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2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR First Drive Review | Magnificent beast

ST. TROPEZ, France — Summarizing a new car in just two words is a wicked challenge, but here goes: Magnificent beast. That's the nickname Jaguar's engineering team gave the 2019 F-Pace SVR, and ... spoiler alert ... it's actually a damn fine descriptor for the 550-horsepower sport ute. The hot-rod SUV genre has been endlessly expanding, pioneered by the likes of the Porsche Cayenne. Recent contenders like the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 keep the competition on its toes by busting Nurburgring Nordschleife lap records that shamed supercars from just a few years ago. The Jaguar F-Pace SVR arrives a tad late to the high-speed party. Previously available with as much as 380 horsepower from a supercharged V6, the new SVR plays ball packing a 5.0-liter V8 beneath its vented hood. The supercharged mill punches 550 hp and 502 lb-ft through an eight-speed ZF automatic. Power is routed to all four wheels, naturally, but the SVR is also the first F-Pace to get torque vectoring thanks to an electronically controlled rear differential. Also aiding the F-Pace through the corners are stiffer springs, reprogrammed adaptive Bilstein dampers, 12-inch forged aluminum wheels and a brake-based torque vectoring system. Additional go-fast goodies include lift-reducing aero, better engine ventilation, and larger four-piston front and two-piston rear ventilated brakes housed in larger 21-inch wheels. The F-Pace SVR's cabin offers more sporty austerity than before. Slimmer, supportive 10-way adjustable seats echo the SUV's more focused road manners, as do aggressive color schemes, contrast stitching, and a suede headliner. Small touches also signal the sharper edges, including an F-Type-derived shifter in place of the mediocre rotary gear selector. It doesn't inherit Jaguar's latest dual-screen infotainment system, updated steering wheel, or second-gen heads up display, as does the recently updated XE sedan. The F-Pace SVR shares a similar tune to the 575-hp F-Type SVR, but the SUV's V8 fires up with a milder bark. A new exhaust valve adjusts its butterfly valves gradually, avoiding the "light switch" transition from quiet to loud. And speaking of loud, while the blarty exhaust note isn't as in-your-face as some of Jaguar's more vocal models, U.S. versions might be slightly raspier since the European model I was driving was equipped with a gasoline particulate filter that has a slight muffling effect.

Jaguar's famed design director Ian Callum is quitting

Jaguar's director of design Ian Callum is officially stepping down. Callum has been with the company for over 20 years, leading numerous important and legendary designs. To name a few, Callum is responsible for recent cars like the Jaguar F-Type, XF and I-Pace. He also designed the C-X75, which was a concept hypercar that Jaguar absolutely should have made. "I have had an incredible career at Jaguar," Callum says. "One of my biggest highlights was creating XF because it represented the beginning of a new era moving Jaguar from tradition to contemporary design — it was a significant turning point in our story." Callum also says he isn't done designing cars — he's even going to continue to act as a consultant for Jaguar after his departure. It's unclear what his main project will be after he leaves in July, but he's left the door open for himself. "I came into this role with a mission to take Jaguar design back to where it deserved to be. It has taken 20 years, but I believe I have achieved what I set out to do. Given the strength of both our products and the design team I feel that now is the right time to move on, both personally and professionally, and explore other design projects," Callum says. In addition to slick sports cars and sultry sedans, Callum is also responsible for leading Jaguar into the era of SUVs and crossovers. He headed up the design for the F-Pace and E-Pace. We found both of those to be some of the better looking crossovers on sale today, so props to Callum for finding and implementing the Jaguar style in the inherently unstylish crossover format. Callum has designed plenty of great cars outside of Jaguar, too. A few examples include the Aston Martin DB7, DB9, Vanquish and Ford Escort Cosworth. Our big question is, what's next for Callum? Whatever car he decides to design is probably going to look the business, so we're excited for any projects he gets involved in after Jaguar. Taking his place at Jaguar is current creative design director Julian Thomson. He's been with the company since 2000, and has previously worked with Ford, Lotus and Volkswagen.

Jaguar Land Rover reveals EV concepts, details green strategy

While it offers diesel models and even a couple hybrids, Jaguar Land Rover isn't quite as fleshed out on alternative powertrains as its luxurious German rivals. That should change pretty soon. JLR revealed three concepts at the CENEX Low Carbon Vehicle event in Millbrook, England, today. The Concept_e "research demonstrators" all use a new electric drive module, an EV system that the Indian-owned, British-based outfit claims will double the power and torque of today' electric motors. JLR says these modular EDMs can be paired with any of the company's engines or transmissions to create either a mild hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, or a pure EV. So yeah, this is kind of a big deal. Arguably the most exciting offering is a one-of-a-kind research vehicle. Riding on JLR's aluminium aluminum architecture, it ties together two electric motors – an 85-kW unit with a single-speed trans on the front axle and a 145-kW rear motor that's been mated to a two-speed transmission – with a 70-kWh li-ion battery that's mounted in the underbody of the car. There's also the Concept_e MHEV. This is a Range Rover Evoque that's been fitted with a mild hybrid system. Just a refresher, but a mild hybrid is very different than what's found in either a Chevrolet Volt or Toyota Prius, as it uses the electric motor and battery pack to simply assist the internal combustion engine, rather than for an electric driving mode. Reflecting that use, this particular Evoque uses a 15-kilowatt electric motor and a 48-volt, lithium-ion battery pack alongside a 90-metric-horsepower diesel-powered prototype. Finally, we have a Range Rover Sport-based plug-in hybrid. This brute uses a 300-metric-horsepower prototype gas engine and an eight-speed automatic alongside a 150-kilowatt electric motor. Energy is stored in a trunk-mounted, 320-volt, li-ion battery back. Partially funded by the British government, the EDMs are the result of a 16.3-million-pound ($25-million) research-and-development program. They're built in house by JLR, but were developed alongside 12 partners. While these concepts are exciting, don't get your hopes up to see a plug-in Jaguar XF or an all-electric Discovery Sport in your local dealer any time soon. "This is a long-term Jaguar Land Rover research project exploring all aspects of future hybrid and battery electric vehicle technology," JLR research and design boss Dr. Wolfgang Epple said in the attached statement.