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Jaguar ended production of the XJ sedan in July, 2019

It's the end of the line for Jaguar's long-running XJ sedan, at least as we've come to know it today. Jaguar has confirmed to Autoblog that production of the current XJ will end this summer, with a report from Autocar suggesting that July 5 is the official end date. The brand's flagship sedan will get a replacement, and a spokesperson further confirmed to us that Jaguar will "continue the XJ nameplate." What's not entirely clear is when that vehicle will hit the market, or exactly what form it will take. At least we have some good clues. A few months back at the New York Auto Show, Jaguar design chief Ian Callum told us that "the XJ will be replaced" by a "like-size" car. He also hinted that they would be "doing more battery cars at Jaguar," and that the plan wouldn't be "just batteries put in an old car." Connecting the dots, it seems likely that the XJ will be replaced by a large flagship electric sedan. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Just last year, Jaguar celebrated the XJ's 50th anniversary with a special limited-edition model called the XJ50, and punctuated that debut with a lovely roadtrip that started at Jaguar's home in Coventry and concluded at the Paris Motor Show. But before we get too sentimental about what's come before, we ought to remember that the XJ's very name stands for "eXperimental Jaguar." So whatever comes next — likely a swoopy aluminum-intensive sedan chock full of batteries and a couple of powerful electric motors — will fit right in line with the British flagship's original mission statement. Onward and upward, chaps.

Jaguar Land Rover building new R&D center for hybrids, EVs, autonomous cars

The success of Jaguar Land Rover in recent years has largely been down to a resurgent product lineup, but a recent move into the research and development will see the British-based, Indian-owned brands take the fight to its German rivals more aggressively than ever before.
JLR is investing 50 million pounds ($80,345,000, as of this writing) in a joint R&D center in central England. The move will more than triple its staff dedicated to research, from 150 to 500, with Wolfgang Epple, JLR's Director of Research and Technology telling Automotive News Europe, "In order to play among the big animals in automotive and to be anchored in the mind of customers you have to have offered something unique, to be first in market. We want to be one of the key premier automotive manufacturers."
Jaguar Land Rover's 50-million-pound contribution represents more than half of the 94-million-pound tab, on the so-called National Automotive Innovation Campus. Based at Warwick University, Tata's European Technical Center, Warwick Manufacturing Group and the Higher Education Funding Council, an agency of the British government, are all chipping in for the facility.

Jaguar F-Pace shows off its production pelt for first time

We're no strangers to the Jaguar F-Pace, having spotted the production mules for the aristocratic English brand's first crossover on a few different occasions. Today, though, we get not only our first time look at the car in production sheetmetal, but also confirmation that the production model won't stray far from the sexy C-X17 Concept. Riding atop the same aluminum platform that underpins the already acclaimed XE sedan, the F-Pace follows the example set by the Range Rover Evoque, offering up almost a chopped-top look, particularly near the rear, where the plunging roofline and high beltline meet. That said, similarities to products from sister company Land Rover look to be mere coincidences, as the sheetmetal being shown appears all Jag. There's a prominent, snout-like grille that's flanked by a pair of predatory, LED-accented headlights. In back, the small rear window crowns a pair of thin, wraparound taillights. Think XE, with small influences from the F-Type for these units. As for what hides underneath those muscular body panels, our spies are predicting the standard allotment of Jag goodness. That means a gas-powered 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder and a 3.0-liter, supercharged V6, both borrowed from the XE/XF to start, before diesel and hybrid powertrains roll out. Naturally, all-wheel drive will be offered, although the F-Pace should also arrive sporting rear-wheel drive. And while we've got little to go on to believe it's happening, we're still hoping for an F-Pace R, complete with blown 5.0-liter V8. We suspect we'll be waiting on that one for awhile, though. You, though, don't have to wait to check out our spy snaps of the newest Jag in the litter. Check out our photos of the F-Pace, available up top.