Welcome to the Hooniverse News! As always, this is a weekly recap of some of the biggest stories in the automotive industry without the fluff or bull. There’s also just a little opinion of mine because I can. This week:
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Jaguar’s production-ready I-Pace EV finally breaks cover
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Alpina stuffs four turbochargers in a diesel X3 because they can
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GMC reveals all-new Sierra
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All-new Lexus UX may be the ugliest compact crossover yet
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What’s your automotive news?
Jaguar I-Pace
Jaguar has finally revealed the production-ready I-Pace two years after it was first shown as a concept. And as manufacturers do, they did so a few days before its scheduled debut at the Geneva Motor Show. At this point we have just about every bit of information on Jaguar’s first ever battery electric vehicle minus the price – we have to wait a few more days for that. Let’s dig in and see how Jaguar does an EV.
Starting with the most important stats first, the I-Pace runs with a 90kWh lithium-ion battery powering two synchronous permanent magnet electric motors (of Jaguar’s own design) for up to 240 miles at a time. There’s one motor placed on each axle to effectively make this AWD. Combined output is 394 horsepower and 512 lb.-ft. of torque which allows for a 4.5-second 0-60 mph time.
The battery can regain 80% of its charge from empty in 40 minutes using a 100kW DC fast charger or in ten hours with a standard 230V AC wall box. And when it’s plugged in, the I-Pace can precondition the battery temperature to maximize range or heat/cool the cabin just before owners set off. While on the go, the battery relies on its own heating and cooling systems to ensure optimal efficiency in extreme heat and cold.
With all the heavy parts mounted low and evenly front to rear, drivers can benefit from a low center of gravity and near optimal 50:50 weight distribution. Jaguar went with a double wishbone front and integral link rear suspension setup to strike a good balance between #dynamism and refinement.
As with many new EVs, the I-Pace can be driven with a single pedal when its regenerative braking is at its strongest of two settings. Up to 0.4G of braking force can be applied without ever having to go through the trouble of moving your right foot a couple inches to the left.
Moving to the outside, it’s… uh, yeah pretty much identical to what we saw two years ago.
The cabin is designed to be airy and open thanks in part to the standard full-length panoramic roof (which absorbs infrared light). offers generous space in every dimension for a vehicle its size. There’s 40.9 inches of leg room up front and 35 inches for the back seats which also benefit from a large storage compartment where the transmission tunnel would normally be and trays under the seats for laptop/tablet storage. There’s 25.3 cubic feet of storage capacity in the trunk and that doubles with the back seats folded flat.
Buyers can have their I-Pace upholstered in a Luxtec material, optional Grained Leather, Fine-Grain Windsor leather or a premium textile alternative developed with Danish textile experts Kvadrat – a high quality material that combines a durable wool-blend with recycled technical suede cloth.
Now it being a modern EV and all, it’s packed with as much technology as it can fit. At the center of its infotainment system with two center-mounted touch screens, digital gauge cluster, and available full color HUD is what they call a human-machine interface. It’s “artificial intelligence” which helps automate some of the key tasks that would otherwise distract a driver. It uses “Smart Settings” to learn from the driver and anticipate their needs so it can learn your weaknesses and upload the data it collects on you to the central hub so the other I-Paces can plan the great robot takeover do more things for the driver. It can adjust climate control settings based on the weather and get a favorite radio station tuned in before the door even opens. It’ll even tell you if you left your phone behind.
As easy as it would’ve been to copy and paste the navigation system from their other models, Jaguar built a brand new one optimized for EVs. When it plans a route, it factors in the topography of planned routes with insights from previous journeys and individual driving styles. It will also identify potential charging locations along the chosen route if it knows it can’t make it on a single charge.
The I-Pace will also be Jaguar’s first car to receive software updates over the air. Customers will continue to be supported after delivery with updates for the infotainment system, telematics unit, and – interestingly enough – battery charging capability. I’m sure that last part will be how they enforce making lease payments on time. “Oh, you missed last month’s payment? No problem. Enjoy your 20-hour charging times and 10 mile range ya bastard.”
The Jaguar I-Pace is available to order from retailers now. It comes with all the typical Jaguar warranties including an additional 8 year/100,000 mile battery warranty; up to 70 percent state of health.
[Source: Jaguar]
Alpina XD3
Now for a totally different kind of crossover, the 2019 Alpina XD3 made its first appearance the week before it was supposed to as well. Alpina, who are known for making BMWs better, revealed their latest attempt at a better X3 and it involves diesel and the same number of turbochargers as the Bugatti Chiron.
The XD3 has four turbocharges bolted to its BMW-sourced 3.0-liter straight-six diesel engine for no reason other than because they could. It produces 388 horsepower and 567 lb.-ft. of torque, can go from 0-62 mph in 4.6 seconds, and top out at 165 mph. A BMW xDrive setup with Alpina-specific torque distribution does its best to manage the torque in a variety of conditions. It rides on sport suspension of Alpina’s design and features adjustable dampers.
Its most striking visual feature is the new lightweight forged 22″ Alpina Classic wheels (20-inchers are standard) and the Apina body kit.
It’s the closest thing we may get to an X3M for quite a while. And you know what? I’m fine with that.
[Source: Alpina via Autoweek]
2019 GMC Sierra
Remember the all-new Chevrolet Silverado that was revealed a few months ago? The Sierra is like that, but with more leather, a carbon fiber pickup box, and a fancy multi-function tailgate. That tailgate is probably the coolest part about this truck, so I recommend checking out GM-Trucks.com’s hands-on demo showing off some of the features.
[Source: GMC]
Lexus UX
You know that compact luxury crossover class that everyone is taking part in? The Lexus UX is just like all of those crossovers, but uglier.
[Source: Lexus]
What’s your automotive news?
That’s all I’ve got for you this week, so now it’s your turn. If you saw anything, fixed something, broke everything, or otherwise did anything even remotely car related that you want to share with your fellow hoon, sound off in the comments.
Have a good weekend.
[Image © 2018 Hooniverse/Greg Kachadurian]
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