Jaguar XF R-Sport Black 2015

With the expected arrival of the new XF at the New York International Auto Show in April 2015, Jaguar is throwing a few extra odds and ends at the current range of vehicles, creating a new derivative labeled the XF R-Sport Black in the process. 

The British automaker wants you think you’re getting excellent value for your money, stating the R-Sport Black “offers an additional £8,770 ($13,322 as of 1/22/2015) worth of value over standardR-Sport models for just a £2,100 ($3,190) increase to its On-the-Road price.” 

However, is it really worth ignoring the new XF to spend more on a soon-to-be outdated vehicle packing a bit more standard equipment?

Creating specialized, last-minute spinoffs of a model slated for the dustbin is standard operating procedure in the car world, and given the XF’s popularity over the last year, the announcement of the R-Sport Black shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

In addition to the new variant, Jaguar is also adding new specifications to the Luxury, R-Sport, Portfolio, Diesel S Portfolio, XFR, and XFR-S models, with some even gaining slight price hikes as a result (including the R-Sport). Clearly, JLR is confident that interest in the XF line will stay strong. In fact, the XF recorded its best year of sales in 2014, which makes the new R-Sport Black a likely candidate for success.

The R-Sport Black is available in either a saloon four-door or Sportbrake body style. Upgrades include new exterior features and interior accouterments, but sadly, the drivetrain has remained unaltered. 

Still, the R-Sport Black doesn’t represent a major cost increase over the standard R-Sport model, especially when you consider the minor price adjustment seen with this most recent refresh.

But the question remains- is it worth the money?

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Jaguar F-Pace 2016

Among the many premieres hitting the spotlights at the2015 edition of the Detroit Auto Show, most of them having wheels and some type of propulsion, the biggest news coming from the Jaguar booth was not in the shape of a current model, but a future one: the carmaker’s first-ever SUV. Set to sport the somewhat odd and not necessarily appropriate "F-Pace" moniker, the new model should complement the Jaguar lineup starting with 2016, despite the fact that some pre-production mules have been caught testing as far as early 2014.

For those unsure about the "Pace" part of the model’s name, they should be reminded that one of William Lyons’ maxims about the car brand he co-founded said that all Jaguar model had to have "grace, pace and space," something which the upcoming SUV should also adhere to.

 As expected, the SUV’s styling will be inspired by the C-X17 line of concept cars which were presented back in 2013.

 "We received such an overwhelmingly positive response to the 2014 C-X17 concept car last year that we just had to make it a reality.

 The Jaguar F-PACE, inspired by the F-TYPE, represents a perfectly judged balance of style, performance and practicality.

 It offers a unique combination of Jaguar sports car inspired exterior design, fused beautifully with a thoroughly practical and spacious luxury interior. The F-PACE is our family sports car." said Ian Callum, Jaguar’s Director of Design.

As far as the F-Pace’s architecture is concerned, it seems that the aluminum-intensive platform found in the recently unveiled Jaguar XE will be thoroughly reworked to accommodate an SUV body. In other words, the new Ingenium family of engines will largely be responsible of moving the F-Pace as well, with the car also expected to receive an R version to battle the upcoming BMW X3 M and Mercedes-AMG GLC 63, two yet-to-be-revealed variants of the car’s biggest rivals.

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