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Jaguar Land Rover opens winter testing facility in Minnesota

As it begins the rollout of the all-wheel-drive Jaguar XJ and XF models, Jaguar Land Rover has just announced that it has opened a new facility in northern Minnesota for winter testing. Located in International Falls, MN (on the US and Canadian border), the British automaker says it is one of the coldest locations in the Continental US. Jaguar's new Instinctive All Wheel Drive system was developed primarily to help sell more cars in the northern US, so it only makes sense to open a testing area in the US as well.
With temperatures that can drop to minus 55 degrees Fahrenheit, International Falls was chosen to mimic some of the worst weather a Jaguar or Land Rover will ever see. The grounds house testing chambers, various road surfaces and even a frozen lake. This new facility complements the hot-weather testing grounds in Phoenix, AZ.
The official press release is posted below.

Latest Jaguar XJ snaps show old versus new

It is a rare day when automakers line up their current models and test cars right next to each other and allow us to compare them directly. However, Jaguar ending up doing just that during cold weather testing of the face lifted XJ, providing the perfect chance to see just what the company is changing.
We spotted the refreshed XJ testing last year, and it hasn't evolved much since then. The updated model sports clear turn signals and a slightly revised front air dam. The modifications are similarly minor at the rear. The bumper appears to dip down slightly further on the new sedan. Thankfully, those gorgeous taillights are still draped over the back of the car. The exhaust outlets have switched to oval shapes rather than the current parallelograms. This alteration could just be chalked up to it being a test car, but the previous tester we saw had a similar design. It's possible that the camouflage could be hiding other revisions, but don't expect anything radical from the facelift.
Our previous report indicated that Jaguar is also planning some interior upgrades with new infotainment and ambient lighting. The company seems to feel that there isn't a point in messing with the XJ's design just yet, since all of the changes we see here are very subtle. No problems, here - to our eyes, the big Jag is still one of the prettier sedans on the road today.

2018 Jaguar XE S AWD Drivers' Notes | Don't stop me now ...

The 2018 Jaguar XE S AWD plays in a tough segment. The relative newcomer jumps into the fray with the BMW 3 Series, the Mercedes-Benz C Class, Audi A4 and Cadillac ATS. While it's available with a number of engine and drivetrain combinations, this model came with the top-tier 380-horsepower supercharged V6, the same one found in the Jaguar F-Type. It transforms the XE from a calm but capable sport sedan into a real hotrod. Our test car had nearly all the bells and whistles Jaguar offers. The Firenze Red paint was accented by blacked-out trim, giving it a far cooler look than the standard chrome brightwork does. The interior features red-and-black heated and ventilated leather seats, carbon-fiber trim, a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system and more. It comes with adaptive cruise control, but, as we learned, you need to scrape all the ice off the sensors for it to play ball. Associate Editor Reese Counts: I have a love/hate relationship with snow. I utterly despise the white stuff when it's 6:30 a.m. and I'm digging out my driveway and dreaming of the warm pillow I left behind as my pants slowly soak through and the fine motor control in my fingers decides to call it quits. Then I get behind the heated steering wheel of something like the XE S AWD and all my anger fades behind the plume of snow being thrown up by the tires. Sport sedans in the winter are amazing. I'm a big fan of the XE. Our old long-term diesel was a great little sedan, even if not everyone agreed with my sentiments. This platform is capable of so much more than the diesel can deliver. The XE S ditches that car's fuel-efficient-but-clattery oil burner for the sweet soundtrack of a supercharged V6, the same one that's under the hood of our current long-term F-Pace S. It's paired with ZF's ubiquitous eight-speed automatic and sends 380 horsepower to all four wheels. It feels damn near unstoppable in the snow. I'll be honest, I was flat-footing the car everywhere I went. I was searching for unplowed roads or empty parking lots because I just wanted to make the car dance. The all-wheel-drive system is rear biased, giving you enough of a leash to let loose without spinning out. The throttle response from the V6 was smooth and instant. It was easy to manage the car's angle just using the gas. The XE S was so good at clawing its way through the snow, I was convinced it was wearing winter rubber until I looked and saw a set of Pirelli all-seasons.