The launch of the new A6 couldn’t be timelier. The new car’s technology-packed design and brilliant detailing makes it ready to compete on equal, if not better, terms with the E-class and 5-series.
There’s a lot of the A8 in the A6’s design, like the wide grille and very distinctive LED headlights which make the A6 look like a scaled-down version of its bigger brother. Audi’s ‘less is more’ design approach, which works well in very mature markets, may fail to tickle local tastes but you can’t help but appreciate the purity of the design which exudes confidence with strong wheel arches and just two or three strong crease lines.
The A6 is slightly shorter than the outgoing model and the roofline is lower too. The reduced length has resulted in shorter overhangs but hasn’t compromised interior space which, on the contrary, has been enhanced with a wheelbase that is 69mm longer than before. Extensive use of aluminium in the body structure has made the new A6 80kg lighter on a spec-to-spec basis than the previous car, benefitting both performance and economy.
Audi’s focus on lavish interiors has made Audi cabins the last word in quality and the new A6 is no exception. The design is simply superb and is an appealing mix of curves and lines with great detailing. All shut lines are within 2mm of each other to emphasise the topnotch fit and finish throughout the cabin. The wraparound dashboard ‘blades’ is a terrific design touch and special wood veneer (a cost option) gives the interior a quality feel that no BMW or Mercedes can match.
The new A6 comes packed with tech too, a lot of which has trickled down from the A8. The latest iteration of Audi’s Multi-Media Interface (MMI) system is standard and the large high-resolution screen, which glides out of the dashboard, is very easy to read. Also very user-friendly is the wide display area between the speedo and tachometer that gives you all the information you need while driving. Options include a state-of-the-art Bang & Olufsen system, Google Earth on the navigation system (not for India yet) and high-tech systems like active lane assist, parking assist, night vision assist and adaptive cruise control.
The seats themselves are very comfortable and the Indian-spec cars will get full power adjustment for the front seats. The rear seat doesn’t feel particularly spacious by class standards though. However, Audi successfully creates an impression of space with the use of lighter materials and narrow A-pillars which improve visibility and let more light in.
The A6 will be launched in September this year with four engine options in India. The base model will be a 2-litre turbo-diesel 2.0 TDI which puts out 177bhp while a pair of petrols – a 2.8 FSI and 3.0 supercharged TFSI – develop 204bhp and 299bhp respectively.
We tested the top-of-the-range 245bhp 3.0 TDI Quatrro which will compete with the BMW 530d, Mercedes E350 diesel and Jag’s diesel XF-S. Not only is four-wheel drive standard on the range-topping A6 but so is Audi’s seven-speed, S-tronic dual-clutch automatic gearbox. This car also comes with an automatic engine start-stop system.
By omitting the traditional torque converter as used by the A6’s rivals, some compromise in the smoothness of the transmission was expected (twin-clutch units can be jerky and they are slow off the line) but except for the odd jerk, you really don’t miss the lack of torque multiplication a torque converter offers. The benefits of a twin-clutch unit, of course, are better performance and efficiency.
The torquey A6 3.0 TDI’s midrange is explosive and overtaking is an absolute breeze. You needn’t switch to manual or Sports mode and can simply leave the shifter in D, letting the surplus grunt seamlessly whisk you past traffic. Paddle-shifters behind the wheel allow for more control and were useful on the mountain sections but the sheer immediacy and responsiveness of this gearbox is its forte.
Body control is brilliant over undulating roads and at high speeds it has a poise and precision that is very reassuring. There isn’t too much driver involvement that can be derived from this chassis though. The A6’s electromechanical steering feels a touch too numb, just as in the A8, and that takes a lot away from the driving experience. But it’s ride comfort, space and refinement that really matter in India and in all these counts the A6 scores pretty well.
The best bit is that the new A6 won’t be much more expensive than the outgoing one. The base 2.0 TDI version will be the cheapest A6 yet with a starting price of well under Rs 40 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). BMW and Mercedes finally have a serious fight on their hands.
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Jaguar’s recently facelifted new XF has a lot resting on its broad shoulders. Not only does it have to look fresh and attractive enough to excite new car buyers, but this new version also has to widen the XF’s appeal. This new 2.2-litre diesel will lower the entry price of a Jaguar saloon substantially and the carmaker will soon launch a four-wheel-drive version to appeal to new customers too.
