JIMS 2013: Jaguar Land Rover stands and delivers…
JIMS 2013: Jaguar Land Rover stands and delivers…
JIMS 2013: Jaguar Land Rover stands and delivers…
At a glance:
- All-new Range Rover Sport unveiled. In Land Rover showrooms by mid-November
- XFR-S becomes the new flagship of an invigorated XF range
- XJR introduced: the epitome of grace, space and pace
- MY14 Evoque announced: 9-speed automatic transmission a technological tour de force
With the marvellously agile, instantly responsive and dynamically brilliant all-new Range Rover Sport holding up one end and the brutally desirable Jaguar XFR-S at the other, Jaguar Land Rover South Africa can boast two of the most exciting performance cars on display at the 2013 Johannesburg International Motor Show.
And if that’s the opening partnership, the middle order is no less impressive: there’s the brand-new XJR showing off Jaguar’s unrivalled combination of grace, space and pace, and the upgraded nine-speed Range Rover Evoque bristling with new technology that takes it beyond fashion and underpins superb all-terrain ability.
Proving team Jaguar Land Rover has an impressively long tail and can bat with authority all the way down the order, there’s the latest Range Rover and of course the recently launched Jaguar F-TYPE – a svelte convertible which highlights the brand’s rich sports heritage and reminds the world that high performance driving pleasure is embedded in the Jaguar DNA. The XKR-S coupé is proof of that too, and it’s a nameplate which goes back to 1948 and the very beginning of the Jaguar brand.
A little further down the order from the opening partnership – but no less talented – is the 14 MY Discovery. Buyers of the latest evolution of the brand’s archetypal 4x4 will enjoy a raft of improvements, including improved audio and a new range of driver assistance, comfort and safety features to broaden its appeal even further.
The ‘Disco’ is the choice of adventurer and humanitarian Kingsley Holgate who on a daily basis puts it to the test. Talking of tests, the iconic Defender is a veteran of a thousand tests on some of the most uneven sports fields across the globe, meeting the needs of those who require a workhorse that can tackle anything, anywhere. Superbly adaptable, there are few specialised tasks with which it can’t cope.
And when it comes to premium-level compact SUVs, there’s no better all-rounder than the Freelander, which continues to offer a high level of ability on any surface, combined with a classy look and a premium feel. Updated less than a year ago, it remains the benchmark for excellence and offers a driving experience which goes beyond just making a fashion statement.
All-New Range Rover Sport
The African debut of the All-New Range Rover Sport at JIMS predates its on-sale date by less than a month and owners can look forward to a completely new take on the SUV. Key to this is the all-aluminium architecture which sees it shed 420 kilograms compared to the equivalent first-generation Sport.
This has benefits across the dynamic spectrum and no SUV can match it for response and agility: It is the fastest, most agile, most responsive Land Rover ever. Along with this, the All-New Range Rover Sport has been designed to be impeccably composed and refined, delivering exceptional ride comfort on any surface thanks to the fifth-generation air suspension.
Sport customers will have a choice of three engines – two supercharged petrol engines (5.0-litre 375 kW V8 and the new 3.0-litre 250 kW V6) and a 215 kW 3.0-litre SDV6 diesel engine. All petrol and diesel engines in the new Range Rover Sport are paired with an advanced, 8-speed automatic gearbox.
Three equipment levels: S, HSE and HSE Dynamic, will be offered, priced from R824 500.
Jaguar XFR-S and XJR
Jaguar has a rich heritage of performance saloons, arguably starting in 1959 with the iconic MkII, and the latest in this long line of fast four-door sedans is the XFR-S. It also represents the ultimate development of the ‘R’ theme, which has identified Jaguars with sharpened claws since 1988.
Restrained to a top speed of 300 km/h, the XFR-S is the fastest Jaguar saloon ever built, able to devour a kilometre of open road in just 12 seconds and rocket from standstill to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds.
Keeping it on the straight and narrow at its impressive top speed are carefully-honed aerodynamics, including a rear wing crafted from carbon fibre, which has enabled Jaguar’s engineers to cut lift by an extraordinary 68 percent. The potent, 405kW/680Nm forced induction V8 represents a high point of Jaguar engine development. Supercharging means instant response and high levels of torque, delivered in a predictable and linear fashion, enabling the driver to perfectly control what is delivered to the eight-speed transmission and on the 20-inch rear tyres.
Says Kevin Flynn, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover South Africa and sub-Sahara Africa: “To stand at the epicentre of our stand is to be surrounded by power. Wherever you look there are Supercharged eight- and six- cylinder engines, engines designed to invigorate and excite. Combining this with aluminium chassis architecture – as we’re doing with all our cars – is the key to improving efficiency. For example, shedding mass equivalent to a 6 person family from the All-New Range Rover Sport is a remarkable achievement and reduced weight means improved performance, lower fuel consumption and fewer emissions.”
“Modern technology is playing its role in other areas; and whether talking about a supercharged petrol powerhouse, a high output turbodiesel or our growing range of smaller turbo-petrol engines our engineers strive for efficiency,” adds Flynn. “This philosophy continues all along the drivetrain and the nine-speed automatic transmission in the latest Range Rover Evoque is at the cutting edge of transmission technology – as is the latest evolution of the Terrain Response system fitted to the All-New Range Rover Sport.”
Adds Phil Popham, Jaguar Land Rover’s Group Marketing Director: “We’re on a high right now, and the future is extremely bright indeed. Both brands have been completely revitalised and in the last three years global Land Rover sales have increased by 65 percent. In the first eight months of 2013, Jaguar Land Rover sales grew by 16 percent, and will continue to grow as the impact of F-TYPE is felt around the world and the All-New Range Rover Sport is rolled out.”
“On the Jaguar front the C-X17 concept gives a good indication of where we are going, and its modular and scalable iQ[Al] platform is not just a vehicle architecture, it is a completely new philosophy. It underpins the innovative future of the brand, enabling Jaguar to significantly grow its product portfolio, targeting high-growth areas of the premium market. The first Jaguar to be delivered from the new architecture will be a new mid-sized premium sedan, which will be available in 2015.”
Concludes Flynn: “These are exciting times indeed, not just because of the Jaguar and Land Rover models that will continue to shape and define the segments in which they compete, but also because of the impact our brands exert on a broader level. Not only are we making our cars more efficient when it comes to fuel consumption and emissions, but the aluminium architecture is in many cases made from almost 100 percent recycled raw material so we’re exerting less impact on the planet.”
“In addition, Land Rover continues to play a role in improving the lives of people in Africa by taking the modern world to them in terms of technology that’ll improve their health and standard of living. We remain committed to many humanitarian programmes, as well as initiatives to sustain wildlife, fauna and flora not only in South Africa but also sub-Sahara Africa.”
[ source : Jaguar Land Rover SA ]
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