Jaguar Land Rover's big news for this week's Frankfurt
International Motor Show was the redesigned 2020
Land Rover Defender, but the British automaker also snuck in a teaser shot
of its electric
Jaguar XJ due next year.
The teaser appeared briefly during a speech made by Jaguar
Land Rover CEO Ralph Speth, where he said the electric XJ will benefit from all
of the lessons learned from Jaguar's I-Pace and Formula E programs.
The teaser doesn't reveal much although we do get a look at
the new XJ's taillight graphic which appears similar to the design used on the
updated 2020
Jaguar XE. It also appears that the graphic will continue across the full
width of the rear.
What we know is that new XJ will be built at the same Castle
Bromwich plant in the United Kingdom where the current XJ ceased production
back in July. The plant is being transformed into an EV hub for Jaguar Land
Rover; it will also be the automaker's main source for batteries and electric
motors.
The new XJ will be the first model to ride on Jaguar Land
Rover's new Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA) platform which will support
mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric powertrains. The platform will
eventually underpin most models from the Jaguar and Land Rover brands.
Jaguar Land Rover hasn't said whether there will be versions
of the new XJ with internal-combustion power, though according to a report from
June we'll see gasoline
engines in the new XJ but perhaps not at launch.
For more from the Frankfurt auto show, head to our dedicated
hub.
by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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