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Jaguar XF gets two new variants, Sport and SE Business

Jaguar has introduced two new variants of the XF, called the SE Business and Sport editions, and both feature the 2.2 litre diesel unit in different output tunes.

The SE Business gets the 163 PS version, and adds satellite navigation, complete with a seven-inch touchscreen and HDD mapping on top of the kit already specified in standard specification form, which includes intelligent start stop, a 400 watt sound system with DAB digital radio, leather and suede-cloth seats and bi-Xenon headlights.

Meanwhile, the Sport model is based on the 2.2 Diesel 190 PS engine, and adds the full aerodynamic pack which debuted on the Diesel S. This includes a revised front bumper, a black grille element, side sill extensions, a subtle rear boot lid spoiler and a black rear valance.

Inside, the Sport features half leather suede-cloth seats, bond grain trim and dove contrast stitch as well as electric driver and passenger adjustment. The version also gets piano black trim with ‘Sport’ decals on the centre console and stainless steel foot pedals.

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Jaguar XF facelift arrives in Malaysia – 3.0 V6 petrol, Diesel S and XFR 5.0 V8 Supercharged are the available variants

Jaguar’s facelifted XF sedan was officially introduced by Sisma Auto earlier today. Three variant forms of the new arrival are available, the base 3.0 V6 petrol and 3.0 V6 Diesel S as well as the range-topping XFR 5.0 V8 Supercharged, though the introduction made today was with the 3.0 litre petrol and diesel jobs.

The facelift gives the XF a series of cosmetic enhancements that bring the car’s exterior in-line with the design language introduced on the flagship XJ. The front fascia and lower rear valance treatments differ between model levels, but in general the grille and hood have been revised, as have the front fenders, which now sport new triangular side vents. As befits its status, the supercharged XFR features styling cues that differentiate it from the other XFs.

In terms of powertrain outputs, the AJ-V6 Gen III petrol has 238 PS at 6,800 rpm and 293 Nm at 4,100 rpm, and this is good enough to give it a 0-100 km/h time of 8.3 seconds. Meanwhile, the AJ-V6D Gen III S diesel mill offers 275 PS at 4,000 rpm and double the torque of the petrol unit, with 600 Nm at 2,000 rpm. It’s faster than the petrol variant to the century, doing it in 6.4 seconds.

As for the XFR, the familiar 5.0 litre AJ-V8 Gen III R supercharged lump puts out 510 PS at 6,000 to 6,500 rpm and 635 Nm at 2,500 rpm right through to 5,500 rpm, and these numbers are good enough to give the XFR a sub five-second performance from standstill to 100 km/h, specifically 4.9 seconds. All three model versions, which are equipped with six-speed auto gearboxes, have their top speed limited to 250 km/h.

Besides the revisions to the bodywork, new to the car are bi-function HID xenon headlamps, which incorporate LED daytime running lights that are shaped in a Jaguar ‘J-Blade’ fashion, and the LED tail lights are also new, reworked to extend towards the central portion of the trunk lid. The boot gets a power latch across the model range, and also wears a revised trunk lid trim, with a gloss black lower edge separating the tail lamps.

At the car’s official global launch at last year’s New York Auto Show, three new exterior shades were also introduced to the palette, and the alloy wheel selection has also been increased, with new offerings ranging from 18- to 20-inch units available for the car.

The cabin also gets updated, with changes coming in the form of new trim shades, seats, audio systems and instrument panel. Trim-wise, the centre console, dashboard, and steering wheel are dressed in a new colour scheme, with buttons and switchgear now in black. Additionally, the ‘Tungsten’ finish has been replaced by a more contemporary ‘Aurora’ theme.

The front and rear seats have also been revised, and feature a choice of new colour combinations and veneers. Elsewhere, the instrument cluster information display is now a full-colour TFT unit, and the seven-inch touchscreen now comes with a new polarising filter for improved contrast and reworked buttons below the screen, allowing for easier and clearer function selection.

A choice of three new audio systems abound, with the list headed by an optional 1,200 watt, 17-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium surround sound system, and safety equipment includes front and side curtain airbags, CBC and brake assist.