This new 2.2 will also be ideally suited to Indian customers. BMW’s 520d and Merc’s E250 CDI are the largest selling luxury cars in the market, and if Jaguar can get customers to trade a little practicality for plenty of sex appeal, then it’s game on for Jaguar in India. Also added to this will be the fact that this XF 2.2 could be the first Jaguar to be assembled in India, making this a pretty significant car.
Jaguar’s designers say the XF is a saloon with the soul of a sports car and you can kind of see what they mean. This facelift takes things even further and makes the nose of the car look even sportier. The new, smaller bi-Xenon lights allow for a lower bonnet line, the nose is now considerably more dramatic, and the new XJ-like slit-eye headlamps have a stylised ‘J’ traced out in LED. Neat. While much of the roofline and silhouette remain similar, the new XF gets wheel arches that bulge out slightly more and new elongated, three-dimensional tail-lamps. Added at the bottom is also a black splitter to break up the mass of the rear.
While the basic design of the interiors is the same, Jaguar has incorporated several new themes and elements to freshen up the cabin. So while the vents still flip open when you start the car and the gear knob still rises like Excalibur from the pond for that sense of occasion, Jaguar has lost some of the shiny stuff on the central console. A few buttons are finished in black, there now is a start/stop activation button on the central console and there is a host of new equipment including Bluetooth and iPod compatibility. Still, that sense of occasion that the E-class and 5-series seem to be able to muster is missing. The low coupé-like roof also means rear comfort is not as much a priority as in some of the Jag’s competitors. Comfort levels though are only noticeably poorer in comparison and this is a good car to be chauffeured around in, just not the best.
In contrast, the new 188bhp 2.2-litre turbodiesel, known as the 2.2 i4D, we drove is all practicality. The first four-cylinder Jaguar since the much criticised X-type, this Peugeot-based motor is the same as the one used by the Land Rover Freelander. Now located longitudinally instead of transversely and driving the rear wheels via ZF’s superb eight-speed gearbox, this motor immediately impresses with how silently it cruises. And it’s smooth when you pull the car hard as well, the XF showing a surprising turn of foot, despite the motor not having twin turbos. The torque comes in nice and early, gearshifts are all but imperceptible and the motor spins with some amount of enthusiasm to the redline as well. It’s pretty obvious that plenty of work has been carried out to this motor, and the list of improvements is endless. The injectors now get acoustic socks to dampen clatter, there is a double layer of thick insulation under the bonnet, the turbocharger is now water-cooled and the block and sump are modified to be more silent. And flat-out performance felt properly brisk too, as impressive as that of BMW’s 520d at least. What also functioned very effectively was the start-stop system, which seemed to almost predict when you wanted to start off again. Jaguar, however, might delete the start-stop system for India and we might only get a six-speed gearbox, all in the name of cost.
The prototype we drove also boasted very impressive stability, good bump absorption and plenty of poise in corners, just like the earlier XF, and it felt pretty sporty from behind the wheel too. Also impressive is Jaguar’s new electric steering system that, unlike some units, boasts a fair amount of feel.
Jaguar is likely to launch the facelifted XF in India later this year, and this 2.2 i4D is likely to be the star attraction. As ever, we’ll keep you posted, we’re sure you’d be interested in a Jaguar that starts at approximately Rs 35 lakh.
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OVERVIEW
At first glance the white Jag looks like a perfectly standard XF model. But under the hood there is a power plant in which the Jaguar concern are placing a good deal of hope. It was four years ago that they introduced a four-cylinder diesel in their not very popular X-Type. But is a four-cylinder common-rail diesel of the very latest generation which is the beating heart of the 2012 Jaguar XF models. Until there is a successor for the mid-class X-Type no longer being built the concern is counting on the XF 2.2 Diesel to appeal to buyers who chalk up big mileage and value both fuel economy and low maintenance costs. The introduction of the new entry level diesel is accompanied also by a minor face-lift. New headlight arrays have been developed and the car’s interior has been upgraded for 2012. The navigation system has been modified and improved (an extra costing 2,490 Euros) although it remains tricky to operate and somewhat sluggish in delivering data.
Jaguar XF 2.2 Diesel The four-cylinder common-rail diesel with 2.2 litres capacity puts out a respectable maximum of 450 Newton metres of torque.
