2003 Jaguar S-type Sport Sedan 4-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

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Rising aluminum costs cut into Ford's profit

When Ford reports fourth-quarter results on Wednesday afternoon, it is expected to fret that rising metals costs have cut into profits, even as rivals say they have the problem under control. Aluminum prices have risen 20 percent in the last year and nearly 11 percent since Dec. 11. Steel prices have risen just over 9 percent in the last year. Ford uses more aluminum in its vehicles than its rivals. Aluminum is lighter but far more expensive than steel, closing at $2,229 per tonne on Tuesday. U.S. steel futures closed at $677 per ton (0.91 metric tonnes). Republican U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is weighing whether to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, which could push prices even higher. Ford gave a disappointing earnings estimate for 2017 and 2018 last week, saying the higher costs for steel, aluminum and other metals, as well as currency volatility, could cost the company $1.6 billion in 2018. Ford shares took a dive after the announcement. Ford Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks told analysts at a conference in Detroit last week that while the company benefited from low commodity prices in 2016, rising steel prices were now the main cause of higher costs, followed by aluminum. Shanks said the automaker at times relies on foreign currencies as a "natural hedge" for some commodities but those are now going in the opposite direction, so they are not working. A Ford spokesman added that the automaker also uses a mix of contracts, hedges and indexed buying. Industry analysts point to the spike in aluminum versus steel prices as a plausible reason for Ford's problems, especially since it uses far more of the expensive metal than other major automakers. "When you look at Ford in the context of the other automakers, aluminum drives a lot of their volume and I think that is the cause" of their rising costs, said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at auto consultancy LMC Automotive. Other major automakers say rising commodity costs are not much of a problem. At last week's Detroit auto show, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne reiterated its earnings guidance for 2018 and held forth on a number of topics, but did not mention metals prices. General Motors Co gave a well-received profit outlook last week and did not mention the subject. "We view changes in raw material costs as something that is manageable," a GM spokesman said in an email.

Jaguar considers BMW X1 fighter

It's no secret that the sub-compact crossover is the next big thing in the auto industry. From the Mazda CX-3, Honda HR-V, and Jeep Renegade to the Mercedes-Benz GLA, Audi Q3, and BMW X1, automakers the world over are pushing hard to get a piece of this brand-new pie. Autocar is reporting that Jaguar could soon join the ranks of them. While the manufacturer is hard at work on the new F-Pace, this new CUV would slot in below and could even be priced under the new entry level XE sedan. "A family [of CUVs] is not confirmed but we are investigating it," Steven de Ploey, Jaguar's brand director, told Autocar. "If we want to grow, a compact model is the obvious opportunity. The arguments about this are twofold. It has to be a Jaguar in design and performance, and it would be a challenge to do this. The second is the business, both in terms of scale and competition." While the brand may be toying around with the idea of a compact CUV, de Ploey points out that there are a number of issues preventing a vehicle below the F-Pace. "You'd not just be competing with premium brands but high-end mainstream manufacturers, too. There are lots of other things we have to do before this, but we have opportunities and permission to play there," de Ploey said. "There is also a cost challenge. We'd need a different architecture. What we have is scalable, but that low? You'd really have to investigate taking it down. You need to tick the box with the business case." Related Video:

2018 Jaguar XE S AWD Drivers' Notes | Don't stop me now ...

The 2018 Jaguar XE S AWD plays in a tough segment. The relative newcomer jumps into the fray with the BMW 3 Series, the Mercedes-Benz C Class, Audi A4 and Cadillac ATS. While it's available with a number of engine and drivetrain combinations, this model came with the top-tier 380-horsepower supercharged V6, the same one found in the Jaguar F-Type. It transforms the XE from a calm but capable sport sedan into a real hotrod. Our test car had nearly all the bells and whistles Jaguar offers. The Firenze Red paint was accented by blacked-out trim, giving it a far cooler look than the standard chrome brightwork does. The interior features red-and-black heated and ventilated leather seats, carbon-fiber trim, a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system and more. It comes with adaptive cruise control, but, as we learned, you need to scrape all the ice off the sensors for it to play ball. Associate Editor Reese Counts: I have a love/hate relationship with snow. I utterly despise the white stuff when it's 6:30 a.m. and I'm digging out my driveway and dreaming of the warm pillow I left behind as my pants slowly soak through and the fine motor control in my fingers decides to call it quits. Then I get behind the heated steering wheel of something like the XE S AWD and all my anger fades behind the plume of snow being thrown up by the tires. Sport sedans in the winter are amazing. I'm a big fan of the XE. Our old long-term diesel was a great little sedan, even if not everyone agreed with my sentiments. This platform is capable of so much more than the diesel can deliver. The XE S ditches that car's fuel-efficient-but-clattery oil burner for the sweet soundtrack of a supercharged V6, the same one that's under the hood of our current long-term F-Pace S. It's paired with ZF's ubiquitous eight-speed automatic and sends 380 horsepower to all four wheels. It feels damn near unstoppable in the snow. I'll be honest, I was flat-footing the car everywhere I went. I was searching for unplowed roads or empty parking lots because I just wanted to make the car dance. The all-wheel-drive system is rear biased, giving you enough of a leash to let loose without spinning out. The throttle response from the V6 was smooth and instant. It was easy to manage the car's angle just using the gas. The XE S was so good at clawing its way through the snow, I was convinced it was wearing winter rubber until I looked and saw a set of Pirelli all-seasons.