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Cat Scratch Fever: Jaguar's turnaround looks toward the US

It is ironic that a British car company, steeped in the European sports-car tradition and now owned by an Indian industrial conglomerate, will ambitiously be seeking to attract customers in the United States with, of all things, a truck. But there it is: Jaguar's beefy F-Pace crossover, the first SUV in the company's 80-year history, hit the ground last month at the Frankfurt motor show. The F-Pace – along with the new XE sedan designed to take on the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4 both in Europe and on these shores – is spearheading the brand's hoped-for turnaround on this side of the Pond. In the States, Jaguar is still a big player for Tata Motors of India, which bought Jaguar Land Rover from Ford for $2.3 billion after months of back-and-forth negotiations in 2008. It seemed like an incredibly brassy move at the time, when the economy worldwide was reeling and Britain's automotive industry was on its heels. And while the Jaguar brand name has a grand historical resonance, in the first nine months of 2015 it moved just over 11,000 cars in the US, down five percent for the same period the previous year. But if Porsche can capitalize on SUV sales, so can Jaguar. The tea leaves are promising come next spring, when both new premium luxury models arrive in the US. The F-Pace will have a starting price of about $43,000; the sedan range starts at a competitive $35,000. View 25 Photos Architecturally, both models are similar, with a modular aluminum chassis, and, for the F-Pace, a range of gasoline and diesel engines for Europe as well as rear- or all-wheel drive. For the American market, the model-year 2017 crossover will launch with a 380-horsepower gasoline V6 mated to an eight-speed transmission and all-wheel drive. Later in 2016, a 180-hp four-cylinder Ingenium diesel is expected to be added to the lineup. Both models are currently built in the UK, although if demand increases, Jaguar is likely to shift some production to Brazil, China, or Eastern Europe. I wanted a Jaguar that was designed as a crossover, not the other way round. For Jaguar design director Ian Callum, who showed up at the SUV's formal debut in Frankfurt, skepticism – did we mention that Jaguar was a sports-car company? – turned to enthusiasm as his team worked to develop some "drama" in the SUV's shape. "I wanted a Jaguar that was designed as a crossover, not the other way round," he said.

US-spec 2017 Jaguar XE sport sedan revealed

The Jaguar XE touched down in certain international markets earlier this year, but now the US gets its first crack at the 2017 model, already updated after just a few months on sale. Our various drives of the entry-level cat have made us purr, and the price/engine combos aren't bad either: $34,900 for the XE 25t and its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gas engine with 240 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque, $36,400 for the XE 20d and its 2.0-liter diesel four-cylinder with 180 hp and 311 lb-ft, and $41,700 for the XE 35t and its 3.0-liter supercharged V6 with 340 hp and 332 lb-ft. All those prices are before the $995 destination charge. That Ingenium diesel will be the first oil-powered Jaguar on our shores, and will be one of the two models available with the company's torque-on-demand all-wheel drive, along with the 340-hp supercharged V6. Both AWD models are pure rear-wheel drive until power is required up front, at which time it can be shunted forward in 165 milliseconds. All trims get a ZF eight-speed automatic, but the supercharged 35t gets the sturdier 8HP70 transmission, while the rest get the more compact 8HP45 transmission. Cabin options will include an InControl Touch infotainment system with an eight-inch screen or an InControl Touch Pro system with a 10.2-inch screen and Apple Watch connectivity. Standard audio comes from a 380-watt system with 11 speakers, the upgrade runs to 825 watts and adds six more speakers. The sheet of standard and optional driver aids lists All-Surface Progress Control, a low-speed cruise control on top of adaptive cruise control, a laser heads-up display, Traffic Sign Recognition and an adaptive speed limiter that uses traffic sign information. The even newer XE gets here next spring, you can read more about it in the meantime in the press release below. 2017 JAGUAR XE DEBUTS IN LOS ANGELES WITH AWD AND APPLE WATCH CONNECTIVITY - Award-winning Jaguar XE sports sedan to arrive in U.S.

Frankfurt Motor Show Notes: Why Jaguar decided to build an SUV

It was inevitable. Jaguar had to make an SUV, and that notion became reality this week with the debut of the F-Pace, an all-wheel-drive five-seater that will launch in the United States next spring. Some purists may cringe. But in an era when Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, and other traditional luxury brands are all building or (planning to build) SUVs, Jaguar had to evolve. While it seems like a leap for Jaguar to make an SUV, longtime design director Ian Callum said it's been in the works for years. "The first time I was asked the question was when I arrived 16 years ago," he said. So in 1999 (and probably well before that), Jaguar was already thinking SUV. What took so long? "It wasn't a priority," Callum said. Jaguar was concentrating on fixing its existing lineup, which was pockmarked with holes and poorly selling products, like the X-Type. Along the way, Jaguar and sister brand Land Rover were sold by Ford to Indian conglomerate Tata Motors. Flash forward several years, and Jaguar and Land Rover are both experiencing a resurgence in the United States and around the world. Jaguar's lineup is flush with the E-Type's modern successor, the F-Type, plus a new version of the XF. The XJ received a 2016 freshening, and the smaller XE sedan is on the way. Jaguar put its house in order as other factors conspired to make a crossover timely. Fuel prices stayed relatively low, and consumers in the US and China remained steadfast in their love for utility vehicles of all stripes. Making a Jaguar SUV became a priority. "The world was telling us in no uncertain terms this is what they wanted," Callum said. "Not to be in the sector would be a little naive for the sake of purity." Jaguar proved its intent two years ago when it revealed the C-X17 crossover concept at Frankfurt, and the final production model is close to the prototype's striking looks. "I thought we managed to maintain that spirit," Callum said. It's a true Jaguar, with cues from the F-Type, 1968 XJ, and other famous models. Who would have thought Jaguar would make an SUV? "I certainly didn't," Callum admitted. But the F-Pace is here. If Callum is okay with it, purists can be, too. Quick Hits Opel retrenches for 2016 and beyond Opel used the Frankfurt show to display its new generation of the Astra, a critical vehicle line for the German division of General Motors.