Land Rover Opts to Bring Back Defender; Unveil Set For Frankfurt

It went deep into the eleventh hour but Land Rover and its fans can collectively breathe a sigh of relief. The iconic Defender, on sale since 1947, will make its return at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month but first images will start trickling in this week.

We expect to see a completely revamped version of the Defender both inside and out that includes satellite navigation and communication systems, features that the last generation lacked. However officials at Land Rover know they’re walking a fine line when it comes to updating the Defender.

“If we get it wrong we are messing up one of the industry’s biggest icons,” said UK Managing Director Colin Green in a recent interview with Auto Express. “And in that sense it’s a tremendous responsibility.”

The Defender almost never saw the light of day again as Land Rover mulled the idea of ditching the SUV altogether. Land Rover added it could even “abandon that section of the market” for greener pastures. However the Defender was brought back along with a new plan to introduce a car that sits on the same heavy-duty platform as the Discovery 3.

The proposed new Defender by Land Rover would feature an enhanced Terrain Response System similar to the one found on the LR3 and Discovery models. The TRS alters the engine, suspension, and gearbox settings to fit the surface being traveled on and would enable the car to have unseen off-road capabilities. A few four-cylinder engines will also be developed in house and run on either gasoline or diesel.

Read more: http://blogs.automotive.com/land-rover-opts-to-bring-back-defender-unveil-set-for-frankfurt-52775.html#ixzz1WY6op2yN

Jaguar C-X16 Concept - Auto Shows

A two-seat sports car from Jaguar won’t look back at the E-type.

The long-held hope that Jaguar would build a proper successor to the E-type becomes tangible with the announcement that it will bring what it is calling the “C-X16 production concept” to this year’s Frankfurt auto show. Along with the announcement, Jaguar released a sketch of the C-X16 in profile, and its proportions closely resemble those of the small Jag prototypes we previously spied, which were based upon chopped and shortened XKs.

Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Beautiful 

Jaguar may be calling its concept the C-X16, but we believe the production car will be named XE—C-X__ seems to be Jaguar’s concept-naming strategy of late, with last year’s turbine-hybrid hypercar C-X75 concept using the nomenclature. Whatever it is called, Jaguar director of design Ian Callum promises the production version of the C-X16 will be “beautiful, innovative, and [look] firmly to the future.” The sketch provided by the company certainly doesn’t look retro, and anyone eagerly awaiting a hot-dog-esque E-type redux will be sorely disappointed with the C-X16’s 7/8-scale Aston Martin DBS look. We have few problems with the way any Aston Martin looks, and the details in the sketch—the XKR-S-like lower front intakes and XF-style taillights—appear to be all Jaguar.

A few key aspects of the C-X16’s design are worth noting. The fender vent is horizontal, a style Jaguar has recently adopted in place of the vertical gills its products previously shared with Land Rovers. The concept also seems to wear a new front grille that sits further forward than the headlights and bumper (it can be seen as a pointy protrusion that pokes out ahead of the lower front intakes). Finally, the clipped front and rear overhangs, short wheelbase, and fastback proportions are noticeably more athletic than the XK’s looser grand touring style. The C-X16 clearly is a two-seater.

Look Out, Luxo-Sport-Coupe Segment

While we know few specifics about the C-X16/XE, we do know that its smaller size and more focused dynamics will come at a lower price than that of the XK—although just barely. Rumors of a price around $50,000 are likely inaccurate; figure on something between $70,000 and $80,000, only slightly less than the current XK’s $85,375 price of entry. The littler Jag will utilize a smaller version of the XK’s aluminum structure and will be available as a coupe and a convertible. Both body styles will be powered by a supercharged V-6 engine. No V-8 will be offered, but we know a hybrid version will be part of the mix. Jaguar will release more information when the C-X16 is unveiled in Frankfurt, and expect a production car to hit the road sometime in late 2012 as a 2013 model.

Read More: http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/11q3/jaguar_c-x16_concept-auto_shows?

2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque - First Drive Review

Can style rule in a utilitarian realm?

That’s the $43,995 question riding the broad shoulders of the smallest-ever Range Rover, the Evoque. To be accurate, it’s the $43,995 to $53,895 question, if we include all the trim levels. That lofty base-price range makes the thesis issue—the preeminence of style as a purchase motivator for SUVs—critical to this Range Rover newbie. A matter of life and death, even.

The product planners and marketing troops would probably want to protest at this point that their new vehicle delivers something its competitors—primarily the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLK—do not: serious off-road capability.

After our first Evoque experience, which included substantial episodes of bouncing around in wild Welsh terrain that ranged from rocky trails to deeply rutted mud tracks—all in persistent rain—we readily concede that this small-scale Range Rover would leave its German rivals either mired down or high-centered on some lonely moor. However, the Range Rover people also recognize that most Evoque owners probably won’t venture farther from pavement than a dirt road or pea-gravel parking lot.

Competitive Checklist

So if superior off-road credentials don’t count for much with urbanites who have no off-road aspirations, where’s the competitive edge? It’s not price; the Evoque’s least expensive get-in—for the basic Pure Plus five-door model—is higher than upscale versions of the Q5, X3, and GLK.

Read More: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/11q3/2012_land_rover_range_rover_evoque-first_drive_review

REVIEWS: 2011 Jaguar XFR

This is one special kitty. The moment you take a seat behind the wheel, it is obvious that the old-world charm and attention to detail of classic Jaguars is still alive and well in 2011. The starter button glows red, pulsating like a heartbeat, and the interior comes to life in tandem with the growl of the 5.0-liter V-8 -- vents rotating, gauge needles sweeping, and rotary shift knob rising in a perfectly choreographed ballet. Twist the knob to "D" and pull away reveling in the delicious burble that the four-pipe exhaust emits. Hit the turn signal, and the blinker sounds similar to a finely-crafted English clock, ticking the time until you can make the turn and listen again to the sonorous V-8. All of the lighting coordinates together: the crisp blue-white of the xenon headlamps complements the ice-blue interior LEDs, the same blue used as an accent color on the multifunction touch screen. The XFR bathes its passengers in luxury and in the finesse found only in something very special; it is a precious item you never want to let go.

Read More: http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/editors_notebook/1107_2011_jaguar_xfr/index.html