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The mood at this year’s Paris Motor Show: Quiet

The Paris Motor Show, held every other year in the early fall, typically kicks off the annual cavalcade of automotive conclaves, one that traverses the globe between autumn and spring, introducing projective, conceptual and production-ready vehicle models to the international automotive press, automotive aficionados and a public hungry for news of our increasingly futuristic mobility enterprise. But this year, at the press preview days for the show, the grounds of the Porte de Versailles convention center felt a bit more sparsely populated than usual. This was not simply a subjective sensation, or one influenced by the center's atypically dispersed assemblage of seven discrete buildings, which tends to spread out the cars and the crowds. There were not only fewer new vehicles being premiered in Paris this year, there were fewer manufacturers there to display them. Major mainstream European OEM stalwarts such as Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Nissan and Volkswagen chose to sit out Paris this year, as did boutique manufacturers like Bentley, Aston Martin and Lamborghini. This is not simply based in some antipathy on the part of the German, British and Italian manufacturers toward the French market — though for a variety of historical and societal reasons that market may be more dominated by vehicles produced domestically than others. Rather, it is part of a larger trend in the industry. Last year, Mercedes-Benz announced that it would not be participating in the flagship North American International Auto Show in 2019 — and that it might not return. Other brands including Jaguar/Land Rover, Audi, Porsche, Mazda and nearly every exotic carmaker have also departed the Detroit show. Some of these brands will still appear in the city in which the show is taking place, and host an event offsite, to capitalize on the presence of a large number of reporters in attendance. And even brands that do have a presence at the show have shifted their vehicle introductions to the days before the official press opening in an attempt to stand out from the crowd. In many ways, this makes sense. With an expanding number of automakers, with diversification and niche-ification of models and with wholesale shifts that necessitate the introduction of EV or autonomous sub-brands, there is a growing sense that, with everyone shouting at the same time, no one can be heard.

2018 Jaguar updates include a new 247-hp four for XE, XF, and F-Pace

Jaguar has announced changes and updates to its 2018 XE, XF, and F-Pace models, and the big one is a brand-new Ingenium four-cylinder engine. It replaces an older four-cylinder that was available on the 2017 XE line, and it will be the first gasoline four available on both the bigger XF sedan and the F-Pace crossover. This latest Ingenium engine is a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline four-cylinder like the older Jag engine it replaces; this one has its exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head, and it uses a twin-scroll turbocharger. It produces 247 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque, which are improvements of 7 hp and 18 lb-ft over the XE's old turbocharged four. Plus, peak torque is also available a bit lower than with the previous engine, at 1,200 rpm versus 1,750. It shares its architecture with the Ingenium diesel four-cylinder. The XE also gets some powertrain love at the top of the range, borrowing an engine from its bigger siblings. Jaguar is introducing a new XE S model with the 380-horsepower supercharged 3.0-liter V6. Previously, the most powerful engine available on the XE was the 340-horsepower version of that V6, which will still be available. The XE gets another upgrade in the form of an available 12.3-inch instrument panel display, when optioned with the Jaguar Touch Pro infotainment system that's also available on the other models. The big news for the XF is that its base price drops ever so slightly now that a four-cylinder model has been added. The rear-drive model with the new Ingenium engine starts at $48,770 as opposed to $49,245 for the cheapest 2017 XF, which had a diesel four-cylinder and rear-wheel drive. The downside is that diesel buyers will be paying $50,270 for the 2018 version of the same car. Some other technology upgrades have permeated the lineup as well. These 2018 Jaguars will be available with a forward cross-traffic alert and a system that will show steering angle and distance to objects on screen during slow forward maneuvering. The latter seems mainly useful for tight parking spaces. These features are available with Jaguar's Surround Camera System. Jaguar also introduced a system that will allow users to pay for gas (or diesel) from the car's touch screen using Apple Pay, Android Pay, or PayPal. The system will be introduced first in the UK and later this year in other markets, and it can only be used at Shell gas stations. Related Video:

Tata confirms JLR is looking at NA for new plant

Despite recent rumors to the contrary, Jaguar Land Rover is considering building a factory in North America, though not necessarily in the United States. The confirmation comes directly from former Tata Motors boss and still chairman emeritus Ratan Tata in a conversation with Automotive News. "The company is indeed looking at North America as a location for another plant. Where they locate that plant, in which country or which state they locate, is something they will need to decide," Tata said to AN. The magnate indicated that he wasn't taking part in the decision, though. Rumors of JLR's plans to open a factory in the US go back to at least to 2014. The automaker was reportedly looking to open a plant in the South to produce around 200,000 vehicles a year, and at the time, South Carolina was considered a possible location. However, later speculation made Georgia a likely contender, especially after the state's governor reportedly flew to the UK to pitch the company on the idea. Recently, the business had allegedly changed its mind and had turned the sights towards Austria or Turkey as potential alternatives. JLR is seemingly on a factory building binge at the moment. It opened a new engine plant in the UK late last year and its first manufacturing center in China at about the same time. The latest Land Rover Discovery Sport will also get assembled in Brazil for the local market. Related Video: Featured Gallery Land Rover Discovery Sport production at Halewood View 44 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover Plants/Manufacturing Jaguar Land Rover Luxury jaguar land rover