Jaguar sets to launch First SUV
Already, the automaker has started test driving the new vehicle in preparation for its launch in 2016.
Jaguar Land Rover said in a statement
sent to our correspondent that the introduction of its first performance
crossover was part of the activities to mark the company’s 80th
anniversary this year.
It also described the F-Pace as a family
sports car which would share its overall design and shape with the C-X17
concept car unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2013.
The Jaguar F-Pace, according to the firm,
has a beautiful design, luxurious interior finishes and cutting-edge
technology. It is also said to offer a precise handling and a supple
ride.
The Director of Design, Jaguar, Ian
Callum, said, “The Jaguar F-Pace, inspired by the F-Type, represents a
perfectly judged balance of performance, style and practicality. It
offers a unique combination of Jaguar sports car inspired exterior
design, fused beautifully with a thoroughly practical and spacious
luxury interior. The F-Pace is our family sports car.”
The Global Sales Director, Jaguar Land
Rover, Mr. Andy Goss, was quoted as saying at the recently held Detroit
auto show, “In 2015, we will celebrate Jaguar’s 80th year. We have
started it by announcing our first performance crossover which we
consider to be the ultimate practical sports car – a car that builds on
the marque’s founding ideals of Grace, Pace and Space to become one of
the most innovative Jaguars we’ve ever developed.
“The F-Pace has now begun its engineering and development testing programme ahead of the new model going on sale in 2016.”
Exterior design
The size and dimensions are said to be
near identical to the C-X17, which is 4.72m long – 400mm longer than a
Range Rover Evoque – and 1.65m tall, says an online auto reviewer, Auto
Car.
“The F-Pace has a more upright stance
than Jaguar’s typically rakish car designs, although the plunging roof
at the rear means it retains a sleek profile. The bluff front end
treatment suggests the SUV will follow the C-X17’s lead in as much that
the driver will look over the bonnet, rather than down it,” the report
stated.
The C-X17 concept featuring a muscular
ridged bonnet noted as the hallmark of Jaguar models appears to have
been retained in the F-Pace.
Engine
Although the statement did not give any
information about the engine of the F-Pace, Auto Car indicated that the
range seemed certain to start with models powered by the soon-to-land
Ingenium four-cylinder line-up and likely to include engines up to the
3.0-litre supercharged petrol V6 used in the F-type, with power
potential beyond 250bhp.
The F-Pace name is said to have been
chosen to emphasise both its relationship in style and character with
the F-type sports car and to recall Jaguar’s famous ‘Grace, Pace, Space’
slogan of the 1950s and 1960s.
The online reviewer also noted that the new SUV squarely could be targeting Porsche’s Macan and BMW’s X4 models.
“The new car is expected to become one of
Jaguar’s two best-selling models, performing strongly in major markets
such as China and the US and rivalling the volume of the forthcoming XE
compact saloon. Once established in the market, the two debutantes
should push total Jaguar volume beyond 200,000 units a year, up from
last year’s figure of about 80,000,” it stated.
Meanwhile, another Jaguar sibling, the
XE, has been named the ‘Most beautiful car of 2014’ at the 30th edition
of Festival Automobile International in Paris.
An online report on Tuesday by the NDTV
Auto said the XE beat the likes of Mazda MX-5, Mercedes C-Class Estate
and Fiat 500X to win the honour.
“The excitement surrounding the Jaguar XE
is palpable and rightly so – the baby Jag really knows how to
captivate! Designed by Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar, the XE is
not only winning hearts, but also awards,” it stated.
It also said Callum collected the award in front of a crowd of 600 VIPs and over 60 auto journalists at the Paris event.
The report indicated that the outcome of
the award was decided by a public vote, adding that more than 100,000
people voted across 59 countries.
The XE, itadded, bagged the top honours
with 28 per cent of the votes in its favour. “This is the XE’s second
French award since the Paris Motor Show in October 2014, where it was
named the ‘Best Production Car’ by Auto Plus magazine, and the listeners
of French radio station, RTL. It seems the French have taken a liking
to something British,” it stated.
The automaker confirmed the XE had been the most advanced, lightweight and refined sports saloon car it ever produced.
It said, “The most advanced, efficient
and refined sports saloon car that Jaguar has ever produced. XE is a
Jaguar to its core. The first of a new generation of cars to be launched
on Jaguar’s state-of-the-art, all-new Advanced Aluminium Architecture,
the lightweight aluminium construction creates an incredibly strong
body, as well helping to deliver power with responsive handling and
refinement with beautiful design.
“The XE is alive with the latest
innovation, technology and design. It is packed with systems that
empower the driver and enhance the driving experience. XE rewrites the
rules. The XE is a wake-up call for every other car in its class.”
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