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Jaguar previews XF sedan ahead of New York debut

Jaguar is in the midst of an aggressive product expansion, with the new F-Type taking it back into sports-car territory, the upcoming F-Pace putting it in the crossover market for the first time and the XE renewing Jag's assault on the entry-level luxury-sedan segment. But it hasn't forgotten about its core models. The British automaker has a new flagship XJ under development, and Jag will showcase a brand-new XF at the New York Auto Show next month. But before it does, Jaguar has given us something to chew on with these teaser images: one showing the new sedan from above, and one showing the new cockpit. Now it may be hard discern much from that overhead view – which is not a typical teaser – but it's clear the new XF will feature more sharply creased body lines and a large panoramic sunroof. Meanwhile the interior looks like a modern update of the current model, borrowing some elements from the smaller XE. There's a wider infotainment display, the rotary knob for the transmission has moved toward the center, some (but not all) of the air vents appear to hide away when not in use, and there's a sportier steering wheel – though we do appear to be looking at the more performance-oriented S model. The XF, for those having trouble keeping track, is Jaguar's challenger to the likes of the Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 and Maserati Ghibli. It was introduced in 2007, and has been available (in certain markets anyway) in sedan and wagon forms, with engines ranging from a 2.0-liter turbo four with 240 horsepower all the way up to a 5.0-liter supercharged V8. With the New York show fast approaching, we won't have to wait much longer for a complete view of the new XF. But even before then, Jaguar promises to reveal the new XF in dramatic fashion in London: on March 24, it will drive the new sedan on two wires barely more than an inch thick suspended high above the river.

Jaguar Land Rover building new Special Vehicle Operations facility

It's only been a couple of months since Jaguar Land Rover announced the formation of its new Special Operations division, and we've already seen a number of vehicles to come out of it. But now the British automaker has announced a new facility that will house its elite skunkworks department.
Set to be built at Prologis Park in Ryton, England, on the outskirts of Coventry, the new Special Vehicle Operations Technical Centre will encompass dedicated production lines, F1-style flexible workshops, a dedicated paint studio and VIP suite for commissioning bespoke projects. JLR will spend some $33 million on the facility that will be home to 150 specialists - 100 of them being new hires.
The first project which the Special Operations division is working on is the F-Type Project 7, but we've already seen more projects in the pipeline - including the upcoming Range Rover Sport SVR - and you can bet there'll be more. The revival of the Lightweight E-Type also falls under Special Operations, but is undertaken by the Jaguar Heritage department located nearby at Browns Lane.

Jaguar Land Rover tech tracks brainwaves, heart, lungs

Jaguar Land Rover has been on a bit of a tech kick lately, and its latest is called Mind Sense, which uses biometric sensors to monitor and enhance the driver's level of alertness. Jaguar is installing brainwave sensors adapted from NASA into the steering wheel of an XJ sedan, along with medical-grade heart and respiratory sensors in the seat. Together, the sensors would determine if the driver is focused on the road, dozing off, merely thinking about something else, or if the driver's stress level suddenly peaks. The system would enable the vehicle to better prepare for an emergency, or for a future autonomous vehicle to hand off control to a better-prepared driver where needed. At the same time, JLR is also working on an enhanced infotainment system designed to reduce the amount of time the driver's hands are off the wheel and their eyes are off the road. The system determines which control they're reaching for on the display and engages it while their finger is still in mid-air, deploying an ultrasonic pulse to provide artificial haptic feedback without actually having to touch anything. Finally, a new haptic accelerator pedal is under development that could alert the driver to respond to an impending situation without overloading the senses with chimes and beeps. These latest developments follow the demonstration of a remote-control system installed on a Range Rover Sport, and follow in a long line of new technologies under development by the British automaker. JAGUAR LAND ROVER ROAD SAFETY RESEARCH INCLUDES BRAIN WAVE MONITORING TO IMPROVE DRIVER CONCENTRATION AND REDUCE ACCIDENTS - Jaguar Land Rover's pioneering Mind Sense project is researching measuring brainwaves to monitor driver concentration in the car - Researchers are developing a Wellness Seat in a Jaguar XJ which analyses the driver's heart rate and breathing to monitor driver health and stress - Touchscreens that predict which button you want to press as the user's fingers are in mid-air - to minimise time spent with eyes off the road - Jaguar Land Rover researchers use new haptic accelerator pedal to communicate hazards to the driver Whitley, UK: Jaguar Land Rover has revealed a range of new road safety technology research projects that are being developed to reduce the number of accidents caused by drivers who are stressed, distracted and not concentrating on the road ahead.