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Porsche, Jaguar continue dominance in 2015 JD Power APEAL study

The top of JD Power's 2015 APEAL Study has not changed much in the last year. Porsche remains No. 1 with Jaguar nipping at its heels, although both premium brands saw their overall score fall compared to 2014. For those that need a refresher, the APEAL Study looks at how "gratifying" a vehicle is to own and drive, rating cars and brands on a 1,000-point scale. The industry average for 2015 has increased from 794 to 798, while the total number of automakers that finished above the curve increased from 16 to 20. While Porsche and Jaguar finished at the top, their scores dropped eight and seven points, respectively, to 874 and 855. The top "non-premium" brand was Mini, which scored an impressive 825, up from 795. If the BMW-owned British marque is still a bit too premium for your tastes, last year's non-premium winner, Hyundai, did climb five points and is this year's runner up. At the opposite end of the scale, Smart sits at the very bottom of the rankings, with a score of 683 (it didn't appear on the 2014 rankings). Fiat also dropped, from fourth worst in 2014 to second worst in 2015, despite the 500 being named most appealing city car. Subaru made an impressive climb, from third worst to seventh, falling just 10 points shy of the industry average and two points south of the non-premium average. In the individual vehicle segments, eight brands earned multiple awards, with Ford, Chevrolet, and Porsche earning three apiece. Surprise segment victories included the new Ford Expedition, which beat out Chevy's popular Suburban. The Infiniti QX80 bested the likes of the Cadillac Escalade and Range Rover for best large luxury SUV, and the Dodge Challenger beat its muscle car rivals from Ford and Chevy. Most of the victories, though, were quite predictable. The Mazda6 and CX-5 took wins for the midsize sedan and compact SUV categories respectively, while the Volkswagen Golf captured the compact car win. The Ford F-150 won the large pickup category, while the Porsche Cayman was named most appealing compact premium sporty car. Check out the official release on the 2015 APEAL Study, available below, from JD Power. 2015 U.S. APEAL Study Results The latest safety-related technologies are among the drivers of customer satisfaction with new vehicles, according to the J.D. Power 2015 U.S.

Jaguar XF gets performance-look R-Sport trim

If you're looking for all the style of a sports sedan but without the added expense of springing for a full-on performance model (and keeping it fed with fuel and fresh tires), most European automakers will gladly hook you up with an all-show, no-go package. BMW has its M-Sport aero kits, Audi its S-Line, and Mercedes its AMG Sport packs. And now Jaguar is getting in on the action with the launch of the new R-Sport line.
Set to be introduced on the XF at the Geneva Motor Show, the R-Sport trim at least some of the flash of the XFR or XFR-S but with a more economical engine and a relatively accessible price of entry. (This is, after all, still a Jag.) The XF R-Sport is distinguished by a sportier front bumper, side sills, rear spoiler, 17-inch wheels and unique badging to set it apart from any "ordinary" Jaguar XF. The interior is upgraded as well, and there's an optional black styling pack to take things even further.
Jaguar is offering the XF R-Sport in either sedan or wagon form with the 2.2-liter turbodiesel producing 161 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, fitted with a spot-start system to make it a far more frugal option than the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 in the real deal. Although this version won't be coming to US as you see it here, Jaguar tells Autoblog it's always possible it'll produce a similar aesthetic treatment for the North American market - just don't count on such models arriving under diesel motivation. We'll take a closer look at them in Geneva next week, but for now, you can check out the gallery and press release below for an idea of what to expect.

2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe is a seriously pretty kitty

The F-Type roadster is a beautiful car, but if we're honest, the coupe might be even more so. The hard top creates a smooth, uninterrupted line from the windshield all the way back to the rear of the car, the kinked-up rear-quarter windows are a nice touch and, overall, the design looks more organic than the roadster.
With the coupe's introduction also comes a new engine in the F-Type lineup, the 550-horsepower 5.0-liter supercharged V8 found in the XFR-S and XKR-S, and it's fitted to the top model, the F-Type R Coupe. The 495-hp mill in the V8 S roadster won't be an option in the coupe, however, but we're okay with that because Jaguar claims the 550-hp variant will scoot to 60 mph in just four seconds. Jaguar also will offer the base F-Type Coupe, with a 340-hp 3.0-liter supercharged V6, and the F-Type S Coupe, which has the same engine tuned to 380 hp. The base and mid-level models are quite quick, and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.1 and 4.8 seconds, respectively.
The F-Type Coupe is priced starting from $65,000, the S Coupe adds $12,000 and the R Coupe starts at $99,000 (prices don't include $895 destination fee). For more F-Type Coupe info, check out our previous post on it, or head on below to read the press release.