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Jaguar E-Pace has an F-Type-inspired interior

Jaguar continues to test its new small crossover, tentatively dubbed E-Pace, and that means our spy photographers continue to capture it in the wild. This time, we got some photos of the interior. From what we can see, it follows in the footsteps of the the F-Type sports car, rather than Jaguar's sedans and larger F-Pace crossover. From the air vents down, the center stack gently slopes toward the shifter. It also has a large grab handle on the passenger side like that in the F-Type. This also makes the center stack feel more driver-centric. The shifter is also F-Type-inspired. While the Jaguar sedans and the F-Pace use a motorized dial that rises from the center console for shifting, the F-Type uses a conventional lever, as does this E-Pace. These interior design choices seem to indicate that Jaguar will market this E-Pace as being a sportier Jaguar than its existing lineup. Our spy photographer also caught this E-Pace prototype with the hatch up. This clearly shows that the E-Pace will have a radically raked rear window. Matched with the voluptuous rear fenders, the E-Pace should have a very aggressive look. As a side note, the open hatch also reveals that there are at least one or two members of the Jaguar team that like Budweiser. We still expect a reasonably long wait until the E-Pace makes its full debut, likely sometime next year at the earliest. We're also expecting the crossover to have a front-wheel-drive-based all-wheel-drive system like the Range Rover Evoque, and it may even use the Evoque platform. While not a bad platform or drive system, most any car enthusiast or journalist would agree that a rear-wheel drive platform would be more naturally sporty and in keeping with this car's interior and possible marketing. Related Video:

Jaguar hints at what might become of XK after F-Type's arrival

Jaguar may move the company's XK further upmarket following the introduction of its forthcoming F-Type. The newcomer to the range easily shoulders the burden of carrying the Jaguar sportscar mantle, freeing up the XK to evolve in another direction. While speaking with Autocar, Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum said there's an opportunity to grow the grand tourer both in size and luxury.
Whether that means the vehicle will retain its two-plus-two seating configuration or swell to offer buyers even more space remains to be seen. Either way, the future will likely see the XK soften its claws moving forward. And that's no bad thing. Jaguar has a long history of building luxurious grand tourers more content to soak up miles of highway than bounce from apex to apex.
What else is in store for the brand? Callum seems to have kept his cards close to his chest, refusing to acknowledge ongoing rumors of a Jaguar crossover beyond saying the brand "had to take notice" of the popularity of the luxury SUV market.

Automotive Grade Linux will be the backbone of your connected car

Creating a backend for a secure, reliable, and expandable infotainment system is costly and time consuming. The Linux Foundation, a non-profit organization, has set out to promote and advance the Linux operating system in commercial products. Automotive Grade Linux, or AGL, is a group within the Foundation that seeks to apply a Linux backend to a number of automotive applications in a variety of vehicles from various suppliers and manufacturers. AGL's goal is to create a common, unifying framework that allows developers and manufacturers to easily implement applications across platforms. Currently, the focus is on infotainment systems, but AGL has plans for instrument clusters, heads-up displays, and eventually active safety software. At CES, a display from Panasonic showed a completely digital and customizable dashboard that allows information and apps to be moved from the gauge cluster to the infotainment screen and back, all through the use of gesture and touch controls. Although the organization has been around for five years, it's really only been in the past three that the group has been working hand in hand with automakers and suppliers. The first two OEMs to participate, Toyota and Jaguar Land Rover, have since been joined by Mazda, Suzuki, Ford, and, as of this week, Daimler. The latter is important as until now most of AGL's partner's have been based in Japan or the US. Other partners include suppliers Denso, Renesas, Continental, Qualcomm, and Intel. AGL want's to supply roughly 80 percent of the backend, allowing partners to then finish and refine the Linux system for each individual application. Think of how the Android operating system is refined and customized for individual smartphones from Samsung, LG, and Motorola. While the final product looks different, developers can have an application that will work across all AGL systems. Because it is open source, anyone can use and develop for AGL. You can even go onto the group's website and download a copy right now. There is also a software development kit available that helps facilitate app creation on the platform. Vehicle development cycles take roughly five years, so there currently are no cars that run an AGL backbone available for consumers. AGL Executive Director Dan Cauchy says products should be hitting the market later this year, with even more coming in 2018. Right now, the industry is relatively fragmented when it comes to infotainment and related systems.