2002 Jaguar Xj on 2040-cars

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Jaguar F-Pace R-Dynamic is back in Black Pack

When Jaguar rationalized the F-Pace lineup for 2021, streamlining 12 variants into just five, old names and packages got left in last year. The previous R-Sport model is history, as are last year's special edition visual packs: Chequered Flag and 300 Sport. The F-Pace R-Dynamic is the new breed of mid-grade sporty in the 2022 lineup, coming in below the SVR, and Jaguar's just unveiled a Black Pack for it in the UK. A familiar name in the Coventry history books, the Black Pack does now what it's always done — dress up the exterior in gloss black. That means the grille and grille surround, fender vents, side window trim, door mirror caps, rear valance below the bumper, and rear badges come in the same color as deep space. Only shinier. The rolling stock is tailored to match, a set of 20-inch gloss black rims hiding red brake calipers. Flourishes inside the cabin include Satin Charcoal Ash veneers, bright metal pedals, privacy glass, and a fixed panoramic glass roof. The entire range sees a few tweaks in the cabin besides. Upgraded Premium Cabin Lighting adds 20 more colors, making 30 in total. For owners sensitive enough to day-old oxygen in their $70,000 crossovers, the Air Purge function can be set to clear the interior of stale air before occupants arrive by setting a timer in the infotainment system or on the Jaguar Remote App. A CO2 sensor keeps the ambience effervescent while on the go, unobtrusively adding fresh air when carbon dioxide exceeds the recommended daily allowance. The fastidious will also be able to monitor particulate levels inside and outside the vehicle in a display on the touchscreen. And coming over-the-air updates for the Pivo Pro infotainment system will enable wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.  Outside, there's a new color called Ostuni White (pictured), as well as self-sealing tires that can be had on 19-, 20-, and 21-inch wheels when shod in all-season rubber. Finally, adaptive cruise control received steering assist to keep the F-Pace centered in its lane. These updates haven't made it to the U.S. yet, but we expect them to arrive on the boat with the 2022 models for our market.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

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.

Next Jaguar F-Type rumored to get BMW M-sourced 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8

Unless we're discussing the Porsche 911 or Chevrolet Corvette, trying to predict the future of any sports car out there would stump even Miss Cleo. Reportage takes a walking dead theme, as with the next-generation Audi R8. Or it delves a succession of intel from "reliable sources" on every possibility, each one wilder than and incompatible with the last. The newest turn in the rumor cycle for the next-gen Jaguar F-Type says Jaguar's coupe will be fitted with a BMW-sourced 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8. The gossip comes courtesy of Georg Kacher writing in Car magazine. It closes the loop Kacher opened in 2016 when, writing in Automobile, he said BMW was hammering out a deal to provide V8 engines for the top-end Jaguar and Land Rover products. The deal would put more money in BMW's pockets for an engine that's expensive to develop but doesn't sell in large numbers, while weaning Jaguar off the thunderous and thirsty Ford-sourced 5.0-liter supercharged V8. We haven't heard anything else about that deal in the meantime. Since Kacher says the next F-Type will come in 2020, it seems the coupe would be the first car in the JLR range to get BMW power — specifically, BMW M Power. The 4.4-liter V8 codenamed S63 by BMW, but supposedly codenamed Project Jennifer inside JLR, makes 560 hp in standard form, or 625 hp in the M division's Competition vehicles. The current F-Type R Coupe puts out 550 hp, the SVR Coupe puts out 575 hp. However, the cloud of F-Type rumors is wide and nebulous. The head of JLR North America said last year that every product launched after 2020 will have some form of electrification, and we haven't heard of any hybrid plans for the 4.4-liter S63 V8. The next BMW M3 is said to get some sort of hybridization, but that sedan uses an inline-six. When Road & Track spoke to Jaguar design head Ian Callum earlier this month at the Paris Motor Show, the mag asked about a hybrid F-Type. Callum said electrification "is not necessarily the plan," adding, "There's not a plan, to be honest with you." He said what he'd like to do is "a mid-engine-style electric car." When Auto Express reported on Callum's wish, the mag called the product "a hybrid mid-engine supercar" with " dreams of taking on the McLaren 570S and Audi R8," using a V6 engine and powertrain components from the I-Pace. As a pure electric or a hybrid vehicle, this could be a way to get a C-X75-inspired sports car on the road, but it's not an F-Type replacement in either soul or price.