New terrain for the cat
While rival German car makers in the premium category have not been slow to bring out high-performance six-cylinder diesel engines and also smaller entry level versions for fleet customers, Jaguar has until now only offered for the XF a slimmed down three litre motor with 211 horsepower. And so the four-cylinder diesel is a welcome step. “This is the most economical Jaguar ever built”, explains the head of the XF program, Andy Wyman, “the motor is amazingly quiet and has hardly any vibration. It runs as smoothly as our six-cylinder diesels of the model years up to 2010.” The power plant is the result of a collaboration between Jaguar, PSA and Ford. The four-cylinder common-rail diesel with 2.2 litres capacity and simple turbo boosting is also to be found as the motorization for Rover Freelander, Peugeot 508 and Ford Mondeo models. In spite of having those four combustion chambers is whispers smoothly and puts out a respectable maximum of 450 Newton metres of torque. 140 kilowatts or 190 horsepower are more than enough to push the auto well along country roads or Autobahn stretches. The hundred mark is reached in 8.5 seconds and the top speed of the British sedan is 225 kilometres an hour, surely enough to silence critics, although there is a slightly tardy pick up of power to be noted.
In the norm cycle the four-cylinder diesel demands 5.4 litres of fuel. This thirst could be lowered if the 1.8 ton Jaguar XF came with regenerative braking, as is the case with so many competing models. “But this would have been a step too far in the current face-lift”, admits Andy Wyman and points out that the car maker has limited capacity in this respect, “however it will be available in the future. We are working on it.” The Jaguar engineers are nevertheless satisfied with the current result for the fuel requirement of 5.4 litres also means CO2 emissions reduced to 149 grams. This in turn qualifies the XF 2.2 Diesel for tax breaks for corporate fleet autos in several European territories. Business clients also appreciate the other virtues of the 4.96 long sedan. The car is roomy and can take 540 litres of load in the boot.
Developing 190 PS and 332 lbs ft of torque, the new engine is capable of returning 52.3 mpg on the combined cycle while emitting 149 g/km of CO2.
Making its debut on UK roads fitted to a prototype development vehicle, the new four-cylinder 16-valve common rail diesel engine displaces 2,179 cc and is installed in a north-south configuration for the first time. The new engine features a water-cooled turbocharger with low-friction pistons, new injectors and a new crankshaft. The new configuration allowed Jaguar engineers to add a new oil pan and new electronic systems affecting the crankshaft to allow the new intelligent Stop-Start system to operate more efficiently.
Intelligent Stop-Start aims to reduce the prolonged time spent in the shutdown and start-up phase usually experienced in such systems. The Jaguar system overcomes this partly through the inclusion of the new crankshaft sensor and fuel rail pressure holding system meaning the engine needs less time to restore drive through an innovative engine restart capability. This is best demonstrated when approaching a busy roundabout – in situations where the driver briefly brings the vehicle to a stop only to move off again quickly. In conventional systems the engine needs to shutdown completely before restarting again, leading to often frustrating delays. The Jaguar system is able to restart the engine while it’s shifting down from as little as 400 rpm meaning it does not need to come to a stop – drive is therefore restored more efficiently.
The inclusion of the Stop-Start function is estimated to increase overall fuel efficiency between five and seven per cent.
Along with a new engine, the development vehicle debuts an advanced eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox. With the seventh and eight ratios effectively acting as overdrive gears, the new gearbox allows the 2.2-litre engine to be optimised to deliver swift responses when required and effortless motorway cruising ability to ensure the ideal balance between efficiency and performance. The sprint to 62 mph takes 8.5 seconds before achieving a maximum speed of 140 mph.
The high levels of refinement expected of modern Jaguars are retained with engineers putting particular emphasis on sound deadening around the engine and bulkhead as well as active engine mounts to reduce vibration. The result is a 3dB reduction in cabin noise to make the car one of the most refined vehicles in its class.
The new powertrain will feature in a future XF production car with specifications and an estimated on-sale date being announced at the New York Auto Show.
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Jaguar has decided to turn its hugely impressive jet-powered Jaguar C-X75 hybrid concept into a Bugatti Veyron-beating flagship for production in 2013. It will enlist the help of the Williams Formula 1 team for the project and will involve a direct technology transfer between the partners, especially over lightweight structures, and will bring Tata ever closer to the F1 connection that has often been rumoured.
This momentous decision that will affect everything Jaguar does for decades to come, was announced in London this morning by Tata chief Carl-Peter Forster, with Sir Frank Williams in attendance.
Jaguar is planning 250 cars, and continues to work on the jet-powered concept for C-X75. And it will eventually sell a limited number of them too, but the there are strong indications that the majority of cars will use a 'highly boosted' 1.6-litre engine related to the four-cylinder engine Williams and other F1 teams will adopt from 2013. Williams currently uses a Cosworth engine, made in Northamptonshire.
