2006 Jaguar S-type R Sedan 4-door 4.2l on 2040-cars

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Jaguar InControl Touch Pro Infotainment Review | Improved, but far from the best

The infotainment systems in Jaguar or Land Rover vehicles over the past many years have been a cause for concern. They’ve been slow to respond, lacking in features and lagging behind the high-tech luxury competition by a wide margin.  Software updates and newer, better hardware keep coming, though. That being the case, it's time to take another look at what the latest infotainment system from Jaguar can do and how it goes about its business. We happened to be in JaguarÂ’s freshest product on the market for this test, too, the 2021 Jaguar F-Type R. Watch out for a full test on that car soon. Jaguar names its tech the Jaguar InControl Touch Pro system, and itÂ’s running on every model but the ancient XJ. The refreshed XE is also distinctive in that itÂ’s running the Touch Pro Duo screen setup that replaces the vast majority of the physical climate controls with a touchscreen. To get a visual guide and watch the screen in action, check out the video above.  In addition to the central screen, we also dive into the fully digitized instrument cluster thatÂ’s become the standard for other Jaguar models. The F-Type gained the screen this year, and it operates similarly to all the others.  On the surface, JaguarÂ’s infotainment system is rather simple and modern. ItÂ’s a clean UI thatÂ’s free of the many frills and fancies you might find in a Mercedes or Audi. YouÂ’ll never get lost in a sea of menus or settings a la BMW iDrive, as Jaguar never allows you to dive several levels deep. ThatÂ’s good for simplicityÂ’s sake and makes operating the system a cinch once you learn where the functions are. JaguarÂ’s bottom row of frequently used items is a perfect place to start, because thereÂ’s a good chance that youÂ’ll rarely need to stray from this small subset of functions. Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto boot right up via a wired connection. They worked without issue all week long in the F-Type without glitches or failures to operate. In fact, we were generally impressed with this infotainment system and the accompanying digital cluster. It was only plagued by the occasional stutter or long pause between clicks, but not as often as in past Jaguars and Land Rovers. Unfortunately, itÂ’s tough to keep up when the German competition seems to be running systems that are faster, more fluid and bursting with features. Admittedly, some of those features are things that may never be truly useful and add to their aforementioned complexity.

Jaguar crossover to be named F-Pace [w/video]

Remember when the Apple iPad came out, and even reclusive Myanmar tribes were signing up for the Internet just so they could comment, "What kind of @#$%^ name is that?" But now, no one thinks "iPad" is unusual. Well, maybe the name of the new Jaguar crossover, F-Pace, will be like that. Maybe. We're told it was christened after worshipping at the altars of the F-Type and the company tagline, "Grace, Pace and Space" coined by founding father Sir William Lyons. The rest of it shouldn't give pause, though. Called a "performance crossover," the production version of the CX-17 concept will have five seats and be built on the firm's new aluminum-intensive platform. It's promised to have an "advanced suspension system" that incorporates both Jaguar's Instinctive All Wheel Drive and All Surface Progress Control tech, the latter being a low-speed cruise control for handling slippery surfaces, touted on the coming XE R-Sport model. Unfortunately, we've been told the production F-Pace won't actually get a Detroit Auto Show reveal, despite the video leading us to believe that will be the case. However, the CUV is well into development testing and will hit showrooms next year. So get ready. For the F-Pace. There's video above, you can click on the inset image to begin acquainting yourself with that name, and a press release below has a few more particulars. JAGUAR F-PACE: AN ALL-NEW PERFORMANCE CROSSOVER TO JOIN LINE-UP IN 2016 - Jaguar announces F-PACE – the production version of the breakthrough C-X17 concept car - A highly-efficient five-seat performance crossover underpinned by Jaguar's innovative aluminium-intensive architecture and advanced suspension system - All-weather and dynamic driving traction to be aided by the Instinctive All Wheel Drive® system and Jaguar's All Surface Progress Control technology* - The Jaguar F-PACE will deliver an unrivalled blend of style, performance and practicality (MAHWAH, NJ) – January 11, 2015 – Jaguar has today confirmed it will introduce an all-new model to the Jaguar line-up, to go on-sale in 2016, named the Jaguar F-PACE. Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar, commented, "We received such an overwhelmingly positive response to the C-X17 concept car last year that we just had to make it a reality. "The Jaguar F-PACE, inspired by the F-TYPE, represents a perfectly judged balance of style, performance and practicality.

Automotive Grade Linux will be the backbone of your connected car

Creating a backend for a secure, reliable, and expandable infotainment system is costly and time consuming. The Linux Foundation, a non-profit organization, has set out to promote and advance the Linux operating system in commercial products. Automotive Grade Linux, or AGL, is a group within the Foundation that seeks to apply a Linux backend to a number of automotive applications in a variety of vehicles from various suppliers and manufacturers. AGL's goal is to create a common, unifying framework that allows developers and manufacturers to easily implement applications across platforms. Currently, the focus is on infotainment systems, but AGL has plans for instrument clusters, heads-up displays, and eventually active safety software. At CES, a display from Panasonic showed a completely digital and customizable dashboard that allows information and apps to be moved from the gauge cluster to the infotainment screen and back, all through the use of gesture and touch controls. Although the organization has been around for five years, it's really only been in the past three that the group has been working hand in hand with automakers and suppliers. The first two OEMs to participate, Toyota and Jaguar Land Rover, have since been joined by Mazda, Suzuki, Ford, and, as of this week, Daimler. The latter is important as until now most of AGL's partner's have been based in Japan or the US. Other partners include suppliers Denso, Renesas, Continental, Qualcomm, and Intel. AGL want's to supply roughly 80 percent of the backend, allowing partners to then finish and refine the Linux system for each individual application. Think of how the Android operating system is refined and customized for individual smartphones from Samsung, LG, and Motorola. While the final product looks different, developers can have an application that will work across all AGL systems. Because it is open source, anyone can use and develop for AGL. You can even go onto the group's website and download a copy right now. There is also a software development kit available that helps facilitate app creation on the platform. Vehicle development cycles take roughly five years, so there currently are no cars that run an AGL backbone available for consumers. AGL Executive Director Dan Cauchy says products should be hitting the market later this year, with even more coming in 2018. Right now, the industry is relatively fragmented when it comes to infotainment and related systems.