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Jaguar Activity Key | 2017 Autoblog Technology of the Year Finalist

In principle, the Jaguar Activity Key is a good idea. It's simple, useful, and relatively inexpensive. Unfortunately, in our testing it was less than reliable. Here's how it's supposed to work: To lock the car, leave your keys and fobs inside the vehicle, and strap the band on your wrist. Then, within 30 seconds, place your banded wrist against the letter J of the Jaguar script on the back tailgate. When you come back, you can unlock the vehicle by pressing the tailgate opening button, then, again within 30 seconds, placing the Activity Key band against the J of the Jaguar script. We chose the Jaguar Activity Key as a finalist for our 2017 Tech of the Year award because it's an uncomplicated device with lots of potential customers. Jaguar says the wristband is "robust and fully waterproof." Swimmers, surfers, kayakers, hikers, and even couples out for a sunny-day picnic could use a feature like this wristband key. Plus, wearables are pretty new as a category in general, and even more so in the automotive space. We didn't go skydiving with it or anything (an activity Jaguar cites as a potential usage case), but we did dunk it in water with no ill effects. While it all sounds good in theory, actually getting the Activity Key to work effectively was unexpectedly difficult, especially when the cameras were rolling. We tried varying the timing between closing the door and using the wristband, as well as between using the tailgate button and the wristband. It worked about half the time, regardless of our process or who was wearing the wristband. Whether our issues with the wristband were due to interference, new-technology teething problems, or just electrical gremlins, the idea of purposely locking the keys inside an automobile without having a foolproof way to unlock it gives us reason to pause. The Activity Key is a $400 standalone option on the 2017 Jaguar F-Pace, but only on Prestige, R-Sport and S models. The least expensive F-Pace with Activity Key costs $51,095.

Jaguar is developing an electric car to join I-Pace crossover

NEW YORK — Straight from nabbing the World Car of the Year award at the New York International Auto Show for the new 2019 I-Pace electric crossover, as well as publicly unveiling the 2020 XE sport sedan, Jaguar's design chief says the brand is also developing a car with a fully electric powertrain. "We are doing more battery cars at Jaguar, yes," Ian Callum told Autoblog. "That's all I'm saying." Callum wouldn't divulge further details except to add, "When you're doing electric cars, they're new cars. They're not just batteries put in an old car. You can't do that." Jaguar has been rumored to be planning a potent all-electric version of the XJ based on its flexible new Modular Longitudinal Architecture. Jaguar Land Rover has said that it plans to offer each new or significantly redesigned model in electrified variants starting in 2020. Land Rover is also showing a mild-hybrid version of the 2020 Range Rover Evoque and 2019 Range Rover Sport, plus plug-in hybrid variants of the 2020 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. In addition to being named World Car of the Year, the I-Pace took home World Car Design of the Year and World Green Car of the Year. The F-Pace, the brand's flagship SUV, won World Car of the Year in 2017. Callum also said he believes that sedans have a future, even as he acknowledged the importance of SUVs as the brand's volume-selling "breadwinners." Jaguar is an increasingly rare breed of automaker with more cars, at four [the F-Type, XE, XF and XJ] than SUVs [the I-Pace, E-Pace and F-Pace]. "The vehicle mix is the right balance," he said. "I personally don't believe that sedans are going to disappear. People will continue to go with sedans. The range you see currently will be eventually replaced by like-sized cars. That's all I can say about that at the moment, but the XJ will be replaced, and eventually the XE and XF will be replaced. I really believe the cars are here forever, I don't think they're going to disappear in favor of SUVs."

Jaguar rolls out 2014 XJ updates

It may be an uphill battle with Mercedes-Benz having rolled out its all-new S-Class, but in an effort to entice more customers towards its flagship sedan, Jaguar has announced a series of enhancements for the XJ.
A number of upgrades aim to make the long-wheelbase model that much more accommodating, with new airline-style rear seats that recline, massage and optimize the headroom in the back. The rear suspension has also been recalibrated for comfort, and there's a new optional Meridian sound system with a Conversation Assist feature that uses microphones in the headliner to pick up occupants' voices and pipe them through the speakers to support the art of conversation in motion.
The engine range carries over unchanged, but each engine is now mated to an eight-speed automatic with an available stop/start system which Jaguar says takes less time to restart the engine than it takes for the driver to move his or her right foot from brake to gas. Full details in the press release below.