2018 Jaguar F-pace Premium on 2040-cars

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Jaguar J-Pace crossover spied with diesel hybrid power

The new Jaguar F-Pace is only now hitting dealerships, but the British automaker is already testing a bigger, higher-end example. Allegedly named J-Pace – tying it to the flagship XJ sedan the same way the F-Pace is to the XF (so expect an E-Pace before too long) – Jaguar's engineers stretched the wheelbase and cobbled together a big CUV from an F-Pace's body parts. The biggest giveaway is on the rear door's cutline. A normal F-Pace's shut line runs right into the middle of the rear wheel arch. But on this mule, the door closes well forward of the arch. Outside the axles, Jag has stretched the front overhang – it's far more prominent with a completely different lower intake – and the super-short rear overhang reinforces the idea that we're seeing a longer platform. While we know the wheelbase is longer than the normal F-Pace, the platform underpinning this mule could go one of three ways. First, in what would probably be the most cost-effective route, Jaguar could simply stretch the chassis underpinning the F-Pace. Second, Jag could mine the Land Rover parts bin for a fullsize platform, perhaps from the Range Rover. It's not a crazy idea, and would open the J-Pace to a more potent line of powertrains – hello 5.0-liter, supercharged V8. Finally, the J-Pace could borrow its platform from the XJ sedan. One reason this mule could be riding on a Land Rover platform is because of its powertrain. According to the vehicle lookup on the British Ministry of Transport's website – see the final slide in our gallery above – the mule's number plates belong to a vehicle with a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine and an electric motor, a diesel hybrid. The fullsize Range Rover is available in such a configuration outside the US, but it uses a 3.0-liter V6. Clearly, the J-Pace is still very early in its development process. That means we shouldn't count on seeing a production-ready vehicle for quite some time. Our spies point to a 2019 debut as a 2020 model. We'll just have to wait and see. Related Video: Featured Gallery Jaguar J-Pace: Spy Shots View 12 Photos Image Credit: KGP Photography Green Spy Photos Jaguar Crossover Hybrid Luxury

Weekly Recap: Chrysler forges ahead with new name, same mission

Chrysler is history. Sort of. The 89-year-old automaker was absorbed into the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles conglomerate that officially launched this fall, and now the local operations will no longer use the Chrysler Group name. Instead, it's FCA US LLC. Catchy, eh? Here's what it means: The sign outside Chrysler's Auburn Hills, MI, headquarters says FCA (which it already did) and obviously, all official documents use the new name, rather than Chrysler. That's about it. The executives, brands and location of the headquarters aren't changing. You'll still be able to buy a Chrysler 200. It's just made by FCA US LLC. This reinforces that FCA is one company going forward – the seventh largest automaker in the world – not a Fiat-Chrysler dual kingdom. While the move is symbolic, it is a conflicting moment for Detroiters, though nothing is really changing. Chrysler has been owned by someone else (Daimler, Cerberus) for the better part of two decades, but it still seemed like it was Chrysler in the traditional sense: A Big 3 automaker in Detroit. Now, it's clearly the US division of a multinational industrial empire; that's good thing for its future stability, but bittersweet nonetheless. Undoubtedly, it's an emotion that's also being felt at Fiat's Turin, Italy, headquarters as the company will no longer officially be called Fiat there. Digest that for a moment. What began in 1899 as the Societa Anonima Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino – or FIAT – is now FCA Italy SpA. In a statement, FCA said the move "is intended to emphasize the fact that all group companies worldwide are part of a single organization." The new names are the latest changes orchestrated by CEO Sergio Marchionne, who continues to makeover FCA as an international automaker that has ties to its heritage – but isn't tied down by it. Everything from the planned spinoff of Ferrari, a new FCA headquarters in London and the pending demise of the Dodge Grand Caravan in 2016 has shown that the company is willing to move quickly, even if it's controversial. While renaming the United States and Italian divisions were the moves most likely to spur controversy, FCA said other regions across the globe will undergo similar name changes this year. Despite the mixed emotions, it's worth noting: The name of the merged company that oversees all of these far-flung units is Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Obviously the Chrysler corporate name isn't completely history.

Jaguar's electric XJ sedan spied playing (again) in the snow

UPDATE: A much better set of spy shots hit our inboxes this morning, so we've updated this story with the new photos. As you can see, we have a pretty complete set of photographs showing the new all-electric Jaguar XJ from pretty much every angle. The first set of spy photos can be seen further down below The original story continues: The image gallery above represents our best look yet of the soon-to-be-reborn Jaguar XJ. Unlike the sedan's first 50 or so years, this one is electric, which makes sense considering the original mission statement for Jag's flagship people hauler was to be an "eXperimental Jaguar." The automaker has already told us that the electrified XJ will ride atop the Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA) platform as "the world's first, full-electric luxury sports saloon," as they've apparently forgotten that Tesla and the Porsche Taycan already exist. Unfortunately, the shots we have to share with you today aren't great — the photographer suggests the driver of the big cat was quite adept at eluding his lens — but unlike the last time it's at least moving (quickly) under its own power and we can definitely make out a very slinky four-door shape. This is going to be a very large car, which makes sense considering it'll share its MLA guts with upcoming SUVs from corporate cousin Land Rover. Judging by the cutlines in the camouflage at the rear, it appears to be a five-door hatchback shell, a form it will share with the Tesla Model S. That same camo covers most of the lighting elements, so we're not sure how close they conform to the teaser you can see here. Jaguar has said that vehicles based on the MLA platform will get 90.2-kWh battery packs capable of up to 292 miles of range, though those estimates would be lower on U.S. testing cycles. The chassis has been built to accept internal combustion engines and hybrids, too, a necessary compromise if the next XJ is going to fully compete with Jaguar's German rivals. We can't say if this particular prototype is all electric or if there's an engine resting underhood, but the big covered grille opening suggests cooling won't be an issue either way. Related Video: