Nav Navigation Park Sensors Heated Bluetooth Leather Sat Lux Luxury Memory Siriu on 2040-cars

Auto blog

We should probably call this the Jaguar Fast Pace

Jaguar appears be working on a high-performance R variant of its slinky F-Pace crossover. But, it has done an excellent job of hiding that in these spy shots. There really are no visual indicators that this test car is anything special. The lights, grille openings, and even exhaust all appear to be standard-issue F-Pace. According to the spy photographer, what doesn't come across is the sound of the crossover, which he reports is quite loud, thus this strongly sounds like the F-Pace R. We expect at least 500 horsepower, and the ute could borrow the V8 from the F-Type R, or run a new, tuned-up version of the V6. We would lean toward the F-Type R V8. Since that engine has also been used in the performance version of the XF, which shares other powertrains with the F-Pace, it would likely be the easiest to drop into the crossover. We also aren't sure when this fast-paced F-Pace will come to market, but the wait probably won't be too long. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Jaguar F-Pace R View 12 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos Jaguar Crossover Performance jaguar f-pace

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

Jaguar F-Pace snapped inside and out

We've seen the Jaguar F-Pace undergoing testing before: at the Nurburgring, in the snow, and wearing a variety of different bodywork as development has progressed. But we've never seen it this close, and we've never seen it inside, until now. This latest batch of spy shots shows Coventry's new crossover out on the road undergoing warm-weather testing in what looks like Spain. It's tellingly parked in between a Jaguar XE and Range Rover Evoque, the gap between which the F-Pace is expected to bridge. It's still wearing heavy camouflage, of course, but this is our first glimpse inside the cockpit. The cabin rather similar to the one on the new XF sedan – and hardly any more upright, either, which tells us a bit about the handling character Jaguar is going after with the F-Pace. Expect to see the finished product at the Frankfurt Motor Show this coming fall – the same show where it unveiled the C-X17 concept two years ago to preview its arrival. Related Video: