The 2020 Jaguar I-Pace absolutely wowed the 86 member panel of the 2019 World Car of the Year Awards. The fully-electric, luxury SUV took home three coveted prizes during this year’s selection: World Car of the Year, World Green Car of the Year, and World Car Design of the Year.
To celebrate those victories and lay the groundwork for future success, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) decided to offer World Car of the Year insiders the first look at the all-new 2021 Jaguar J-Pace Plug-In Hybrid SUV.
The private event, held at JLR’s Coventry, U.K.-based design studio, was the first time the long rumored J-Pace was officially confirmed by top company brass. It was also the first time the company showed off new variants of the XE, F-Type, and XJ. Expected to be released later this year, the new, all-electric XJ is the British automaker’s second full electric vehicle after the I-Pace.
The Right Time for Electrified Luxury SUVs
News of the Jaguar J-Pace comes at a time when there has never been more interest in two key segments of the global automotive industry: electric vehicles and SUVs. According to market research conducted by JATO, with more than 30 million models sold, SUVs accounted for more than 36% of all cars sold around the world.
That same report also found that electric vehicle sales increased by more than 75% internationally in 2018. It would appear Jaguar is seeking to capitalize on these trends with the upcoming release of it’s biggest and most extravagant hybrid SUV yet.
The Jaguar J-Pace is designed as a counterpoint to competitors such as the Mercedes G-Class, Porsche Macan, Audi Q8, BMW X6, as well as most of the vehicles produced by Land Rover. It’s a crowded field but an increasingly important one as luxury SUV sales continue to be strong in 2019, with little indication of a slowdown in 2020.
Anticipating the New Jaguar J-Pace Plug-In Hybrid SUV
The Jaguar J-Pace is an elevation of design which combines the optimized electric innovation of the I-Pace with the style and sophistication of the F-Pace. The J-Pace is expected to look very much like a larger and more luxurious F-Pace.
The forthcoming Jaguar J-Pace is one of five new cars JLR plans to release over the next several years built on the newly unveiled “Flex” MLA architecture. This design configuration will allow future Jaguar Land Rover cars to seamlessly be modified from traditional internal combustion engines (ICEs), to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV)s, and fully-electric drivetrains (EVs).
The “Flex” platform is built entirely out of aluminum and is considerably lighter than anything else currently in use by JLR. By 2025, the company plans to build its entire product line using this architecture.
Jaguar has confirmed that the first car to be released on the new “Flex” MLA platform is the 2020 Land Rover Defender which is scheduled to be released later this year. The J-Pace had long been rumored to be on its way for a 2021 model year, though the latest indications seem to suggest an appearance as a 2022 model is more likely.
Heading Towards an Electric Future While Still Looking Back
The plug-in hybrid J-Pace is expected to be powered by an ICE driving the front wheels, and an electric power train pushing the rear wheels. This configuration will offer the Jaguar J-Pace all-wheel drive without the added weight required to link the front and wheel drive as in most other all-wheel drive layouts.
The new Jaguar J-Pace plug-in hybrid SUV is expected to have a fully electric range of 50 miles. At this time, the Jaguar J-Pace is expected to be launched as a plug-in hybrid, though a fully electric variant will likely be released as well. That doesn’t mean however that more traditional ICE variants will not see the light of day too.
Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed that conventional gasoline and diesel versions of the J-Pace will be released down the line. Furthermore, Jaguar has previously predicted that it believes electric vehicles will only represent 20% of new cars sold by 2025.
Jaguar Land Rover Celebrates its Best Ever July Sales in the U.S.
Following the news earlier this summer that Jaguar Land Rover was losing vital European market share to Tesla, the company was pleased to announce positive American sales totals for the month of July.
JLR’s total July sales in the U.S. topped 8,476 units, a 5% increase from the previous year. For the calendar year, JLR achieved 70,881 units, an increase of 5% vs. 67,655 in 2018.
“We are proud to end the month with an increase in sales across both Jaguar and Land Rover,” said Joe Eberhardt, president and CEO, JLR North America. With the industry experiencing significant headwinds, we remain confident that our award-winning SUV product offering, supported by our dedicated retailer network, will continue this sales momentum.”