1968 Jaguar E-type on 2040-cars

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Jaguar's next-generation XJ will be electric, but it won't bend design rules

Jaguar's next-generation XJ won't roar like a lion or purr like a kitten. It will ditch gasoline-powered six- and eight-cylinder engines in favor of electric power, the British company confirmed, but that's not an excuse to completely change its proportions. It will still be recognizable as a member of the decades-old XJ family. "We're there to make the best-looking cars we possibly can, so the new XJ, it does have a [hood] on it. It's a very, very elegant shape; it's probably a little bit more traditional than the I-Pace," explained Julian Thomson, the man who replaced Ian Callum as Jaguar's head of design, in an interview with magazine Auto Express. The aforementioned I-Pace is a segment-bending crossover with short overhangs and an unusually spacious cabin; it takes full advantage of the possibilities offered by compact electric technology, and it looks like nothing else on the road. Thomson confirmed his team won't take the XJ in this direction, and spy shots (pictured) taken far north of the Arctic Circle illustrate his point while keeping finer details under a swirly black and white wrap. Although it's built on a massive lithium-ion battery pack, the next-generation XJ seemingly wears the typical long front, short back proportions that have characterized the model for generations. The most dramatic change is the presence of a hatch instead of a trunk lid. It was added to give the sedan a more fastback-like appearance than its predecessor; it has nothing to do with what's under the sheet metal. The XJ has been the segment's underdog for many years so keeping the classic three-box silhouette would have been marketing suicide. "It's going to be a very, very luxurious, very, very calm, tranquil piece of transportation. But, it's not overtly flashy, it's not overtly expensive," summed up Thomson. His comments suggest it will be a better match for the Mercedes-Benz EQS, which is being designed around comfort the firm is known for globally, than for the Porsche Taycan, which stays true to the badge on its nose by putting a greater focus on performance. The electric version of the seventh-generation BMW 7 Series due out in the early 2020s will split the difference. Jaguar is putting the final touches on the next-generation XJ, and it plans to introduce the model before the end of 2020. It's too early to tell if the big, silent cat will make its debut at one of the few auto shows left on the calendar, at a standalone event, or online.

2024 Jaguar F-Pace makes more style standard equipment

Jaguar has overhauled its F-Pace offer for global markets, moving the rest of the world to the 2024 model year before the end of 2022. For countries that get the F-Pace P400e PHEV, the good news is the lithium-ion battery's been given an extra cell module to increase capacity to 19.2 kWh. That takes pure electric range from 33 miles to 40 miles on the WLTP cycle. Jaguar says this trim accounts for more than 10% of F-Pace sales globally, a healthy tally considering North America accounts for perhaps a third of global sales and Jaguar doesn't offer its flagship PHEV here yet. In countries that favor electrified vehicles like the Netherlands, Jaguar says uptake can reach 98%. The rest of the F-Pace range has been reworked so that every model gets the R-Dynamic trim package, eliminating the base F-Pace and F-Pace S. In full-featured markets, the trim step from bottom to top goes, R-Dynamic S on 19-inch wheels, R-Dynamic SE on 20-inch wheels, R-Dynamic HSE on 21-inch wheels, 400 SPORT and SVR both on 22-inch wheels, plus a choice of six engines. If this change is applied to our market, we'll be left with the F-Pace R-Dynamic S and F-Pace SVR, and two engines. New standard equipment means better spec for some versions, a TFT digital gauge cluster and the Pivi Pro infotainment system part of the purchase price. The infotainment comes with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, what3words navigation and Alexa integration. The R-Dynamic SE comes with wireless charging, the R-Dynamic HSE now comes with an Ebony Suedecloth headliner standard. If opting for the Black Pack on models that don't come with it, more external bits are drenched in the dark gloss: grille and grille surround, side mirror caps, fender vents, window surrounds, rear valance and rear badges. Detail changes include wheel center caps going monochrome black and silver instead of red and silver, and the R-Dynamic badge going monochrome black and gray instead of red and green. The 2024 F-Pace can be ordered now outside of North America. Jaguar should let us know soon what goodness we'll be getting. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2022 Jaguar F-Pace SVR Design Walk-Around | Autoblog Short Cuts

Is Jaguar testing an electrified XE?

Rumors about Jaguar Land Rover moving further into electrification for its models have been circulating for the last several months. Thanks to some new spy shots, there's even more evidence that the company could have a hybrid or electric model on the way. According to our spies, this rather innocuous looking XE was spied with a group of camouflaged XF and F-Pace prototypes in Spain. Everything about the luxury sedan looks fairly stock until you see the rear end. There, just under the taillight, is a circular blue badge with an "E" in it. That emblem and the vehicle being with other test cars hints at the possibility of Jaguar doing something electrified with the vehicle. Unfortunately, there are no other clues here to determine exactly what is happening underneath the skin. Jaguar Land Rover has been insinuating its intention to build greener models for a while. The company even founded an engineering center partially for them in 2013. A fully electric powertrain is reportedly under development to slot into the F-Pace and maybe also for a Land Rover. Meanwhile, Jag has a trademark on the name EV-Type. With these new photos, the signs of JLR's coming electrification continue to mount.