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Jaguar E-Pace has an F-Type-inspired interior

Jaguar continues to test its new small crossover, tentatively dubbed E-Pace, and that means our spy photographers continue to capture it in the wild. This time, we got some photos of the interior. From what we can see, it follows in the footsteps of the the F-Type sports car, rather than Jaguar's sedans and larger F-Pace crossover. From the air vents down, the center stack gently slopes toward the shifter. It also has a large grab handle on the passenger side like that in the F-Type. This also makes the center stack feel more driver-centric. The shifter is also F-Type-inspired. While the Jaguar sedans and the F-Pace use a motorized dial that rises from the center console for shifting, the F-Type uses a conventional lever, as does this E-Pace. These interior design choices seem to indicate that Jaguar will market this E-Pace as being a sportier Jaguar than its existing lineup. Our spy photographer also caught this E-Pace prototype with the hatch up. This clearly shows that the E-Pace will have a radically raked rear window. Matched with the voluptuous rear fenders, the E-Pace should have a very aggressive look. As a side note, the open hatch also reveals that there are at least one or two members of the Jaguar team that like Budweiser. We still expect a reasonably long wait until the E-Pace makes its full debut, likely sometime next year at the earliest. We're also expecting the crossover to have a front-wheel-drive-based all-wheel-drive system like the Range Rover Evoque, and it may even use the Evoque platform. While not a bad platform or drive system, most any car enthusiast or journalist would agree that a rear-wheel drive platform would be more naturally sporty and in keeping with this car's interior and possible marketing. Related Video:

Why Land Rover's reluctant to show concepts: Chinese clones

While the Chinese auto industry continues to grow and expand with new and original products, a number of automakers still refuse to play by the rules. Rather than coming up with original designs, these automakers shamelessly copy designs from other automakers, slapping their badge on the front as if it were an original product. According to Auto Express, Land Rover has grown tired of dealing with these frauds to the point that it's essentially stopped showing concept cars in order to stave off these clones. One of the most notable and brazen examples of these Chinese copycats is the LandWind X7. While that car looks like an obvious ripoff of the Range Rover Evoque, complaints by Jaguar Land Rover were dismissed, and the X7 hit the market for about a third of the price of the Evoque. Further efforts by JLR have done nothing to halt or change the car's production. It seems Chinese authorities are more interested in protecting the home team than upholding copyright laws. Land Rover design boss Gerry McGovern said the automaker was "wary of showing new concepts" because they just give these competitors time to work up a copy. Land Rover's latest model, the Velar, debuted in Geneva in production form. Skipping concepts may not stop competitors from making copies, but it does give Land Rover a huge head start when it comes to production. Related Video: Featured Gallery Production LandWind X7 News Source: Auto Express via Road & Track Design/Style Government/Legal Jaguar Land Rover SUV Concept Cars Luxury jaguar land rover

SVR plans to tune electrified Jaguar-Land Rover models, but not the I-Pace

Jaguar-Land Rover's SVR division has only put its name on high-horsepower gasoline-burning cars, like the XE Project 8 built in strictly limited numbers. It's open to the idea of tuning electrified models, whether they're electric or hybrid, but it confirmed it's not currently planning on making a spicier evolution of the I-Pace. "We will be developing electrified versions of our cars, be that fully electrified or plug-in hybrids," affirmed Michael van der Sande, the division's managing director, in an interview with Auto Express. But although the electric I-Pace (pictured) raced in a one-make race series held on the sidelines of Formula E events for two seasons, and SVR could credibly claim to inject track DNA into a street car, it stressed the I-Pace doesn't appear in its product plans for reasons that remain a little bit murky. Jaguar announced the end of the eTrophy series in May 2020, which might explain why it's reluctant to exploit racing's marketing power. "There are other various things we are working on which we can't talk about, but we're very interested in electrification. That's why we got involved in eTrophy," van der Sande clarified. "The technology transfer, the learning applies to that car and other cars but we're not planning an SVR I-Pace at the moment." His comments confirm we'll need to be patient to see what SVR's take on an electric or hybrid car looks like. One of the first electrified models to receive the go-fast treatment might be the next-generation XJ tentatively scheduled to make its debut before the end of 2020. It will be exclusively electric, though it won't look as radical as the I-Pace, so Jaguar will need to find a way to replace the hot-rodded XJR 575 model it positioned at the top of the last-generation model's line-up. It's not too far-fetched to speculate the next Range Rover also due out in the coming months will receive some degree of electrification, and it could spawn an SVR-tuned model, too. Related Video: