Autocar November 11, 2020

THE ONLY THING that seems to have escaped the painful cuts and restructuring at Jaguar Land Rover over the past two years is the firm’s model range itself. For relatively small marques, Jaguar and Land Rover already have a large number of models, and with more additions planned. However, the restructuring of JLR, which carries renewed focus with the recent appointment of CEO Thierry Bolloré, now shines a spotlight on the cars the brands will make in the future. Everything is being looked at and nothing is off the table, from putting imminent new arrivals on ice to cancelling projects altogether (p4). JLR has some incredible models with considerable equity, yet overlap has crept in over recent years. Is there enough differentiation between a Jaguar XE and an XF? What can a…

“ Aside from the Range Rover models, much of JLR’s operation is under a stem-to-stern review ” Jaguar Land Rover is entering the final few months of preparation for a new engineering era, but it’s looking likely that next winter’s fifth-generation Range Rover will be leading a slimmed-down company into the rest of the decade. The combination of JLR’s ambitious new model plans and the ramifications of the global pandemic inherited by new chief executive Thierry Bolloré means that the future of a number of unprofitable models – and even the proposed expansion of the company’s product line-up – currently hangs in the balance. However, Bolloré has indicated a desire to introduce a fully electric Range Rover for the first time, with such a model believed to stand a good chance of selling…

JAGUAR XE AND XF Very modest sales of the Jaguar XE and XF saloons since their launches five years ago and a recent sales collapse (admittedly ahead of newly announced facelifts) have put their futures in question, especially as they’re based on an architecture that will be phased out relatively quickly. JAGUAR XJ Sources say the development of the new, electric-only Jaguar XJ has been all but completed. Its unveiling is said to have been put back from this autumn to October 2021, but this might be a holding operation for cancelling the electric MLA family altogether. If so, there’s an outside chance that it could be put on ice and launched later from the reimagined Solihull plant. JAGUAR J-PACE AND ‘ROAD ROVER’ They’re further from production than the XJ, but if the limousine is…

Is it a gamble to commit to going fully electric by 2030? “It would be more of a gamble not to. Once most people drive electric cars, even hybrids, they realise that they’re not losing anything. And once they understand the benefits, the small issue of charging becomes trivial.” How fast do you see customer demand for EVs growing? “At the moment, EVs only work if you have more than one car or if your driving pattern is ideal for an electric car, which not everybody’s is. “We believe that customer demand will go through a step-change: it won’t be a gradual progression, it will be an inflection. “That will be driven by ever-increasing performance of EVs, the ability to charge them in more places and cost reductions to bring them more in line with…

Bentley will launch its first fully electric model in 2025 and will offer only EVs from 2030 as part of a new strategy with the goal of becoming a “global leader in sustainable luxury mobility”. The British firm, owned by the Volkswagen Group, has committed to phasing out production of combustion-engined vehicles within the decade as a key element of its new Beyond100 plan. As part of the plan, Bentley will ramp up its push to electrification and has committed to reducing the environmental impact of its Crewe factory by 75% from 2010 levels within five years. Boss Adrian Hallmark said the goal is for Bentley to be “the world’s benchmark luxury car business”. The electrification drive will begin with two new plug-in hybrids in 2021, one of them a Flying Spur, as…

LAND ROVER HOPES to rejuvenate slumping sales of what was formerly one of its best-selling models by facelifting the Discovery. The Volvo XC90 rival benefits from a number of exterior revisions, an overhaul of its cabin technology and new mild-hybrid engine options. It is available to order now, priced from £53,090, with deliveries due to start early next year. Although numerous, the changes to the large SUV’s styling are subtle. New LED headlight clusters with a jewel-like design set the daytime-running lights lower, while sweeping indicators are introduced. A refreshed front bumper brings new side strakes, while an altered front grille aligns the car closer to the latest Discovery Sport. There are new wing vents on the sides, too, plus fresh wheel designs ranging from 19in to 22in. At the rear, new-shape light clusters…