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1964 Jaguar XKE slinks into Jay Leno's Garage

The idea of altering a classic Jaguar E-Type might seem preposterous to some, but Jasen Len of XKs Unlimited managed to create a modified 1964 E-Type that stays true to the Jag's timeless design. Just a few months after Jay Leno featured his own original E-Type on Jay Leno's Garage, Len stopped by to show off his custom Jaguar creation.
Starting out with a rust-ravaged body, Len made the car just the way he wanted it to be. He started off with some minor changes to the car's exterior like the Le Mans-inspired racing lights and handmade front bumpers, handmade sills with integrated exhaust and flared rear fenders. Inside, he dropped the floor to make more interior space and reworked the E-Type's styling for more of a modern look. We have to say, if you're going to mess with a Series 1 E-Type, this is the way to do it.
Sadly, even though Len and Leno spend plenty of time talking about the car's 300-horsepower 3.8-liter inline six-cylinder, we never get to hear the car fire up. Check out the JLG video, which is posted below, and as a bonus, enjoy the gallery from Jaguar showing a 1961 E-Type.

2023 J.D. Power APEAL Study shows new-car customer satisfaction scores slip

J.D. Power survey results have been slightly up but mostly down for automakers this year, literally. In February, the 2023 Vehicle Dependability Study showed an overall decline compared the 2022 a month before the Customer Service Index Study did the same. The trend reversed in June with a better overall score on the 2023 U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration Study than in 2022, then declined again the same month on with a lower overall score on the 2023 Initial Quality Study. The declines continue with the 2023 J.D. Power U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, overall satisfaction among the 84,555 respondents down two points overall compared to 2022, to 845 out of 1,000 points. Because last year's score dropped compared to 2021, this year marks the first consecutive decline in the study's 28-year history. The study tries to "[measure] owners' emotional attachment and level of excitement with new vehicle" after 90 days of ownership by asking new owners to rate 37 attributes in 10 areas around the vehicle, such as the feeling they get when they hit the accelerator. Satisfaction with nine of the attributes is down this year versus last, fuel economy the only segment to show better results with 15 points more satisfaction. Styling and infotainment are big drags on satisfaction. Responses to new car exterior looks tallied 888 points, down from 894 last year, the largest drop in this year's study. On the digital side, less than half of those surveyed this year said they prefer using a manufacturer's built-in infotainment. From 70% of respondents in 2020 preferring to use a manufacturer's in-house software to play audio instead of Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, that's 56% in 2023. Going all-in on Google appears to have the best effect. J.D. Power said that vehicles with both Google's Android Automotive Operating System (AAOS) and Google Automotive Services (GAS) "score higher in the infotainment category than those with no AAOS whatsoever. AAOS without GAS receives the lowest scores for infotainment of the three categories."  Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power, said, "Despite the technology and design innovations that manufacturers put into new vehicles, owners are lukewarm about them. While innovations like charging pads, vehicle apps and advanced audio features should enhance an owner’s experience, this is not the case when problems are experienced.

New Jaguar crossover to be called 'XQ'?

As part of its upcoming portfolio expansion, Jaguar will be adding two key models to its lineup in the next few years. The first is a small, 3 Series-fighting sedan tentatively called XS, and the other is said to be a new crossover, which may be dubbed XQ, as Edmunds reports. Jaguar filed a trademark application for the name "XQ" with the United States Patent and Trademark Office earlier this year, according to the report.
Jaguar executives have long said that the company is investigating new, higher-volume segments for the brand to compete in, and this certainly isn't the first time we've heard rumors of a CUV with a pouncing cat badge. Edmunds opines that since the Land Rover brand will no doubt continue to tackle the more traditional SUV segments, the Jaguar brand could easily house an offering in the luxury crossover market.
As for how a Jaguar CUV could come to fruition, Edmunds offers two suggestions. The first would be to build a vehicle on the smaller platform that will underpin the XS, as it will accommodate both rear- and all-wheel-drive applications and will be used for a number of differently sized vehicles. The second, more logical suggestion, is that the Jag CUV will ride on a version of the all-aluminum D7u platform used in the Land Rover Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.