In terms of pricing, the XF 3.0 V6 goes for RM488,888, the XF 3.0 Diesel S for RM509,888, and the XFR 5.0 V8 Supercharged is a mere snip at RM888,888, all prices excluding road tax and insurance.

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Jaguar Land Rover thriving under Indian ownership

English brands Jaguar and Land Rover seem to be thriving under Indian ownership. The Tata owned company sold 130,090 units from January to June 2011, a 13.8% jump over the same period last year, attributed to improved products and strong growth in emerging markets such as China and Russia.

Reports mention that JLR’s new 2.2L diesel engine, as seen in the Jaguar XF saloon, has been good for the brands. Also, Land Rover’s stylish new Range Rover Evoque has found 7,700 new homes up till September, and is seeing high demand. The Evoque was launched in Malaysia earlier this month, priced from RM353,888 for the 2.2L Diesel 5-Door Prestige to RM393,888 for the 2.0L Petrol Coupe Dynamic Plus. Click here to read the launch story.

Along with the sales figures, JLR’s profits (before tax) for Q3 of the 2011-12 financial year were up by almost 9% to £287million, while revenues were up 30% to £2.9billion, compared to Q3 2010.

Earlier, JLR said that it has successfully created more than 1,000 new jobs at its Solihull manufacturing plant. This 25% growth in workforce is to cater for a new model blitz of “40 significant product actions over the next five years.” And judging by recent form, there should be more than a few winners in there.

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Frankfurt preview: Jaguar C-X16 Concept, 911 here I come!

This is the smaller sports car that has been missing in the Jaguar range, one that’s designed to take on the new Porsche 911 as a proper driver’s sports car. To debut in concept form in Frankfurt next week, the Jaguar C-X16 Concept is a sexy looking thing, a strict RWD two seater with 50:50 weight distribution and a hybrid. It’s a sure thing that Porsche engineers will be snooping around Jaguar’s stand at the IAA!

Billed as a “bold statement of Jaguar’s future design and technological intent”, the 4.4-metre long C-X16 is front engined and rear driven. It has lightweight aluminium bodywork sitting on the next-generation aluminium XK platform, and 50:50 weight distribution. With all those ingredients, and Jaguar’s reputation, there’s no way the production C-X16 will emerge as anything less than a great handling car. We’ll have to wait till late next year for that.

Under the hood is a supercharged all-alloy V6 engine producing 380 PS and 450 Nm of torque from 3.0-litres. This all-new quad-cam engine is a modular development of Jaguar’s AJ-V8 powerplant.

Supplementing it is an electric motor producing 70 kW (equivalent to 95 PS) and 235 Nm, available to the driver at the push of a steering-wheel boost button. Available for up to 10 seconds, this is inspired by the KERS system used in Formula 1. Besides “push to pass”, the electric motor also enables the C-X16 to perform as a zero emissions electric car at speeds of up to 80 km/h on low throttle openings.

The motor draws power from a 1.6kWh lithium-ion battery pack mounted behind the seats. It is predominantly charged through a rear axle electro-hydraulic brake energy regeneration system. The battery is cooled by chilled coolant from the climate-control system, the compressor for which is electrical rather than engine-driven for better efficiency.

The engine is paired to an eight-speed transmission with Stop/Start, recently launched in the XF. Utilising a Twin Solenoid Starter, the system shut down the engine in just 300 milliseconds after the car has come to rest, restarting it in the time it takes the driver’s foot to travel from the brake to the accelerator. First time mated to a supercharged engine, says Jaguar.

Figures? 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, a limited top speed of 300 km/h and in-gear acceleration of just 2.1 seconds between 80 and 120 km/h. The hybrid system helps reduce CO2 emissions to 165 g/km and 14.5 km/l economy on the combined cycle. Yummy!

Gallery after the jump.
[Read more...]

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Frankfurt preview: Jaguar C-X16 production concept


Click to enlarge image

Here’s another concept that will debut at Frankfurt show, which is shaping out to be quite big and busy fest. The C-X16 is what Jaguar calls a “production concept”, which means that this is a preview of a car that’s heading for the showrooms, not just a flight of fancy.

