased at Frankfurt
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