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Porsche, Jaguar continue dominance in 2015 JD Power APEAL study

The top of JD Power's 2015 APEAL Study has not changed much in the last year. Porsche remains No. 1 with Jaguar nipping at its heels, although both premium brands saw their overall score fall compared to 2014. For those that need a refresher, the APEAL Study looks at how "gratifying" a vehicle is to own and drive, rating cars and brands on a 1,000-point scale. The industry average for 2015 has increased from 794 to 798, while the total number of automakers that finished above the curve increased from 16 to 20. While Porsche and Jaguar finished at the top, their scores dropped eight and seven points, respectively, to 874 and 855. The top "non-premium" brand was Mini, which scored an impressive 825, up from 795. If the BMW-owned British marque is still a bit too premium for your tastes, last year's non-premium winner, Hyundai, did climb five points and is this year's runner up. At the opposite end of the scale, Smart sits at the very bottom of the rankings, with a score of 683 (it didn't appear on the 2014 rankings). Fiat also dropped, from fourth worst in 2014 to second worst in 2015, despite the 500 being named most appealing city car. Subaru made an impressive climb, from third worst to seventh, falling just 10 points shy of the industry average and two points south of the non-premium average. In the individual vehicle segments, eight brands earned multiple awards, with Ford, Chevrolet, and Porsche earning three apiece. Surprise segment victories included the new Ford Expedition, which beat out Chevy's popular Suburban. The Infiniti QX80 bested the likes of the Cadillac Escalade and Range Rover for best large luxury SUV, and the Dodge Challenger beat its muscle car rivals from Ford and Chevy. Most of the victories, though, were quite predictable. The Mazda6 and CX-5 took wins for the midsize sedan and compact SUV categories respectively, while the Volkswagen Golf captured the compact car win. The Ford F-150 won the large pickup category, while the Porsche Cayman was named most appealing compact premium sporty car. Check out the official release on the 2015 APEAL Study, available below, from JD Power. 2015 U.S. APEAL Study Results The latest safety-related technologies are among the drivers of customer satisfaction with new vehicles, according to the J.D. Power 2015 U.S.

2021 Jaguar I-Pace updates include better infotainment, faster charging

Jaguar grabbed an armful of features from the JLR corporate store to improve the 2021 I-Pace, including bits from Land Rover and more technology from the brand's Formula E campaign. Restrained exterior mods start with Atlas Grey tips on the grille mesh, three new color choices in Caldera Red, Portofino Blue, and Eiger Grey, new wheel designs, and 19-inch wheels replacing the 18-inchers on the base-model S. An optional Bright Pack affixes a chrome grille surround, satin chrome window surrounds, and splashes of Atlas Grey on the mirror caps and rear diffuser. The optional Black Pack claims more real estate, painting the rear badges in gloss black. A 3D surround camera system is standard for 2021. Even more ease for drivers comes with the ClearSight digital rear-view mirror that debuted on the latest Range Rover Evoque. A rear-facing, wide-angle camera mounted in the infotainment system's roof antenna can sends images to the inside mirror with the flick of a toggle.  The biggest convenience addition is the Pivi Pro infotainment system that arrived with the new Land Rover Defender, replacing the Touch Pro Duo unit. A 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster pairs with the carryover 10-inch upper and five-inch lower instrument panel screens. Intended to reproduce the smartphone experience on larger screens, a backup battery gets the navigation initialized quickly, and zooming needs no more than a finger pinch. The "flat" menu structure puts oft-used functions on the home screen, and cuts in half the steps required to input a destination compared to the Touch Pro Duo. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come standard, as does 4G data enabling live traffic, in-unit Spotify and other listening apps, and swift over-the-air updates. Wireless phone charging with signal boost is optional. On top of Pivi's algorithms to learn the best routing and stay quiet during parts of a route that the I-Pace travels regularly (why don't more systems do this?), the 4G support means continuously updated info on EV chargers along the route. Which brings us to hardware and software changes in the powertrain, courtesy of Formula E. Its 394 horsepower and 234 miles of range are unchanged, but the ease of getting that range does. Instead of the 7-kW, two-phase onboard charger, the 2021 I-Pace packs an 11-kW, three-phase charger. Plugged into an 11-kW wall box charger, range grows by 33 miles every hour, compared to 22 miles every hour with the 7-kW system.

2018 Jaguar F-Pace S Long-Term Review | Wrapping up our six-month test

It's been six months since our long-term 2018 Jaguar F-Pace S arrived to warm our hands and hearts. Jaguar's most popular model with consumers was equally popular with the Autoblog staff. We drove it 13,000 miles and would continue to rack up more if Jaguar would just let us keep the keys. It was a great follow-up to our fuel-efficient but slightly gutless 2017 Jaguar XE diesel. Our Caesium Blue bomber is loaded with nearly every option. That includes heated seats front and rear, a black package that swaps out chrome for black trim, and a full-size spare (that takes up a lot space). The S model's supercharged 3.0-liter V6 sends 380 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic. All in, our F-Pace S will set you back $74,640. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: I spent a lot of time in the F-Pace this year. It's powerful, sporty, looks sharp (love the lively blue-purple paint) and has a solid interior. The styling resonated with me. I think Jaguar design boss Ian Callum and team nailed the proportions and curves. A crossover was sure to be controversial with Jag loyalists, but it's beautiful, and the reasoning for joining the SUV fray is ironclad. Everybody from Ferrari to Porsche is there. I appreciated the driving dynamics. The steering has decent feedback, the engine sounds good and has energy, and you ride just high enough to feel in command. The Jaguar DNA comes through. I took it to a tailgate, where I was boxed in and had to be the guy in the Jaguar who asks people to move so he can leave early. Cutting through rows of tailgaters in a purple Jag with black wheels isn't exactly subtle. But the car was versatile. I put tons of groceries in the back. My dog enjoyed the second row. It was good in snow. All the things you want in a crossover. The F-Pace was one of the more memorable long-termers we've had at Autoblog. It was fun to drive and stayed in high demand, even after we'd had it for months. It's not perfect. The interior was a little plain, and I don't love the infotainment, but in its first attempt at a crossover — Jaguar nailed it. Senior Editor, Green John Beltz Snyder: While I found it comfortable for long highway drives Up North, this thing is absolutely ferocious in Dynamic Mode with the gear selector set to S. The paddles amp up the fun. It really changed the character of this cat, and I was always surprised by the transformation. I got a lot of looks in the F-Pace.