Designed by the same team behind the current Jaguar XJ, XF and XK – and headed by Jaguar Director of Design Ian Callum – the C-X16 concept is “a precursor to future Jaguar sports cars that will aim to set new class benchmarks in design, vehicle dynamics and technology,” according to the Tata owned British brand.

“Great Jaguars have always been beautiful, innovative and have looked firmly to the future. The finished C-X16 concept has the potential to do these things while retaining the ability to surprise, to excite and invigorate,” said Ian Callum as the concept neared completion.

“Jaguar has set in place bold, ambitious plans for the future. This production concept demonstrates the depth of design and engineering ability we have within Jaguar to make these plans come to life,” added colleague Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director at Jaguar Cars.

Jaguar’s previous sports car concept was the stunning C-X75 of Paris 2010, which shares quite a bit of design similarities with this teaser sketch – a good thing. Click here to see the C-X75.

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Jaguar XJL 3.0D and XFS 3.0D diesels officially introduced

We wrote about them earlier, but today is the day they get their official introduction. Sisma Auto officially introduced the XJL 3.0D and XFS 3.0D diesels earlier this afternoon at a media preview.

Both the XF and XJ jobs wear the same AJ-V6D Gen III S 3.0 litre turbodiesel lump, which has 271 hp at 4,000 rpm and 600 Nm at 2,000 rpm for figures, and this is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Performance-wise, both cars achieve an identical 0-100 kph time of 6.4 seconds and a 250 kph electronically-limited top speed.

Other notable figures have to do with the percentage gains from going the oil burner route. The XFS 3.0D offers 105% more torque, 16% more power and has 23% quicker acceleration compared to its XF 3.0L V6 petrol sibling. That’s not all, of course – the 3.0D is also more frugal than the latter, consuming 35% less fuel and having 28% less CO2 emissions.

Sisma is confident about walking the diesel path with these two. “Some potential buyers have raised concerns about the quality of diesel in Malaysia and the long-term effect on the engine. But they can put their worries aside as Jaguar’s multi-award winning 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine has been redesigned to accept Malaysia’s Euro 2M diesel specification,” said Sisma Auto MD Syed Hussain Syed Mohamed.

As mentioned previously, the price of the XFS 3.0D is RM499,888, slightly higher than the 3.0 V6 petrol version’s RM488,888, while the XJL 3.0D goes for RM699,888, significantly cheaper than the RM958,888 asked for the 5.0 Premium Luxury V8 petrol.

Gallery of launch photos after the jump.
[Read more...]

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Jaguar XF 2.2 diesel travels 1,313km on 64 liters!

Jaguar calls its new Jaguar XF 2.2 the most efficient Jaguar yet produced, and looking at its tested fuel economy figures, it’s probably true!

To see just how fuel efficient the XF 2.2 diesel is, Jaguar sent the Jaguar XF off on a trip across four countries driven by independent tester David Magdwick, and the results were 816 miles (1,313km) covered using just 64 litres of fuel, which is a fuel consumption of about 4.9 litres per 100km! My guess at combined real world driving – an average of 7 litres per 100km is possible.

Despite being fuel efficient, I don’t think the 4 cylinder oil burner XF will be a bore to drive either, considering it makes 190 PS and 450Nm of torque, mated to an 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox with an auto start-stop system.

It’s about time that Jaguar put a 2.2 litre diesel into the XF, considering their “premium only” stance awhile back. If you notice, the XF petrol range starts with a 3.0 litre V6 model, and Jaguar says this is intentional because they wanted to keep the marque a notch above its competitors like Mercedes-Benz and BMW, which has lower end models like the 523i and the E200 CGI.

There is a more upmarket diesel XF model – a 3.0 litre V6 diesel, which just so happens to be sold in Malaysia. A 2.2 litre diesel XF is essentially competes with some of the baseline diesel engines of the German badges – the 520d and the E220 CDI. They probably need to do this to keep up with the times though, as more people look towards fuel efficiency.

