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Weekly Recap: Automakers rethink the definition of luxury

Variety is the spice of life, but it's becoming a prerequisite for luxury carmakers in the ultra-competitive US market. The Detroit Auto Show was strong evidence of this reality. It's not enough to offer attractive and well-appointed cars and SUVs anymore. Luxury brands that want to be competitive need to invest in everything from high-powered supercars to clever hybrids. To be relevant, you need to be green and mean – and everything in between. As General Motors product chief Mark Reuss said after the reveal of the 640-horsepower Cadillac CTS-V: "We are not leaving anything on the table." He was speaking for Cadillac, but he might as well have been speaking for the luxury car market. The CTS-V debuted in Detroit about an hour after Lexus surprised showgoers with the reveal of the RC F GT3 race car and then announced ambitious plans to return to competitive racing. That almost overshadowed the fact Lexus had just revealed another potent addition to its growing F line, the 467-hp GS F. View 20 Photos But for luxury brands, it's not just about maximum horsepower for well-heeled enthusiasts or decadent amenities for the Grey Poupon set. Strong competition from all corners has forced automakers to refine and expand their lineups in ways unforeseen even a few years ago. Case in point: Mercedes-Benz finally has an answer to the BMW X6, rolling out the GLE coupe in Detroit. The X6, which blends coupe-like styling cues with some of the functionality of an SUV, debuted in 2008. Back then it was a punchline, but seven years and more than 260,000 sales later, the X6's success has compelled Benz to respond. Mercedes – one of the strongest proponents of diesel technology – also debuted the C350 plug-in hybrid sedan, which promises a range of 20 miles on electricity, though fuel economy figures were not announced. The car pairs Mercedes' well-received 208-hp turbocharged four-cylinder with an electric motor for total output of 275 hp and 443 pound-feet of torque. Meanwhile, Infiniti will add the Q30 hatchback to its lineup by the end of the year, new president Roland Kruger reiterated in Detroit. It's expected to be joined by a crossover variant, and the additions will help strengthen Infiniti in the United States and abroad. "While we're expanding our product line, we're also expanding our market reach," he said. That's something echoed by Jaguar executives, who are preparing to launch the brand's first crossover, the F-Pace, in 2016.

2024 Jaguar F-Pace makes more style standard equipment

Jaguar has overhauled its F-Pace offer for global markets, moving the rest of the world to the 2024 model year before the end of 2022. For countries that get the F-Pace P400e PHEV, the good news is the lithium-ion battery's been given an extra cell module to increase capacity to 19.2 kWh. That takes pure electric range from 33 miles to 40 miles on the WLTP cycle. Jaguar says this trim accounts for more than 10% of F-Pace sales globally, a healthy tally considering North America accounts for perhaps a third of global sales and Jaguar doesn't offer its flagship PHEV here yet. In countries that favor electrified vehicles like the Netherlands, Jaguar says uptake can reach 98%. The rest of the F-Pace range has been reworked so that every model gets the R-Dynamic trim package, eliminating the base F-Pace and F-Pace S. In full-featured markets, the trim step from bottom to top goes, R-Dynamic S on 19-inch wheels, R-Dynamic SE on 20-inch wheels, R-Dynamic HSE on 21-inch wheels, 400 SPORT and SVR both on 22-inch wheels, plus a choice of six engines. If this change is applied to our market, we'll be left with the F-Pace R-Dynamic S and F-Pace SVR, and two engines. New standard equipment means better spec for some versions, a TFT digital gauge cluster and the Pivi Pro infotainment system part of the purchase price. The infotainment comes with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, what3words navigation and Alexa integration. The R-Dynamic SE comes with wireless charging, the R-Dynamic HSE now comes with an Ebony Suedecloth headliner standard. If opting for the Black Pack on models that don't come with it, more external bits are drenched in the dark gloss: grille and grille surround, side mirror caps, fender vents, window surrounds, rear valance and rear badges. Detail changes include wheel center caps going monochrome black and silver instead of red and silver, and the R-Dynamic badge going monochrome black and gray instead of red and green. The 2024 F-Pace can be ordered now outside of North America. Jaguar should let us know soon what goodness we'll be getting. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2022 Jaguar F-Pace SVR Design Walk-Around | Autoblog Short Cuts

Not just 'our logo on a sail': Automakers gain technology from America's Cup

HAMILTON, Bermuda - From water taxis that "fly" on hydrofoils to aircraft wings and cutting-edge car steering wheels, the America's Cup has produced technology with potential far beyond its "foiling" catamarans. With their focus on carbon fiber and aerodynamics, the teams that fought for the America's Cup attracted partners including planemaker Airbus and automotive groups BMW and Land Rover, who were keen to learn from them. One area where this is likely to have an impact is in harnessing "foiling" technology, where the America's Cup boats "fly" above the water on foils, cutting water resistance. "Foiling in small electric boats will most likely appear on rivers in major cities. We are just at the beginning of the foiling adventure," Pierre Marie Belleau, head of Airbus Business Development, who managed its partnership with Larry Ellison's Oracle Team USA, told Reuters. The space-age catamarans used in the 35th America's Cup, which ended in victory for Emirates Team New Zealand this week, can sail at maximum speeds of 50 knots (57 mph) and have more in common with flying than sailing."CARBON FIBER RELATIONSHIP" For Jaguar Land Rover, which sponsored British sailor Ben Ainslie's attempt to win the cup, the relationship is a strategic one with a focus on technology and innovation. "We don't just get our logo onto a sail," Mark Cameron, JLR's Experiential Marketing Director, said by telephone, adding that the carmaker would be providing more designers to help Land Rover BAR with technology for their next campaign. "This is a dynamic sport that is developing fast. ... It's moving quickly just like the car industry is moving quickly. It's all changing," Land Rover produced a special steering wheel for Ainslie to use in the America's Cup, with in-built gear shift paddles that allowed him to adjust the catamaran's "flight" levels. The relationship is similar between BMW and Oracle Team USA, with the German automaker focused on areas including the electronics in the wheel used by skipper Jimmy Spithill, the development of carbon fiber used to make the boat and its components, and the aerodynamic testing. "We like to think of ourselves more as a partner than a sponsor. We have a very strong carbon fiber relationship," Ian Robertson, who is the BMW management board member responsible for sales and brand, told Reuters between races. "This is a dynamic sport that is developing fast. ... It's moving quickly just like the car industry is moving quickly.