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Ian Callum wanted to call Jaguar's crossover X-Type [w/poll]

Jaguar raised some eyebrows when it announced that it would call its upcoming crossover F-Pace. But the British automaker didn't just pick the name out of a hat. Speaking with Auto Express, Jaguar's design director Ian Callum said the company entertained several possible nameplates for its first crossover, and that he personally advocated for resurrecting the name X-Type. The nameplate was, of course, previously used on the marque's entry-level sedan – the predecessor to the upcoming XE that was based on the front-drive platform of the Ford Mondeo and which was also offered with all-wheel drive. The connection with that much-maligned model is reportedly ultimately what dissuaded the company's marketing gurus from using the nameplate again, even if it might have been more suitable. Another nameplate Coventry reportedly considered was XQ, but the latter letter's use by rival Audi for its crossovers and by former sister company Aston Martin for its personalization range ruled the prospect out for the Leaping Cat marque. Auto Express notes a connection between the name F-Pace and Jaguar's 1960s ad campaign hailing its products as offering a combination of "Grace, Space and Pace." For his part, Callum didn't dismiss the possibility the slogan could could lead to additional models wearing similar nameplates like F-Grace or F-Space. What do you think – did Jaguar pick the right name for its first foray into the crossover market? Share your thoughts in Comments and cast your vote in our poll below.

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 takes Laguna Seca production sedan record

Jaguar has claimed another Laguna Seca record with Randy Pobst at the wheel. This time around, the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 became the fastest four-door sedan to lap the track, with a time of 1 minute, 37.54 seconds. The record follows the production electric car record set in late August with an unmodified I-Pace HSE, and it's also the fastest recorded Jaguar time on the track; the previous fastest Jaguar there was the 575-horsepower F-Type SVR. As it seems most Laguna Seca records have been set by Pobst, the previous four-door production sedan record was also his handiwork, in a Cadillac CTS-V. That time was about a second slower than the XE SV Project 8, at 1 minute, 38.52. The fastest Pobst time at Laguna Seca stands at 1:28.65, driven with a Dodge Viper ACR MkV. The Laguna Seca record isn't the first lap record claimed by the XE SV Project 8, as it took the production sedan honors at the Nurburgring Nordschleife in November 2017, with a time of 7 minutes, 21.23 seconds. Only 300 vehicles will be built, at the JLR Special Vehicle Operations facility in Coventry, England. The XE SV Project 8 hits 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds, thanks to its 591-horsepower, supercharged V8 engine, which propels it all the way to 200 mph. There are two versions available, a more road-suitable four-seater and a special Track Pack car with lightweight carbon fiber racing seats.Related Video:

2019 Jaguar F-Pace adds technology, gets to keep all its engines

Jaguar recently revealed a lightly refreshed XE sports sedan with a more modern interior and technology, but it also lost its V6 and diesel engine options. That led us to believe the same might happen to the updated 2019 Jaguar F-Pace, but instead, it gets a lighter update inside and both the diesel four-cylinder and supercharged V6 engines stick around for another model year. While styling stays the same, the technology updates for the 2019 F-Pace are welcome. All F-Paces get a bigger 10-inch infotainment display, and the system itself has updated graphics from the I-Pace electric car. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now available, too, but as an optional extra. The tech updates aren't just limited to infotainment, though. The blind-spot monitoring system will now apply a counter-steering force if it detects an object when the driver begins to merge. The optional adaptive cruise control now has an active steering feature that will keep the car centered in its lane on the highway. With the added technology updates comes higher prices. The base 25t four-cylinder F-Pace price goes up by $2,735 for a total of $45,825 with destination. The diesel-powered 20d jumps $2,475 for a total of $49,775. The 30t with the more powerful four-cylinder engine increases $2,475 to $51,275. The V6-equipped S has the smallest increase of $2,025 bringing its final base price to $62,825. The new SVR wasn't around last year, so it doesn't see an increase, but for reference it starts at $81,015 with destination.