The production Jaguar C-X75 (the concept name is being kept "for the time being", but won't necessarily make production) will have plug-in electric drive motors on the front and rear axles and thus have four-wheel-drive.
No detail of the powertrain is available, but it seems probable that the four-cylinder engine, which could easily produce 500bhp-plus, will power the wheels in parallel with the electric motors.
Total power could amount to as much as 1000 bhp, but the car will also have an electric-only mode for urban use. Jaguar promises a 321kph top speed, zero to 160kph acceleration in less than six seconds and an all-electric range of about 48km.
No other vehicle will better signify Jaguar's renewed confidence and excellence in technological innovation than this."
The Jaguar C-X75, tipped to retail at between Rs 5.1 crore and Rs 6.5 crore when it hits the market in two years' time, will be designed, engineered and built entirely in Britain. Both turbo and jet-powered versions will use a carbonfibre tub chassis, expected to weigh less than 1400 kilograms and to feature much Williams composite construction know-how.
Jaguar bosses are not saying where the car will be built, but so far much of the work has been done at the Whitley engineering centre, near Coventry. The production shape will be very close to the concept, with only minor dimensional changes and alterations to aerodynamic equipment and air scoops and outlets.
Of the 250 cars to be built, more than 200 are likely to be four-cylinder turbos. The version using a pair of miniature Bladon gas turbine engines to drive generators will come late in the programme: there is much development still to be done, not least coping with the 380degC jet-pipe temperatures. Tata, Jaguar's owner, last year acquired an interest in Worcestershire-based gas turbine R&D Company, Bladon Jets.
In either version, electric power will be stored in a 230 kilogram lithium-ion battery bank carried in the spine of the car's carbon tub.
Jaguar insiders say performance may even exceed the remarkable figures quoted for the 1350kg show car at its unveiling in Paris last year.
At the time, the project's lead engineer Nigel Taylor forecast a top speed around 330kph, 0-100kph acceleration in around three seconds, 0-160kphin 5.5 seconds, and most remarkable of all a 0-300km/h (186 mph) time of just 15.5 seconds.
Of the 250 cars, Jaguar has also said at least 50 will be racing versions.
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Do not stop innovating, maybe that's the right word to dedicated to Jaguar. Manufacturers of luxury cars and super fast it will soon release a new car type and hybrid-type sports. British luxurycar manufacturer, Jaguar & Land Rover, today, May 6, 2011, make sure to produce a hybrid sports car, Jaguar C-X75. The plan, jet-powered car called it produced in 2013 and priced 700-900 thousand pounds sterling, or approximately USD 9.9 to 12.7 billion. Jaguar car it claims will produce only 250 units. Of that number, 50 units have a racing version. Only, until now Jaguar has not officially announced the specification hybrid technology that will be carried by the car. However, some sources said the car was going to carry a conventional engine 1600 cc four-cylinder engine and an electric motor with a capacity of 140 kilo watt (kW).
Jaguar C-X75
Combined both expected to generate power to 1,000 horsepower. Armed with the power of it, Jaguar C-X75 capable sped up to 330 kilometers per hour (kpj).
Jaguar C-X75
Project leader Nigel Taylor, the previous estimates, the Jaguar is able to accelerate from 0-100 kpj in just 3 seconds only. While acceleration 0-200 kpj achieved within 5 seconds, and 0-300 in 15.5 seconds kpj. Interestingly, although docking is only done once in six hours, but the cars have traveled distances up to 100 kilometers (km). In fact, the car can reach is extended to 900 km. It was thanks to the use of micro gas turbine in charge of charging a battery or electric motor plays it straight. In other words, the gas turbine is the heart of stun electric motor to power the car.
Jaguar C-X75
Jaguar C-X75
Jaguar C-X75
The device developed by Jaguar with Bladon Jets, a specialist engineering company British gas turbine, mounted on four wheels. Soon we will see the greatness and the luxury and super luxury cars in the coming year. We'll see how it went.
The Jaguar XF has undergone a thorough revamp, four years into its life, to help it face up to intense competition from the latest BMW 5-series and Audi A6.
The 2012 XF — which goes into production this July — has been given new front-end styling, tweaks to the rear, extra safety features and changes to the interior, including a new audio system.
The diesel XF also gets a new eight-speed automatic gearbox. But perhaps most important for the sales success of the XF is the arrival of a new four-cylinder diesel engine, which also gets a new stop-start system.
All versions of the new XF, including the XFR super-saloon, feature a new bonnet, wings, headlamps, grille and bumper, and modified rear lights. Adam Hatton, a Jaguar design manager, says the nose graphic of the XFR was intended to “turn up the visual volume and give a purposeful road presence”.
