Thursday, November 10, 2011

Green Car Reports: Jaguar XF Clean Diesel Sets Off On U.S. Tour

In an effort to meet future fuel economy requirements, more manufacturers than ever are considering selling diesel models in North America.

The next carmaker considering diesel sales could well be British sports and luxury car maker Jaguar.

According to Motor Authority, a British-registered, right-hand drive Jaguar XF 2.2 Diesel departed New York City yesterday, marking the start of a seven-day, 2,800 mile tour across the country to Los Angeles.

The cross-country tour will be the second long-distance run from British brothers David and Alexander Madgwick, who've previously taken the same car over 816 miles across Europe on a single tank of diesel.

Equipped with a four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine and 8-speed automatic gearbox, the XF 2.2 diesel achieves 52.3 miles per imperial gallon on the combined European cycle, or 43.5 mpg in U.S. gallons. As ever, it's worth noting that European figures can be between 10-20 percent higher than EPA figures, model-for-model.

Despite being the base-model XF it still offers reasonable performance too, with 60 mph arriving in 8 seconds and a 140 mph top speed.

Jaguar says the journey will help them test the capabilities of the XF, though it's sure to create a promotional whirlwind too, perhaps preceding a U.S. launch further down the line.

You can follow the Jaguar duo's progress via the company's Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Read More: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1068359_jaguar-xf-clean-diesel-sets-off-on-u-s-tour

Friday, November 4, 2011

2011 Land Rover Range Rover HSE

I'd never been in a Range Rover before I had the chance to drive ours. I've heard nothing but praise when it comes to this car, so I had high expectations. Rightfully so for a car that has a base price of almost $80,000. Luckily, the luxury SUV met, even exceeded, all of my expectations.

Outside, the Range Rover is elegant and muscular at the same time. It's styling is much tamer than competitors like the BMW X5 and Porsche Cayenne, but it's still an attention-grabber. Exterior looks are only trumped by interior design and quality.

The navy piping on our parchment leather seats was perfect, the cherry wood trim on the dash was warm and inviting, and the overall feel inside is wonderful. Some luxury cars take embellishment too far, putting suede-this and aluminum-that everywhere, but not the Range Rover. Nothing inside immediately pops out at you, nothing seems out of place. That, to me, is how you define a car's perfect cabin.

If I were to buy a Range Rover HSE tomorrow, I wouldn't add a single option on, not even upgrade to a different trim level for the supercharged 5.0-liter V-8. It's absolutely flawless as a base model. I can't wait until we get another one in, or for the day I have $79,685 to spend on one.