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2016 Jaguar XF First Drive [w/video]

Jaguar has never had a problem with style or driving joy. Every generation of the British brand's vehicles – with excuses made and accepted in advance for S-Type and X-Type and other outliers – has offered compelling styling and great performance. New kid XF was no exception when it was introduced in 2007. The car's sheetmetal pointed the way forward for the fully up-to-date range we see now, and its confident engines and handling chops were on pace with the best Bimmers, Benzes, and Cadillacs. The first-generation XF made some hay for Jaguar, selling around 280,000 copies through 2014. But those annualized rates still represented a blip on the luxury midsize radar when viewed against the backdrop of the German Three's numbers. Part of that sales story has been down to the E-Classes and 5 Series of the world being consistently excellent, to be sure. But a lot of the blame can be found in Jaguar's historic weak spots. Grace and pace the brand had in spades, but consumer perception of quality and reliability just weren't there, pricing was typically near the top of the class, and the residual values of the cars were low (a combination of all three factors, most likely). Of course, Jag would love to sell a few more cars. But this time, instead of simply building a great-looking, great-driving new XF (which is absolutely the case), the brand is doing some clever non-engineering-based things to put more big cats in more garages than ever before. The tradeoff of very good ride quality is worth the minute amount of roll. After flying all they way to Spain – Pamplona and the Navarra Circuit, by way of Barcelona and a Range Rover adventure you'll hear about soon – I would be remiss not to tell you how the new XF goes down the road. Some 150 kilometers (93 miles) of motorway and challenging b-roads lie between the city with that annual livestock problem and the 2.44-mile, FIA approved racecourse. A route that led me to understand that this XF, in my case the 380-horsepower XF S, has gained more than it has lost in the generational changeover. The company is fully committed to aluminum for its midsizer, with the new car now using a body structure that's 75-percent built from the stuff. I'm told that means a body in white that weighs just over 600 pounds, and an overall weight savings of 11 percent. Body stiffness has been raised by 28 percent in the process.

Jaguar working on windows that open when you touch them

Jaguar is working on side windows that will whir up and down not with a push of a button, but with a touch of the glass itself. According to Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum, "For instance, if you want to pull the windows down, you touch a certain area of the glass and you can actually just drop them down." Callum would go on to caution, "These things are all a work in progress at the moment," before pausing and saying, "That's coming." When we asked when we might see such technology deployed in a production car, Callum, who spoke with Autoblog at the Detroit Auto Show on Monday, said, "I don't know when, but we certainly know how to do it." Callum was less forthcoming about how the technology functions, saying, "Oh, I can't tell you (laughs)... it's proximity, mainly." It's not clear whether traditional physical switches mounted on the doors would still be required with such a system. The designer then went on to discuss Jaguar's innovation in proximity-based switchgear – the automaker has already been using the technology for its interior overhead lighting controls and glovebox release. When we asked about any safety concerns that touch-control windows might generate, Callum said, "I think if it's a very specific area, there's absolutely no ambiguity about what you're trying to do – it's fine." Callum knows a thing or two about the need for absolute specificity in this area – when Jaguar introduced its XF sedan with proximity switchgear, it found passengers were accidentally opening their gloveboxes with their knees, which prompted a quick redesign. "It's a whole new genre of disciplines that we have to think about – what is safe," he said. Design/Style Jaguar Technology Luxury 2015 Detroit Auto Show

Jaguar F-Pace runs support at Tour de France

Jaguar is going back to the Tour de France. The British automaker will once again support Team Sky in its latest campaign for cycling's biggest prize by loaning out an F-Pace prototype that will run during the brutal first stage of this year's event. This marks our first genuine look at the production sheetmetal, which is lightly obscured by the Team Sky/Jaguar camouflage. Sporting a black theme, it features blue accents, carbon fiber, rubber, and chain elements reminiscent of a racing bike. Outside of that, it looks a lot like C-X17 Concept that previewed the F-Pace. Like the F-Type that was used by Team Sky in last year's race, the F-Pace will carry the team's director and a driver. They'll be joined this year by a mechanic and the team's physician, while the large trunk will house sports drinks, clothing for the riders, and spare parts for their bikes. "We are delighted to be supporting Team Sky again at such a prestigious sporting event and are excited at the prospect of the F-Pace being seen in action in public for the first time," Kevin Stride, the CUV's line director, said in the attached statement. "The Jaguar F-Pace is a striking balance of performance, style, and practicality. And what better way to showcase the vehicle's attributes than on this crucial first leg of the Tour de France." Scroll down for the full press release from Jaguar. JAGUAR F-PACE PROTOTYPE TO LEAD TEAM SKY AT THE TOUR DE FRANCE #FPACE STRICTLY UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 00:01 BST WEDNESDAY 1 JULY 2015 ? Jaguar F-PACE breaks cover at the Tour de France as official Team Sky support vehicle ? Prototype version of Jaguar's first performance crossover will be seen in public for the first time with light camouflage ? Team Sky rider Chris Froome stars alongside the Jaguar F-PACE in a short film showing real world testing of the prototype at their training camp ? Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations designs cutting edge bike racking solution to optimise quick-release of Team Sky's Pinarello Bolide TT bikes for Stage One Wednesday 1 July 2015: Jaguar will set the pace for Team Sky this Saturday when a prototype version of the highly anticipated Jaguar F-PACE will support the team at the Tour de France Grand Depart in Utrecht. Jaguar's first performance crossover is due to be revealed later in the year and is in its final stages of development.