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Jaguar may join the FWD, small-car parade

Was it right for Chevrolet to detune the 1975 Corvette's base engine to 165 horsepower? Was Aston Martin wrong to make the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet? Is BMW crazy to be testing the new 1 Series with three-cylinder engines and front-wheel drive? It seems now, just as in the 1970s and 1980s, that emissions regulations and social considerations are driving some automakers to adopt unbefitting practices to maintain acceptance in the eyes of governments and consumers. Jaguar has jumped on the bandwagon, and is considering development of small, frugal, front-wheel-drive cars to help lower Jaguar Land Rover's average vehicle CO2 levels in light of tightening European emissions regulations, Autocar reports.
By 2020, the European Union expects the model range of every manufacturer to average 95 grams per kilometer, which is a new law passed by the European Parliament in April. Manufacturers who make more than 300,000 vehicles per year must meet these targets, and JLR is expected to be producing up to 700,000 vehicles per year by then. CO2 regulations after 2020 will only get stricter, as EU politicians already are talking about lowering CO2 levels to between 68 g/km and 78 g/km. (To put that in perspective, Autocar posits that driving a fully charged electric vehicle in Europe produces about 75 g/km when factoring in the power-generation infrastructure.)
Jaguar has some choices here, but so far they all have drawbacks. It could develop a new, compact chassis architecture for a line of compact vehicles, but the investment required for such a project could be prohibitively expensive. Jaguar has been looking into using the Land Rover Evoque platform for a small SUV, Autocar reports, but Land Rover brand manager John Edwards raises issue with such a plan, saying it may not be financially feasible.

GM, Audi, Jaguar halt Russian sales amidst ruble's collapse

The value of Russia's ruble currency has sunk like a stone tossed in the Volga for much of the year, losing over 40 percent of its worth since June. The change is having bizarre effects on the auto industry there and leaving some automakers scrambling to adjust. According to Bloomberg, Russians are buying up luxury goods including automobiles at the moment to have a physical investment in case the ruble sinks further. However, with the money worth so little, the companies aren't making much from these transactions. Things are so dire that several automakers are temporarily ending deliveries until the situation stabilizes. According to Bloomberg, General Motors stopped sales on December 16 with no set date to start again. Audi did the same thing but with the intention to resume once it has adjusted model pricing. Jaguar Land Rover terminated business until December 19 to see how things changed. Toyota is increasing its pricing, as well, but keeping business open at the same time. Some automakers have subtly been reacting to the slumping Russian auto market all year. The moves have included Volkswagen cutting production by 30,000 units from its factory in Kaluga. Ford also got rid of 950 workers from two plants due to low demand. Some analysts have even speculated that the contracting industry and possibility of lower import duties into the country could cause companies to end their manufacturing in Russia completely.

Jaguar F-Type's next generation could be mid-engined

Jaguar's heritage is built on sports cars powered by a big, front-mounted engine covered by a long hood. The F-Type perfectly fits into this mold, but the company is ready and willing to set tradition aside in order to inject more performance into its next two-door model. Ian Callum, Jaguar's former design director, told Autocar that he had worked with Julian Thomson, his successor, to outline what the next F might look like, and the Chevrolet Corvette's recent transformation seemingly inspired them. His proposal calls for moving the engine from directly in front of the firewall to right behind the cabin. Making the F-Type mid-engined would shift its proportions in a wider, lower, and more aggressive direction. Sound familiar? It will if you've kept up with Jaguar news over the past few years. "We could get quite close [to the C-X75]," Callum said. The jet turbine-powered, James Bond-fighting C-X75 concept released in 2010 was on track for production, but it was canceled at the last minute. Callum's comments confirm there is still a small but vocal group of engineers in Jaguar's research and development department who want to see a mid-engined coupe join the company's portfolio. Whether such a model will appear is up in the air. Callum retired to form his own design firm a few weeks ago, so the F-Type's fate is no longer in his hands. He added that the option of making the second-generation model another front-engined, rear-wheel drive two-door is still on the table. The current F will soldier on for another three years after receiving significant updates for the 2021 model year, so Jaguar will need to decide whether to stay the course or shift to a mid-engined configuration relatively soon. Either way, enthusiasts will be pleased to hear the F-Type will return.