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Porsche tops J.D. Power quality index as Korean brands soar

While complaints about infotainment systems remain a thorn in the side of automakers for J.D. Power's annual Initial Quality Study, there's a lot to celebrate this year. The average number of problems reported per 100 vehicles fell to 112 in 2015 – a three-percent improvement compared to 116 in 2014. The results of this year's survey are based on the responses of over 84,000 people about problems within the first 90 days of buying or leasing a 2015 model-year vehicle. For the third consecutive year, Porsche tops the rankings with an average of 80 problems per 100 vehicles. Although, that's slightly more than the 74 the German sportscar maker scored in 2014. "While the Japanese automakers continue to make improvements, we're seeing other brands, most notably Korean makes, really accelerating the rate of improvement," Renee Stephens, vice president of US automotive quality at J.D. Power, said in the study's release. In fact, Kia ranks as one of the biggest movers in this year's list. The Korean brand jumped to second place from seventh last year. The company had an average of 86 problems per 100 vehicles, a 20-point improvement. Third place went to Jaguar with an average of 93 problems reported, versus last year's second-place finish with 87 of them. Fourth place was Hyundai, and fifth-place Infiniti also earned a gold star for improvement with 97 issues per 100 vehicles – 31-points better than last year. Fiat still anchored the bottom of the list. However, its 161 problems this year is a lot better than the 206 in 2014. Ranked by nationality, Korean brands (Hyundai and Kia) are now leading the industry in initial quality with an average of 90 problems reported per 100 vehicles. According to J.D. Power, this is the first time Europe's figure beat Japan with 113 and 114 issues, respectively. The American brands also averaged 114. Whereas General Motors dominated last year, the segment awards are spread out in 2015. GM, Hyundai, Nissan, and Volkswagen Group are all tied with four models each earning prizes. For more information, you can also see all of the graphs, here. J.D.

2022 Jaguar F-Type goes V8-only as lineup gets trimmed

The sporty F-Type is the latest subject (victim?) of Jaguar's efforts to slim down and modernize its product offerings. For 2022, the coupe and convertible ditch their previous four- and six-cylinder variants in favor of a simple, all-V8 strategy.  For 2022, the entry-level F-Type will be the new P450 RWD coupe, which packs 444 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque from its supercharged 5.0-liter V8. Jaguar says it can hit 60 in just 4.4 seconds (with or without the now-optional R-Dynamic AWD system) on the way to a top speed of 177 mph. The 575-horsepower F-Type R will anchor the top end of the range, carrying over pretty much unchanged. If you're thinking, "Hey, at least you're not telling me Jaguar is ditching the manual transmission," that's because you missed it when they did so going into the 2021 model year overhaul. Sorry.  While the demise of the less-expensive P300 four-cylinder and P380 six-cylinder will leave some hopeful buyers in the lurch, it's not all bad news. The new P450 starts at just $71,050 — nearly $10,000 cheaper than the old P380 despite offering an additional 70 horsepower. Yeah, it's $10,000 more than the P300 was, but you're getting a heck of a lot more engine and some new standard equipment. It may not be cheaper, but it's certainly a better value — provided you care about power, that is. The range-topping F-Type R carries on essentially unchanged at $104,350.  The aforementioned 2021 update was a fairly comprehensive one, so the changes for 2022 on the cosmetic and feature fronts are few and far between, with the only noteworthy differences being the elements unique to the new P450 — badges and wheels, in other words. While options were shuffled around from last year's positioning, there's not really anything strictly new. Unlike the F-Pace and XF, the F-Type still relies on Jaguar's older Touch Pro infotainment system, which is a pretty big step down from the new Pivi Pro suite.  For those who want sweet, sweet V8 noises and sexy Jaguar styling, the 2022 F-Type will do both just fine. We'd like to see some Pivi Pro (and perhaps another SVR, pretty please), but for the time being, we'll take solace in the fact that the F-Type lives to see another model year at all. Not all Jaguars have been so lucky. 

Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy: New EV, new series — Jaguar's going racing

Luxury carmaker Jaguar is teasing the 2018 launch of a five-seat electric sports car based on its I-Pace concept as its first battery-electric vehicle. The Indian-owned automaker released images of the sports car as part of its announcement that it will launch the world's first international production EV race series in 2018. A performance SUV version of the I-Pace, previously reported and presumably based on a concept revealed late last year, is also planned for late 2018. Jaguar has said it plans to electrify all new models after 2020, part of a wave of similar announcements as governments in England, China and elsewhere have announced plans to eventually ban the sale of gasoline or diesel cars. In its announcement, Jaguar said only that the race series would "support the launch" of the I-Pace five-seater. View 7 Photos At the Los Angeles auto show last year, Jaguar said its concept I-Pace crossover SUV would have a 220-mile range from its 90-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, designed and engineered entirely in-house. The Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy series is a support series for the FIA Formula E championship and will exclusively feature up to 20 all-electric Jaguar I-Pace racecars across 10 races in cities including Hong Kong, Paris, Sao Paolo and New York. The racecars will be built at the Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations in Warwickshire, England. "With the launch of the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY, we have strengthened our commitment to battery electric vehicles, international motorsport and Formula E," Gerd Mauser, chairman of Jaguar Racing, said in a statement. "As a British team, we are proud to announce today the launch of the world's first production battery electric vehicle championship." He added: "Ultimately this innovative series will enhance the technology in our future electric vehicles and benefit our customers." Jaguar says it will release technical specifications, race calendar and costs for the I-Pace eTrophy in 2018. Related Video: Green Frankfurt Motor Show Jaguar Electric Racing Vehicles Performance Sedan Frankfurt 2017 jaguar i-pace