Will Sisma Auto launch the 2.2 litre diesel XF here to provide an alternative for those looking for a fuel efficient diesel in the 5-Series/E-Class/A6 segment? That would certainly be quite interesting, especially if it ends up being as competitively priced as the 520d, but not very likely (as in the price) as it would be a case of CBU vs SKD.

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Jaguar XF and XJ 3.0 litre Diesel S variants in town

They’ve rolled in quietly, without any fanfare, and they’re doing very well indeed. Jaguar’s diesel variants of the XF and XJ have begun selling in Malaysia, and both Diesel S jobs are pretty much being snapped up the moment they arrive.

Both the XF and XJ diesels are similarly equipped with a AJ-V6D Gen III S 3.0 litre turbodiesel mill, offering 271 hp at 4,000 rpm and 600 Nm at 2,000 rpm, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Performance-wise, the lump is listed as giving both models an identical 0-100 kph time of 6.4 seconds and a 250 kph electronically-limited top speed (the cars weigh in at around the same, and in fact the XF is heavier at 1,820 kg to the XJ’s 1,813 kg).

Pricing-wise, the XF Diesel S rolls in at RM499,888, which is just a shade above the 3.0 V6 petrol version’s RM488,888, while the XJ Premium Luxury LWB Diesel S is priced at RM699,888, a very enticing alternative to the 5.0 Premium Luxury V8 petrol variant, considering its asking price is loads lower than the latter’s RM958,888.

Some notes on the XF – the Diesel S isn’t the facelifted version of the car, but the news is that the 2011 model year XF should be arriving on these shores soon. XF fans will of course have to be very patient for the new 187 hp 2.2 litre option of the car to arrive here.

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Jaguar Land Rover opens its first Indian plant at Pune

Jaguar Land Rover has officially opened its first assembly plant in India last week. Located in Pune in the Maharashtra region, the facility will first assemble the Land Rover Freelander 2, supplied to it by in Complete Knock Down (CKD) form from JLR’s Halewood plant in the UK. It has the capacity to assemble 3,500 vehicles annually.

Two variants of the SUV will be available, the TD4 SE Automatic and the SD4 HSE Automatic. They’re now cheaper by Rs 2.5-3 lakh compared to previous fully imported CBU units.

According to the Tata owned company, the Pune facility (it’s not newly built, production line at the Tata owned building was earlier used by Mercedes) will be subject to JLR’s mainstream launch quality processes and will be overseen by experienced manufacturing and quality managers who have moved to India from the UK.

“Today marks a significant step in our growth strategy for the Indian market. The opening of this plant demonstrates close co-operation between the parent company Tata Motors and Jaguar Land Rover and we are keen to develop this further,” said Carl-Peter Forster, CEO and MD of parent company Tata Motors.

JLR is also planning a new £400 million engine plant in India, supposedly a “carbon copy” of a facility JLR has already announced for for the UK. It will churn out four-cylinder engines that are modular in design and up to 2.0 litres in capacity.

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Jaguar-LR to build four-cylinder engine plant in India

Tata owned Jaguar Land Rover is planning a new £400 million engine plant in India, sources told Autocar India. Apparently, the plant will be a “carbon copy” of a facility JLR has already announced for for the UK, which is believed to be in Wolverhampton. It’s possible that the Indian plant will be in Pune, a city that will also host a previously announced Land Rover assembly plant.

The Indian plant will make four-cylinder engines that are modular in design and up to 2.0 litres in capacity, according to sources. This fits in with JLR’s intention to replace the relatively expensive four-cylinder diesel and petrol engines it buys from previous owner Ford. The V6 and V8 engines they use will continue to be made by Ford in Bridgend and Dagenham for the time being.

It won’t be so soon though, as work on the Indian plant will only start after the UK plant. But when both new factories are up and running, they can churn out up to 500,000 units a year, enough to supply assembly in China, which was announced by CEO Carl Peter-Forster mid last year.

Jaguar Land Rover is doing pretty well under Tata ownership. They have just announced the biggest-ever profit in British automotive history with after-tax earnings of £1.043 billion for the recent financial year. This is few fold more than the £300 million previous record posted in the 2007, JLR’s last full year under Ford custody. Vehicle sales in China and India have made this possible – sales rocketed by 33% and 61% respectively.

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