Welcome to our regular news round-up relating to all things Jaguar Land Rover.
We look at some of the stories about Britain’s biggest car maker, which has its global headquarters in Coventry.
It continues to be a challenging time for the company as the automotive industry struggles due to the coronavirus pandemic but there's also plenty to look forward to.
As always CoventryLive has been writing about the Whitley-based company.
Since our last round-up our coverage has included speculation that the much talked about 'baby' Land Rover Defender is not far off.
The new model is believed to be a small, stripped-back 4x4 inspired by the iconic Defender and would cost from £25,000.
In other exciting news we revealed how Jaguar Land Rover has unveiled a futuristic partnership to create a smart city hub that will enable the real-world testing of self-driving cars.
A joint operation with global software, mobility and telecoms companies, the facility is being created near Limerick in the Republic of Ireland, close to Jaguar Land Rover's Shannon software hub
The Future Mobility Campus Ireland (FMCI) will allow real-world testing of connected technology where self-driving vehicles share the streets with cars, pedestrians and cyclists.
We also told how Jaguar Land Rover is continuing to expand upon and develop a shceme to allow people to shop digitally for its products during lockdown.
The company has been keen to stress that just because showrooms are not open for would-be customers it doesn't mean you can't buy a new or used Jaguar or Land Rover.
Whatever the challenges of the coronacirus pandemic Jaguar Land Rover does not stand still and a number of models have benefited from mid-life makeovers.
The latest is the E-Pace - Jaguar’s smallest and most affordable SUV - which has been given a major makeoever and the added option of a plug-in hybrid version.
The final CoventryLive story this week told how workers at Jaguar Land Rover’s Halewood plant on Merseyside have been told to turn off the NHS Covid-19 contact tracing app while working.
An email was sent to workers explaining how they could pause it after colleagues had been required to isolate due to coronavirus outbreaks among staff.
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The company also said this would stop workers having to isolate unnecessarily, citing that the app is powered by an algorithm and could be producing “false positive”contacts between people working closely.
Elsewhere across the media much of the coverage was on the same subjects covered by CoventryLive.
However in the US there was yet more praise fot eh ground-breaking Jaguar I-Pace after Fossbytes included it in a list of the best electric cars to buy.
The I-Pace, Jaguar Land Rover's first all-electric car, joined the likes of several Tesla modela, the Audi e-tron and the Porsche Taycan.
Speculation mounts that £25,000 ‘baby’ Land Rover Defender is not far off
Speculation is mounting that a ‘baby’ Land Rover Defender, which would be available from just £25,000, is not far off.
UK automotive magazine What Car? has included the baby Defender in a list of what it believes will be Jaguar Land Rover’s forthcoming models.
CoventryLive has also speculated on what models Jaguar Land Rover might have in the pipeline.
What Car? believes the scaled-down, cut-price Defender will join the Land Rover model range in 2022.
The magazine says its biggest selling point will be the bargain price.
With an expected starting prove of £25,000 it will undercut the new Defender - which starts at £42,920 - by some considerable margin.
The concept of the £25,000 Land Rover is nothing new and its potential arrival has already been speculated on by CoventryLive.
What Car? says it believes the new model will draw heavily on the Defender from a design perspective but will feature a more stripped-down interior and less space and equipment.
It also believes that despite being inspired by the Defender it will feature a new name and could even start a new Land Rover affordable family to sit alongside Range Rover, Discovery and Defender lines.
You can read the full CoventryLive story here.
Jaguar Land Rover to develop a smart city hub to test self-driving cars in the real world
Jaguar Land Rover has unveiled a futuristic partnership to create a smart city hub that will enable the real-world testing of self-driving cars.
The Coventry car maker is teaming-up with global software, mobility and telecoms companies to create the facility near Limerick in the Republic of Ireland.
The Future Mobility Campus Ireland (FMCI) will allow real-world testing of connected technology where self-driving vehicles share the streets with cars, pedestrians and cyclists.
Set to open in September 2021 it will be located next to an existing Jaguar Land Rover facility - its Shannon software hub, which is located on the Shannon Free Zone business park in County Clare.
FMCI will be a collaborative test bed spread across eight miles of public roads, providing the facilities and expertise to harness valuable sensor data, simulate a variety of road environments and traffic scenarios and trial new technologies.
As part of the trials, the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace will be deployed for testing.
You can read the full CoventryLive report here.
