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Jaguar offers best glimpse yet at new F-Pace [w/video]

The upcoming new Jaguar F-Pace crossover promises to be both fast and comfortable, but its reveal has been somewhat slow and painful. Fortunately it'll all come to a close soon when Jaguar finally takes the wraps off the finished product at the Frankfurt Motor Show less than two weeks from now. But before it does, it's offering us one more glimpse at its forthcoming debut crossover. Though once satisfied leaving the high-riders to its sister brand Land Rover, Jaguar declared its intention to get into the crossover market when it presented the C-X17 at the Frankfurt show two years ago. We've since seen the concept rehashed in different colors, more spy shots of prototypes undergoing testing than we could shake an aluminum stick at, and even more teaser images and videos – including some barely wearing any camouflage at all. But this is out best look at it yet. And with it, the British automaker confirms that the crossover will hit US showrooms next Spring. The production F-Pace is pictured above and at the end of the video below in S trim, production spec, and in profile ahead of its global debut. And looking at it side by side with the concept, it's clear that Jaguar has kept faithful to the original design. The side vent has been reshaped, the rear haunch smoothed out, the roofline appears to slope a little more, and some minor details have been rethought. But otherwise it's a dead ringer, at least as far as we can tell so far. Even the wheel design is strikingly similar. But we'll reserve final judgement for when we see it up close, personal, and from all the angles upon its debut – though we don't doubt we'll see a bit more of it between now and then. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Jaguar Land Rover invests $1.5B to build factory in Slovakia

Jaguar Land Rover will invest 1 billion pounds ($1.5 billion at current rates) to build a new factory in Nitra, Slovakia. Construction will commence in 2016, and the site will have an initial capacity of 150,000 vehicles a year when the first of them roll out in late 2018. JLR expects to employ 2,800 people there. JLR won't yet say what vehicle it will build in Slovakia, other than it will be an all-new aluminum model. The 2018 timing for the plant's start of production seems to coincide with the launch of the radically different next-gen Land Rover Defender, though. Earlier reports suggested that JLR also considered locations in North America, particularly Georgia, and Europe for the new factory. However, the company signaled the Slovakia choice earlier this year when it signed a letter of intent with the government there in August. The automaker then did a final feasibility study before committing to the site. The new factory continues JLR's recent manufacturing expansion. The company opened an engine plant in the UK last year and a factory in China. There will also be one soon in Brazil, and it will reportedly bid to buy the Silverstone Circuit as a new headquarters. JAGUAR LAND ROVER CONFIRMS NEW FACTORY IN SLOVAKIA • New world-class premium manufacturing facility confirmed in Nitra • The next stage of the Company's plans for sustainable global growth • Today's announcement also supports long-term investment in the UK Bratislava, Slovakia – Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed that it will be the first British carmaker to open a manufacturing facility in Slovakia. The announcement follows an agreement between the company and the Government of the Slovak Republic to build a new plant in the city of Nitra, western Slovakia. The new world-class GBP1 billion premium manufacturing facility will eventually employ around 2,800 people. Today's announcement follows Jaguar Land Rover's recent confirmation to double its investment in its engine plant in the UK to almost GBP1 billion – the largest injection into a new British manufacturing plant in decades creating several hundred new jobs. Dr Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer, Jaguar Land Rover commented, "Jaguar Land Rover is delighted today to welcome Slovakia into our family. The new factory will complement our existing facilities in the UK, China, India and Brazil and marks the next step in the company's strategy to become a truly global business.

Jaguar Land Rover in talks for Southern US factory

Jaguar Land Rover is getting serious about global expansion, and that means it can't only build its vehicles in the UK anymore. The British automaker is cutting the ribbon at its new plant in China tomorrow, marking the opening of its first factory outside the UK. In 2016, it will open another factory in Brazil. But the latest intel has it that JLR is looking into a US factory, as well.
The report, which comes to us from the Sunday Times by way of Automotive News Europe, indicates that the company is evaluating locations for a North American factory, with options centering around Southern right-to-work states like South Carolina, where BMW operates its plant in Spartanburg and a wide array of other automotive operations are based as well. The JLR plant would reportedly ramp up to a capacity of 200,000 units per year.
In related news, while that new plant JLR is inaugurating in Changshu, China, is initially slated to produce the Range Rover Evoque, it is also expected to start building the new Discovery Sport as well - just like the Halewood plant in the UK that has handled Evoque assembly from the start and which just built its first Discovery Sport, as well.