The most important technical aspect of the new XF is the new 2.2-litre AJ-i4D four-cylinder diesel engine, which is expected to account for around 60 per cent of future XF sales. The i4D is adapted from the transversely mounted engine used in the Land Rover Freelander, but Jaguar says the unit has undergone significant changes and improvements in refinement.
With 188bhp and 45.9kgm of torque at just 2000rpm, the i4D unit has had changes to the block and sump, lower piston friction, a new camshaft, a water-cooled turbocharger and extra sound insulation. More sound deadening has been added around the bulkhead and behind the alternator, turbo and starter motor.
Sophisticated computational fluid dynamics calculations have been used to smooth the airflow under the car and around the door mirrors. The result, says Jaguar, is that the XF’s interior refinement is class-leading and as good as the current V6 diesel-engined XF.
Both the i4D and V6D engines are hooked up to a new eight-speed ZF auto ’box, which is fitted with a sophisticated stop-start system. Jaguar says the new transmission offers a much wider spread of ratios than the outgoing six-speed unit, as well as quicker shift times and the ability to engage on multiple downshifts, even from eighth to second.
The stop-start is triggered by the amount of pressure the driver uses on the brake pedal and is designed to restart the engine much more quickly than existing systems. Inside, the XF gets new, more shapely seats and an upgraded audio system with a 30Gb hard drive. Four levels of audio kit will be offered, including a range-topping Bowers & Wilkins Dolby surround system.
Other new features for the refreshed XF include automatic high beam assist, adaptive lighting, automatic hazard lights under hard braking and adaptive cruise control with intelligent braking.
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At the Geneva Motor Show 2011 exhibition Jaguar launched its latest car, named Jaguar XFR. This car by the manufacturer claimed to be a super luxury car is also fast but elegant. See specifications shown it is true what is claimed. So is the completeness of the security, interior and exterior. The car comes equipped with a 5.0L supercharged V8 engine. The engine is Designed to deliver power packed performance. The technically advanced engine cans deliver the power of 510 bhp at 6000 rpm along with torque of 625 Nm at 2500 rpm. The car comes equipped with 6-speed ZF automatic transmission. Also the car comes equipped with advanced technologies like Active Such differentiation for traction and adaptive dynamics. The adaptive dynamics is capable of adjusting the suspension more than a Hundred times every second. The car Also offers exquisitely precise steering along with top class braking and driving the car is a Breeze on all roads.
The length of the car is 4961mm while its width is 1819mm and its height is 1461mm. The car seats five individuals cans. It has a boot space of 510 liters and its kerb weight is 1822 kgs. The drag coefficient of the car is merely 0:29 and this coupled with a zero balance front to rear elevator That ensures there is less wind noise, strong high speed stability, ideal handling balance and improved fuel consumption.
The interiors of the car are Beautifully crafted and are luxurious. The interiors have wood veneers along with aluminum and leather. The instrument panel is customized with leather softgrain. The door top rolls have contrast stitching and this makes the interiors look extremely beautiful. The car has plenty of leg room as well.
The safety features in the car include front airbags with dual stage feature, curtain airbags for front as well as rear and front seat side impact airbags. The car has anti-lock brake system, cornering brake control and electric parking brake. The car has Also features an emergency brake assist and ISOFIX anchor points for rear child seat.
A few days have been held yesterday Goodwood Festival of Speed in England. This festival invites some of the world's leading car manufacturers, including Jaguar. For this time Jaguar will showcase their latest version of the car that claimed the most frightening and powerful for the GT class. This version is called the Jaguar XKR-S. This car is an improved version of the XKR performance by using a 5.0-liter V8 engine capable of 550 PS output power of 680 Nm premises, so to start from 0 to 100 km only takes 4.2 seconds with a maximum speed to 300 km / hour. XKR-S 4 valves per cylinder engine is equipped with 6-speed automatic transmission.
To balancing increase in performance, suspension architecture XKR-S has been revised with new springs and dampers, including revisions to the electronic device that regulates the performance of the system Dynamic Stability Control and Active Differential. In addition to technical factors, the figure of these vehicles also look different than the standard XKR through the changes contained in the front and rear spoiler plus a whole and the wings that make it very aggressive and sporty. This vehicle will perform at the Festival from 1 until July 3 at the same time Jaguar E-Type range including racing E-Type mpbil rare version made of lightweight material and the third example iconic sports cars such as the 50th anniversary of the presence of E-Type.
