All Wheel Drive! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Jaguar testing facelifted XJ in UK

Europe's flagship luxury sedans don't go through their lifecycles quite as quickly as other models need to, but with the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class hitting the road, Jaguar must feel it's time for a little update for its XJ sedan. And as these spy shots demonstrate, that's just what it has in store.
Falling firmly in the subtle-facelift category (as opposed to the full refresh), the placement of the camouflage on this new XJ appears to be hiding new fascias front and rear. Reshaped bumpers, trunk lid, grille and air apertures seem to be part of the impending facelift, but for better or worse, those black rear pillars seem to be staying put.
While Jaguar's at it, we can expect some updates to the cabin as well, with upgraded infotainment, ambient lighting and such. But don't go expecting anything radical at this stage. The XJ has been on the market for about four years, and it'll be another few before it demands a complete overhaul.

This is how we'd spec a Jaguar F-Pace

The configurator hitting the web is an exciting time in a new model's launch. Even if you don't have the cash to buy that sweet new ride, clicking through the options offers a chance to dream. Since we enjoy these stories so much, the Autoblog team is trying out something a little different for the new Jaguar F-Pace. Rather than describing all the stuff you can find on the page, some of our writers are going to show you how they'd spec out Jag's first crossover. Let us know how you like the new format in Comments, below. CHRIS BRUCE: I had an attractive, fairly affordable F-Pace Prestige ready, until the options list tempted me into an extra $5,000 in features. The final price of $56,255 doesn't seem too bad, though. While the diesel engine is probably quite nice, it's extremely hard not to pick the supercharged V6 with its intoxicating sound and 340 hp. Mine also includes the black trim package ($320), deleting the powertrain badge ($0), Adaptive Dynamics Pack ($1,000), Vision Pack ($2,000), and Head-up Display ($990). The British Racing Green paint ($550) and aluminum interior trim ($300) add a little more to the bottom line but are worth it for the extra style. GREG MIGLIORE: I shamelessly loaded mine up with options, let's just get that out of the way. But the F-Pace offers a lot of cool stuff, and the $400 activity security key is worth it for active lifestyles. I went with the silver paint and black 22s because I'd want my grocery-getter to have some attitude, and I think the pairing makes for a sinister yet tasteful appearance. Naturally, I'd want the 380-hp V6. It's a Jag. I want it to purr. SEYTH MIERSMA: If I'm throwing down on an F-Pace, I've already decided that I'm not going the thrifty route for my new crossover. Still, I don't see any particular advantage to the most-sporting version. The 340-hp gas-powered Jag will do just fine. Middle of the road then: F-Pace Prestige has the Xenons, heated seats, and steering wheel, and navigation that'd I'd add to a lesser model. And it looks hilariously disrespectful in this BRG paint with 20-inch black wheels. Jeremy Korzeniewski: The F-Pace is a Jaguar, and that means it can be both sporty and luxurious at the same time. But that doesn't mean it can't also be efficient. To that end, I chose to eschew the powerful gasoline engine options and instead spec my fictional F-Pace with a diesel.

2014 Jaguar XFR-S is the power and the fury

If there's something wrong about a sedan with a 550-horsepower supercharged V8, we don't want to hear about it. Instead, we want to marvel at the car in person, which is fortuitous because Jaguar has officially unveiled the 2014 XFR-S at the 2012 LA Auto Show. That blown 5.0-liter V8 dishes up a full 502 pound-feet of torque, which is good enough to shuttle the four-door to 60 mph in a scant 4.4 seconds. And, thanks to a start stop system and a few other fuel-saving tricks, the 2014 XFR-S gets away without being hit by the gas guzzler tax.
That's all good news, but we're just as excited about the fact that engineers managed to crank up the vehicle's chassis stiffness by a ludicrous 30 percent. Stiffer dampers and springs also give the car a little more poise, and a wide-open exhaust lets the whole world know you're kicking down their door. You know, in case the electric blue paint and wild body work didn't tip your hand. Check out the full gallery above for a closer look.