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2018 Jaguar F-Type gets four-cylinder turbo engine option

At the 2017 New York Auto Show, Jaguar has revealed the final piece of the 2018 F-Type puzzle: a four-cylinder entry-level model. It rounds out an expanded lineup of F-Type variants that have all gotten a bit of a facelift and some additional content for 2018, which we told you about back in January. But the little four-cylinder is definitely the biggest surprise. Underhood is the state-of-the-art 2.0-liter, turbocharged, gasoline-fueled Ingenium engine, which is making its way into several Jaguar-Land Rover products for the first time in the 2018 model year. It has a full suite of contemporary technologies, like a variable-lift electrohydraulic valvetrain that eliminates the need for a traditional throttle, an integrated exhaust manifold, and a dual-scroll turbocharger. You might recall that the Ingenium gas engine is replacing an older 2.0-liter turbo four in the XE, and also will show up in the F-Pace and XF. Add the F-Type to this burgeoning list, and don't expect it to stop there. The Range Rover Velar has also been announced for the US with this engine. In the F-Type, the 2.0T makes 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, which is higher than some of the other applications for this engine in the US. There's only one powertrain arrangement for the 2.0T in the US – rear-wheel drive and backed up by an eight-speed automatic – but buyers will be able to choose from a coupe or convertible body style. Jaguar claims the 2018 F-Type will scoot to 60 mph in as little as 5.4 seconds. It's also the lightest F-Type, by a smidgen. The 2.0T coupe weighs 3,360 pounds, which is 95 pounds lighter than the next-lightest coupe, the 3,455-pound, 340-horsepower supercharged V6 coupe equipped with a manual (and 117 pounds lighter than that car with an automatic). There's probably a fuel-economy benefit in EPA testing as well, but Jaguar doesn't have EPA numbers yet, so stay tuned on that. Don't forget that the 400 Sport variant will join the 2.0T on the stand. It's a one-year-only special edition model with a supercharged V6 uprated to 400 hp, but sadly there's no manual version on offer. Related Video: Featured Gallery New York Auto Show Jaguar Convertible Coupe Luxury Performance 2017 new york auto show ingenium

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.

Autocar compares new Maserati Quattroporte to Jaguar XJ

Autocar's Steve Sutcliffe took the 2014 Maserati Quattroporte on a spin along snowy mountain roads to test it for a specific brief: as a limousine for the chauffeured class. It's sporting credentials are impressive: Twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8, 532 horsepower, 475 pound-feet of torque in casual circumstances that rises to 532 lb-ft in overboost, a 0-to-60 mile-per-hour sprint of 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 191 mph.
However, citing Maserati's desire to not just increase its sales to 50,000-per-annum by 2015, but to sell many more of its cars in China, Sutcliffe wanted to find out if the livery side of the Quattroporte could match its sport sedan side. So after taking the pilot's seat and trying out the sport settings, Sutcliffe hops in back to test out the CEO's seat.
Then he compares the Quattroporte against the long-wheelbase Jaguar XJ with its supercharged V8, a sedan that's 15,000 pounds less expensive than the Maserati. It doesn't take long for him to find that one of them is a clear winner when it comes to transporting VIPs. To find out which one, enjoy the video below.