1996 Jaguar Xj We Ship ! on 2040-cars

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New Audi design chief Massimo Frascella shaped cars for Jaguar Land Rover

At the Audi brand, style and design have long been a high priority; think the super sleek and sexy A7 sedan, the Bauhaus-inspired TT coupe, the single-frame grille that instantly identified the marque with its down-the-road graphics. So when the Bavarians install a new head of design, that’s also worth a look. Massimo Frascella is that person, a 52-year-old Italian designer who this summer will succeed Marc Lichte. Lichte ran Audi design since 2014 and will take up a new role within the Volkswagen Group. Frascella, a student at the Istituto d`Arte Applicata & Design in Turin, ignited his career at Stile Bertone, and his resume after that evolves impressively. He subsequently held positions at Ford Motor Company and Kia, and since 2011, Frascella has held senior positions at Jaguar Land Rover. He was responsible for the creation of several models: Discovery Vision Concept (2014), Discovery Sport (2014), Discovery (2016), Velar (2017), Evoque (2019) and Defender. In 2019 he became creative director of Land Rover and in 2020 design director. He was also instrumental in the development of the range of new electric Jaguars that are in the works. “Joining Audi is a very special moment for me,” Frascella said. “I am deeply honored to assume the role of chief creative officer and to guide such a talented team in shaping the future of the brand to new heights of innovation and distinction. I believe in the emotional power of design to inspire, connect, and drive change, and I am here to nurture and promote creativity as the beating heart of our brand.” Looking back a couple of decades, it was one of FrascellaÂ’s predecessors who helped to cement AudiÂ’s reputation in automobile design: Walter de Silva. De Silva was appointed head of Audi design in 2002. From 2007 to 2015, he supervised the design strategy for the entire Volkswagen group, including the TT, the Scirocco, the Passat and the Golf. Not a bad list of achievements, but in a interview several years ago, de Silva said that he considered the 2007 Audi A5 coupe the pinnacle of his automotive design art, citing its “sex appeal, the shape of the lights, the architecture.” Design/Style Audi Jaguar Land Rover Volkswagen Automotive History

Jaguar testing facelifted XJ in UK

Europe's flagship luxury sedans don't go through their lifecycles quite as quickly as other models need to, but with the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class hitting the road, Jaguar must feel it's time for a little update for its XJ sedan. And as these spy shots demonstrate, that's just what it has in store.
Falling firmly in the subtle-facelift category (as opposed to the full refresh), the placement of the camouflage on this new XJ appears to be hiding new fascias front and rear. Reshaped bumpers, trunk lid, grille and air apertures seem to be part of the impending facelift, but for better or worse, those black rear pillars seem to be staying put.
While Jaguar's at it, we can expect some updates to the cabin as well, with upgraded infotainment, ambient lighting and such. But don't go expecting anything radical at this stage. The XJ has been on the market for about four years, and it'll be another few before it demands a complete overhaul.

Ian Callum says Jaguar could do new wagon after all

Just the other day we brought you a report from Automotive News Europe that indicated that Jaguar was getting out of the wagon market. Now it turns out that may not actually be the case. Following the ANE report, Jaguar design boss Ian Callum tweeted out that he had been misquoted. "I said there would be no XE Sportbrake," wrote Callum. "Nothing more!" While stopping short of spelling out what the British automaker has in the pipeline, Callum's implication (by process of elimination of other Jaguar models) is that the new XF could still breed a wagon version. The previous XF Sportbrake, which also came in XFR-S performance spec, was only the second wagon Jaguar had ever made. The first was based on the X-Type that preceded the new XE; offering a long-roof version of that new sports sedan is apparently off the table, but even with the new F-Pace crossover ostensibly filling the role, a new XF Sportbrake could yet become a reality. Of course none of that means that such a wagon would make its way to North America. But we take a great deal of stock in what Callum has to say on the subject, seeing as how he designed every one of the models in question. The X-Type Sportwagon was offered Stateside, however the XF Sportbrake never was, and in addition the F-Pace promises to be a big player for the automaker on this side of the Atlantic. Do you think Jaguar should make a wagon out of the new XF, and bring that wagon to these United States? This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Video: