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Land Rover will put a Covid-nuking air filtration system in future cars

Jaguar - Land Rover (JLR) is developing an air filtration system that inhibits up to 97% of viruses and airborne bacteria. Designed like a face mask for your car's HVAC system, it's built on Panasonic's Nanoe X technology. Most of the company's models (including the Land Rover Defender) currently come equipped with Panasonic's Nanoe technology and PM2.5 filtration. Nanoe X is 10 times more effective, according to the brand, because it relies on a high voltage to create trillions of hydroxyl (OH) radicals enveloped in nano-sized water molecules. Think of them as Roman guards in front of a fortress: they keep the bad out, and ensure only the good can come in. Viruses and bacteria proteins are denatured when they come into contact with the filtration system, meaning they can't reproduce or grow. The OH radicals also zap common allergens and mold, but they're harmless to humans. JLR stressed it's not relying on computer simulations to decide whether its filtration system works as designed. It asked British laboratory Perfectus Biomed to perform a test that simulates a ventilation system in recirculation mode for a 30-minute cycle in a sealed chamber. The results were encouraging: 97% of viruses and airborne bacteria were nuked. The carmaker pointed out Panasonic's Nanoe X technology has been independently proven to inhibit 99.995% of coronaviruses during a two-hour laboratory test carried out by French immunology lab Texcell. Future models from Jaguar and Land Rover will use this technology, though a representative for both companies declined to tell us when it will reach production, and which nameplate(s) will inaugurate it. Meanwhile, Honda launched its own coronavirus killer across the pond. It's a cabin air filter sold as a genuine replacement part that consists of four layers, including one coated with an active substance of fruit extract that inactivates nearly 100% of the viral aerosols it captures. It's available in Europe through Honda dealers, but it won't be sold in America. Jaguar Land Rover

2019 Jaguar I-Pace pricing announced, starting at $70,495

The Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicle arrives in the United States later this year with a starting price of $70,495, including destination, putting it head-to-head with luxury EV rivals like the Tesla Model S sedan and Model X crossover. Jaguar's fully-electric crossover is powered by two electric motors, one at the front and another at the rear, with the battery pack nestled in an underfloor, positioned in-between the front and rear axles. This powertrain not only provides the all-wheel-drive I-Pace with a low center of gravity and perfect 50:50 weight distribution, it delivers a total of 394 horsepower and 512 pound-feet of torque. According to Jaguar's stopwatch, the I-Pace accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in only 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 124 mph. That lives up to the performance level a customer expects from Jaguar – not to mention being a match for the straight-line speed of Tesla's offerings at this price range. It should be noted, however, that despite aligning on price and performance with models S and X, the I-Pace is a bit closer in size to the Model 3. As we've already noted, the Jaguar's 90-kWh lithium-ion battery pack provides a useful range of up to 240 miles between charges. When you're running low on juice, a 100-hW DC fast charger will provide 80 percent of range in only 40 minutes. That's still a considerable amount of time compared to filling up with gasoline, though it's much better than the hours-long wait EVs usually required only a few years ago. Plugging in at home does require more patience, however. Using a 230-volt, 32-amp Level 2 home-charger requires just over 10 hours to recharge your I-Pace. Three trim levels are offered: S, SE, and HSE. There will also be a fully-loaded, one-year-only "First Edition" based on the HSE trim level, which carries a price of $86,895. In fact, it's very easy to start adding options – and a heftier tab – onto the base price of the I-Pace. Available safety features on the entry-level model include blind-spot assist, adaptive cruise control with steering assist, high-speed emergency braking, and a 360-degree surround-view camera. The First Edition model is pretty much the upper limit of I-Pace pricing, and comes fitted with all those safety features, along with a full leather interior, 20-inch alloy wheels, a 15-speaker Meridian surround sound stereo, and premium LED headlights. It's worth noting that Jaguar includes a substantial 8-year/100,000-mile battery warranty with each I-Pace.

Jaguar laying groundwork for a reborn XK

There have been rumors about plans to replace the Jaguar XK since before the gentleman's coupe ended production in 2014. Depending on which rumor you read, a reborn XK could remain compact and offer a 3.0-liter turbodiesel, grow a bit and move upmarket to challenge the Mercedes S-Class Coupe, or grow even more and challenge the Bentley Continental GT as "an elegant four-seater coupe." About the only three consistent details have been that the new XK would ride on a reworked F-Type platform, that the XK would become Jaguar's new flagship, and brand design director Ian Callum providing all the quotes about a potential resurrection. Now Hanno Kirner, the head of product strategy at Jaguar Land Rover, has added quotes that could portend the return of the big two-door cat. Kirner told Autocar that Jaguar "will continue to invest in sports cars," and that "I use the plural quite deliberately." That is, the F-Type won't be left to carry the sports car mantle by itself. Questions remain about the definition of the term "sports car," and whether that really means a return of the XK. Kirner suggested it's possible that a future offering could be "a body variant" of the F-Type. Callum's been fighting for the XK's return ever since Jaguar made the decision to kill it. The designer said the two-seat F-Type wasn't intended to kill the bigger 2+2, and at one point his team had already finished design work on the third-generation XK. However, the F-Type sold so well that the company marketers decided the automaker didn't need both cars. A number of things needs to happen before any XK gets the green light, though. The next-gen F-Type is in the works and could come as soon as next year, and Jaguar will want to make sure the two-seater continues its run of steady sales. The XK spirit lives on in the current F-Type, since the F-Type sits on a reworked version of the XK's aluminum architecture, and the second-generation F-Type will evolve that aluminum platform again. It's said that the platform could morph back into a 2+2 without undue hassle, but any new XK wouldn't likely arrive before 2021 even if approved. Callum remains on the case, saying in October 2017, "I want a two-seater [the F-Type] and a 2+2. We're working on something now." Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.