Why it's business as usual for Jaguar Land Rover buyers despite lockdown
Jaguar Land Rover has said it is business as usual for would-be customers despite the November lockdown.
The Coventry car maker said its retailers in England remain open to digital customers during lockdown, with customers able to browse, build and order online from home.
Would-be buyers are still able to specify and order new vehicles thanks to enhanced virtual showrooms and video tours which were initially trialled during the spring lockdown.
The company is also offering ‘safe and sanitised’ click and collect delivery options.
The system was launched and expanded during the first lockdown, and now allows retailers to remain open for business, even while their doors are closed.
Online tools include building, buying and ordering any of the Jaguar Land Rover products.
As an essential service the aftersales operations of Jaguar and Land Rover retailers remain open.
Customers can either configure a brand-new vehicle, or browse stock available throughout the UK retailer network.
Vehicles can also be showcased through virtual showrooms, alongside specially created video presentations of all models.
You can read the full CoventryLive story here.
Jaguar’s most affordable SUV gets a major upgrade
Jaguar’s smallest and most affordable SUV has been given a major makeoever and the added option of a plug-in hybrid version.
The Jaguar E-Pace is being updated with design changes inside and out and new engines.
The new line up will be priced from £32,575 and sees the introduction of a P300e plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model.
It has a 1.5-litre three cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor with a zero emission range of up to 34 miles.
Total power output for the E-Pace P300e is 309ps which gives it a 0 to 60mph acceleration time of 6.1 seconds and official fuel economy figures of up to 141mpg. Emissions are rated at 44g/km.
Other engine changes see more mild hybrid systems coming on-stream on both the petrol and diesel line-ups.
The new E-Pace has an updated nose with a revised grille design, larger front air intakes and LED headlights while inside the car is now fitted with Jaguar Land Rover’s Pivi Pro infotainment system.
The software is operated via an 11.4-inch touchscreen and allows for ‘over that air’ automatic updates.
Range topping E-Pace 300 Sport models feature active driveline all-wheel-drive and adaptive dynamics as standard, and can reach 0-60mph in 6.6 seconds.
All versions of the revised E-Pace have automatic transmissions apart from the entry-level diesel which is front-wheel-drive and has a six-speed manual gearbox.
You can read the full CoventryLive story here.
Workers at Jaguar Land Rover’s Merseyside plant told to turn off NHS Covid-19 contact tracing app while at work
Workers at Jaguar Land Rover’s Halewood plant on Merseyside have been told to turn off the NHS Covid-19 contact tracing app while working.
An email was sent to workers at the factory, which produces the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport models, on Wednesday (November 18).
It explained how they could pause it after colleagues had been required to isolate due to coronavirus outbreaks among staff.
The company also said this would stop workers having to isolate unnecessarily, citing that the app is powered by an algorithm and could be producing “false positive” contacts between people working closely.
In the email, Jaguar Land Rover also claim that they have their own “robust internal contact tracing process” that keeps those working at the Halewood plant safe, the Liverpool Echo reports.
The email, from the Coventry car maker’s chief medical officer Dr Steve Iley, said: “We have had some instances recently where colleagues may have had a false positive notification through the NHS Covid-19 app, meaning they have had to self isolate at home, for 14 days - unable to attend work and unable to leave their home.”
You can read the full CoventryLive story here.
Nine best electric cars to buy in the US in 2020 instead of gasoline cars
Fossbytes had the following feature on the best electric cars to buy in the US.
It said all the models chosen, including the Jaguar I-Pace, offered a great mix of performance, battery life, and price.
It said: "Nowadays, picking the best among electric cars has become as difficult as choosing an ICE vehicle. Especially when you are looking for one in a country like the US, which is quite rich in some of the best electric car makers.
"We are living in the 21st century, and it’s an era where electric cars are ready to take over gasoline-run vehicles. In the coming years, people might witness electric cars becoming the first choice for buyers.
Video footage below tells how Jaguar Land Rover has on site Covid-19 testing
"Considering the present situation and future aspects, many automakers have limited the production of gasoline-run cars. All automotive companies are using the best of their technology to make the best electric cars. As of now, everyone in the world understands the damage ICE cars have done to our environment.
"Therefore many people want to switch to electric vehicles but don’t know which one is a better fit for them. For those people, we have prepared a list of some of the best electric cars in the world that are perfect for pretty much all kinds of conditions. Whether it’s performance, electric range, ride quality, or features, these cars cover all these aspects."
You can read the full Fossbytes report and see its list of the top electric cars here.
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