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Jaguar previews XF sedan ahead of New York debut

Jaguar is in the midst of an aggressive product expansion, with the new F-Type taking it back into sports-car territory, the upcoming F-Pace putting it in the crossover market for the first time and the XE renewing Jag's assault on the entry-level luxury-sedan segment. But it hasn't forgotten about its core models. The British automaker has a new flagship XJ under development, and Jag will showcase a brand-new XF at the New York Auto Show next month. But before it does, Jaguar has given us something to chew on with these teaser images: one showing the new sedan from above, and one showing the new cockpit. Now it may be hard discern much from that overhead view – which is not a typical teaser – but it's clear the new XF will feature more sharply creased body lines and a large panoramic sunroof. Meanwhile the interior looks like a modern update of the current model, borrowing some elements from the smaller XE. There's a wider infotainment display, the rotary knob for the transmission has moved toward the center, some (but not all) of the air vents appear to hide away when not in use, and there's a sportier steering wheel – though we do appear to be looking at the more performance-oriented S model. The XF, for those having trouble keeping track, is Jaguar's challenger to the likes of the Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 and Maserati Ghibli. It was introduced in 2007, and has been available (in certain markets anyway) in sedan and wagon forms, with engines ranging from a 2.0-liter turbo four with 240 horsepower all the way up to a 5.0-liter supercharged V8. With the New York show fast approaching, we won't have to wait much longer for a complete view of the new XF. But even before then, Jaguar promises to reveal the new XF in dramatic fashion in London: on March 24, it will drive the new sedan on two wires barely more than an inch thick suspended high above the river.

Top Gear caught filming Best of British near Buckingham Palace

YouTuber and car-fan extraordinaire Shmee probably had very little trouble tracking down the Top Gear film crew recently, as the group was putting together an episode that could accurately be described as "excessive." With its flag-waving (literally) Best of British theme, the TG guys gathered a jaw-dropping array of British cars, and parked them all right in front of Buckingham Palace to make extra sure that the point was driven home.
Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were outfitted with a trio of Jaguar F-Types festooned with gigantic Union Jacks, with which to survey the landscape of British motoring glory. In the video below, you'll see that this includes any number of Mini, Aston Martin, Lotus, McLaren, Land Rover, Bentley and Rolls-Royce models (just to name a few), as well as a healthy dose of weird stuff that most people would never guess at being built in the UK. The lawnmowers and military vehicles are especially cool.

Jaguar pushes F-Pace toward Frankfurt debut [w/video]

Automakers regularly subject new vehicles they're developing to extreme climactic conditions to make sure they'll hold up no matter what the customer throws at it. We rarely get to see what those conditions entail, save for the odd batch of spy shots here and there. Jaguar, however, has given us a glimpse behind the proverbial curtain as it puts the finishing touches on the upcoming new F-Pace crossover. The British automaker reports that it's put the F-Pace through its paces in temperatures ranging from as low as 40 degrees below zero (on either scale – that's where they meet) to 50 degrees Celsius above (122 Fahrenheit). Those are some punishing conditions, achieved in the dead of winter in Northern Sweden and at the height of summer in the searing deserts of Dubai, where cabin temperatures inside a vehicle left in the sun can top 158 degrees Fahrenheit. The former is where Jaguar Land Rover maintains a dedicated arctic test facility in Arjeplog, with over 37 miles of test tracks carved out of the ice, snow, and mountains. Jaguar even threw gravel mountain passes into the test regime for the first time, because while it may be geared more toward on-road use than its Land Rover counterparts, people still expect their crossover to be sure-footed in a variety of conditions. Jaguar has now confirmed that the production F-Pace will make its bit debut in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show. That's the same venue where the C-X17 concept that previewed the F-Pace's arrival was first showcased the last time the show came to town two years ago. And while the company recently signed a manufacturing contract with Magna Steyr to build an undisclosed model line in Austria, JLR confirms that the F-Pace will be built in the UK at the Solihull plant that already handles production of the Land Rover Discovery/LR4, Defender, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Jaguar XE. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.