2001 Jaguar Xj8 Base Sedan 4-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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Jaguar F-Pace snapped inside and out

We've seen the Jaguar F-Pace undergoing testing before: at the Nurburgring, in the snow, and wearing a variety of different bodywork as development has progressed. But we've never seen it this close, and we've never seen it inside, until now. This latest batch of spy shots shows Coventry's new crossover out on the road undergoing warm-weather testing in what looks like Spain. It's tellingly parked in between a Jaguar XE and Range Rover Evoque, the gap between which the F-Pace is expected to bridge. It's still wearing heavy camouflage, of course, but this is our first glimpse inside the cockpit. The cabin rather similar to the one on the new XF sedan – and hardly any more upright, either, which tells us a bit about the handling character Jaguar is going after with the F-Pace. Expect to see the finished product at the Frankfurt Motor Show this coming fall – the same show where it unveiled the C-X17 concept two years ago to preview its arrival. Related Video:

2019 Jaguar I-Pace First Drive Review | A taste of Jag's EV crossover

This is literally our first drive of the 2019 Jaguar I-Pace electric crossover. It lasted about 2 minutes and occurred on a tiny autocross in a frigid parking lot in New Jersey, but if we're to split hairs, it is indeed the first time we've piloted this revolutionary EV SUV-ish vehicle from a company better known for barking exhausts and slinky sport coupes. While the rest of the automotive press was gallivanting about Manhattan prior to the New York Auto Show, a select few were bused out to Jaguar-Land Rover's new corporate headquarters in Mahwah, N.J. It was there we saw the world debut of the new F-Pace SVR, the North American debut of the Range Rover SV Coupe, and got our first real taste of the I-Pace. The chief impression is that it feels much smaller than its exterior dimensions would indicate, maneuvering quickly and effortlessly without a hint of roll. Credit the wheels pushed out to the absolute corners and a low center of gravity, both the result of Jaguar's decision to fully embrace the packaging and engineering possibilities of an electric powertrain. The steering was perhaps not as feelsome as other Jaguars, but again, who really knows? Two minutes, parking lot, etc. In terms of power, it sure is an electric car. Smooth, quick and quiet, but with so little space to work with, there would've been little noticeable difference between the 394-horsepower I-Pace and the 147-hp Nissan Leaf currently sitting in my driveway. Its estimated range of 240 miles on the EPA cycle? Uh, it was good enough for an afternoon of journalists driving in circles. What I can definitively declare, however, is that the 2019 I-Pace boasts far superior interior quality than every Tesla I've driven. It's also, just as important, a considerable leap forward in terms of materials quality and design from the rather dull and disappointing current Jaguar litter of F-Pace, XF and XE. For instance, leather or leatherette always cover the dash (versus the rubbery stuff found in lower F-Pace, XF and XE trim levels), while there was clearly an effort made to visually spruce things up. The dual-screen center console controls first seen on the Range Rover Velar also appear for the first time in a Jaguar, as does a unique push-button shifter ( though I still prefer a properly utilized rotary). This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Jaguar working on windows that open when you touch them

Jaguar is working on side windows that will whir up and down not with a push of a button, but with a touch of the glass itself. According to Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum, "For instance, if you want to pull the windows down, you touch a certain area of the glass and you can actually just drop them down." Callum would go on to caution, "These things are all a work in progress at the moment," before pausing and saying, "That's coming." When we asked when we might see such technology deployed in a production car, Callum, who spoke with Autoblog at the Detroit Auto Show on Monday, said, "I don't know when, but we certainly know how to do it." Callum was less forthcoming about how the technology functions, saying, "Oh, I can't tell you (laughs)... it's proximity, mainly." It's not clear whether traditional physical switches mounted on the doors would still be required with such a system. The designer then went on to discuss Jaguar's innovation in proximity-based switchgear – the automaker has already been using the technology for its interior overhead lighting controls and glovebox release. When we asked about any safety concerns that touch-control windows might generate, Callum said, "I think if it's a very specific area, there's absolutely no ambiguity about what you're trying to do – it's fine." Callum knows a thing or two about the need for absolute specificity in this area – when Jaguar introduced its XF sedan with proximity switchgear, it found passengers were accidentally opening their gloveboxes with their knees, which prompted a quick redesign. "It's a whole new genre of disciplines that we have to think about – what is safe," he said. Design/Style Jaguar Technology Luxury 2015 Detroit Auto Show