Autocar August 28, 2019

RECENTLY, JAGUAR APPEALED to the Oxford English Dictionary to change the definition of a car. According to the OED, a car is “a road vehicle powered by a motor (usually an internal combustion engine)”. Jaguar wants that to be updated given the rise of electric cars – including the I-Pace, which we’ve just added to our long-term fleet (p64). Car terminology is becoming dated. For example, the Porsche Taycan is set to have Turbo and Turbo S variants – despite lacking an engine and turbochargers. Away from EVs, four-door SUV coupés are on the rise, despite dictionaries insisting a coupé has only two doors. The meaning of words change over time. As electric cars become the norm, long-standing terminology will adjust with it. What’s key for us driving enthusiasts is that, while…

Jaguar is favouring a mid-engined layout for the next-generation F-Type – and it is set to revive a number of design cues from the ill-fated C-X75 concept. The brand’s designers and engineers are mulling key decisions about the direction of the next-generation Porsche 911 rival, chief among which is whether to stick with the current front-mid-engined layout or reinvent it as an electrified – or even pure electric – model with a mid-mounted powertrain. Autocar understands that the latter is favoured by those close to the project. Speaking recently to Autocar, now former design director Ian Callum revealed he had laid out a blueprint for the next generation of sports car in collaboration with his successor, Julian Thomson. “We could get quite close [to the C-X75],” Callum said. “There’s still a formula within…

Before the Jaguar F-Type evolves into a new generation, efforts to update the current six-year-old design are well under way. Recent prototypes show a significant rethink to the sports car’s front-end design, with slim headlights similar to those on the facelifted XE saloon drafted in, alongside a redesigned grille, new bonnet shape and tweaks to the rear light design. The interior is expected to be a step forward, too, with some of the advanced infotainment features seen in the XE and I-Pace brought in. The biggest mechanical change will be found under the engine bay. Ford will stop producing JLR’s 5.0-litre supercharged V8 next year, and the F-Type is tipped to receive a BMW-sourced 4.4-litre V8 in its place. Lesser variants will also get a new unit in the form of…

The next Mercedes-Benz C-Class has been redesigned from the ground up, with highly efficient new hybrid drivetrains and advanced autonomous driving technology set to be some of its key draws. Having experienced a sharp drop in C-Class sales in recent years because of the universal gravitation of buyers towards SUVs, the German maker is providing the fifth-generation model with many of the developments being readied for the new S-Class. The new C-Class, codenamed W206, will challenge the recently facelifted Audi A4 and new BMW 3 Series when it arrives in UK showrooms in 2021. As evidenced by the latest prototypes, the design of the new C-Class is a clear evolution of the styling seen on today’s model. Although its exterior features a new-look front end with more angular headlights, the new car’s…

Available to order from early October, the A250e (also available in saloon form) and B250e are powered by a 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a 101bhp electric motor. The combined output is 215bhp, with 332lb ft of torque quoted. The 15.6kWh lithium ion battery provides an electric-only range of between 35 and 42 miles, with an 80% charge from 10% possible in 25 minutes from a rapid charger. Both models make use of the more versatile CCS charging system, too. The A250e can cover 0-62mph in 6.6sec, with the B250e taking 6.8sec. Top speed is 146mph for the hatchbacks and 149mph for the saloon. Both models weigh 150kg more than the equivalent petrol example, but Mercedes claims boot space isn’t greatly affected. UK prices have yet to be confirmed, but an increase of…

Mercedes-Benz has extended its SUV portfolio with a second generation of the GLE Coupé. Revealed ahead of its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show next month, the BMW X6 rival will arrive in dealerships in spring 2020. The newcomer raises the number of Mercedes SUV models to eight, indicating the significance to the brand of a sector that accounts for a third of its global sales. The GLE Coupé joins an ever-growing segment of style-focused variants of traditional high-riding models and can also count the Porsche Cayenne Coupé, Audi Q8 and Range Rover Velar as competitors. Despite sharing its underpinnings with the standard GLE, the GLE Coupé is 15mm longer and a substantial 63mm wider. Its wheelbase is 20mm longer than the previous version’s but is still 60mm shorter than the…