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All-electric Jaguar XJ coming soon on platform shared with 'Road Rover'

We've been posting on the likelihood of electric Jaguars for a while now, especially the XJ leading the charge as a new EV flagship. Rumors at the beginning of 2018 predicted an XJ EV on our doorstep by the end of 2018, the 50th anniversary year of the XJ. By April this year, it was looking like the battery-powered XJ would use the I-Pace platform and make an appearance sometime in 2019. Now, Automotive News Europe reports that during Jaguar Land Rover's Investor's Day presentations, the automaker said it would debut a "large SUV and a large premium sedan" on its Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA) suitable for EVs, hybrids and traditional ICE-powered cars. The sedan in question is the next-gen XJ. Nick Rogers, JLR's product engineering boss, said electric MLA vehicles will get 90.2-kWh batteries that return range of up to 400 kilometers (292 miles) on the European cycle. That would effectively be the same size battery as the I-Pace, which rides on its own one-off platform, and the same range; in the U.S., the I-Pace is rated at 234 miles. It's said the XJ's design, produced by former Jaguar design chief Ian Callum and his team, has already been cleared. It swaps the four-door body for a five-door, a la the Audi A7, and introduces a new design language for the car and the carmaker. Car and Driver says the new statement sedan aims to be "a cutting-edge alternative to the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class," and Autocar saying it will "remain Jaguar's flagship in preference to a large SUV, such as the rumored J-Pace." The point of introducing the EV first is to establish the car's technology and sporting credentials — hopefully before the Porsche Taycan and Audi E-Tron GT arrive. Eventually, an ICE version of the XJ powered by an Ingenium inline-six should come; that will welcome buyers not ready to make the all-EV switch, a necessary move in keeping with the XJ's competition for global sales with the S-Class and 7 Series. However, leaving room in the design for a conventional drivetrain will force compromises that the all-electric competition doesn't face. Production of the current XJ ends at the Castle Bromwich facility on July 5. The new sedan is slated to be "announced in the near future" and built at JLR's plant in Solihull, which assembles Land Rover products. The same MLA platform will support a road-focused Land Rover as a sibling to the XJ, dubbed the "Road Rover" internally.

Jaguar returns to open-wheel racing with Formula E team [w/video]

One of the most legendary names in motor racing – Jaguar – is returning to the open-wheel racing, but not with an internal-combustion engine. The British company has confirmed its plans to enter the FIA Formula E Championship. Though the British automaker has revealed little in the way of concrete details, the team is set to join the electric grid for the third season starting next fall. Jaguar will team up with Williams as its technical partner, drawing on the relationship they established in developing the C-X75 hybrid hypercar concept and on Williams' considerable racing expertise. The F1 team founded by Frank Williams developed the battery system for the SRT_01E that all the teams are using currently. "Electric vehicles will absolutely play a role in Jaguar Land Rover's future product portfolio and Formula E will give us a unique opportunity to further our development of electrification technologies," said JLR's chief engineer Nick Rogers. "The Championship will enable us to engineer and test our advanced technologies under extreme performance conditions." The company recently showcased new battery propulsion technology and is said to be developing an electric crossover to be dubbed the Jaguar E-Pace. Jaguar won Le Mans five times in the 1950s and twice again in 1988 and '90, and racked up victories in touring cars in the early 80s. Most recently Jaguar Racing represented the company in Formula One until then-parent Ford sold the team to Red Bull in 2004 before divesting itself from the company altogether in 2007. Aside from the XKR GT3/GT2 that it furnished to privateer teams, Jaguar has not competed in any major racing series since. Jaguar joins Audi, Renault, and PSA Peugeot Citroen on the Formula E grid. The announcement coincides with the withdrawal from the series of the Trulli team. Former F1 driver Jarno Trulli took over the outfit from Drayson and is now relinquishing the slot back to the series organizers effective immediately, dropping the grid down to 9 teams and 18 cars until Jaguar takes its place next season. 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 XE promises to net 'over 75 mpg,' just not for us [w/video]

With around a month away from its world debut on September 8, Jaguar continues to issue a constant drip of updates about its upcoming XE compact luxury sedan that's aiming to take on the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4. Where the company's last bit of info focused on the car's suspension setup, this time Jag's putting the spotlight on the new model's modular platform and making some big promises about it, too. How big? Try over 75 miles per gallon big.
That's the headline figure that Jaguar is claiming for its new sedan, but it's keeping mum on just what powertrain will realize that figure. Furthermore, that result is on the European test cycle, which is more lenient than America's EPA testing regime. In any case, when the XE hits the road, Jag says it will be the most efficient vehicle from the company, ever.
That's thanks in no small part to the aluminum-intensive monocoque chassis underpinning the sedan. It's constructed from a new grade of the lightweight metal called RC 5754 that uses a high portion of recycled material. "The Jaguar XE body uses over 75-percent aluminum content, which far exceeds any other car in its class. This gives us a body structure with unrivaled low weight: it's light but also immensely strong with extremely high levels of torsional stiffness," said Dr. Mark White, Jaguar Chief Technical Specialist; Body Complete.