The 2016 Jaguar F-PACE has been shown off in a series of photographs showing it undergoing extreme weather testing. It will make its public debut in September.
THE JAGUAR F-PACE is one of the most anticipated new Jaguars, and one of that companies boldest moves. Jaguar Land Rover have said the F-PACE won’t compete with Land Rover product, but… well, we’re not so sure.
Regardless, with Land Rover boffins to provide assistance with its all-terrain capability, the F-PACE will likely be the best of the road-based premium SUVs. And, in these images, Jaguar has shown off its extreme weather testing of the new F-PACE which will be revealed in full at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
“We developed the F-PACE to offer the ride, handling and refinement demanded from a Jaguar, together with exceptional levels of ability and composure on all surfaces and in all weathers,” said Andrew Wyman, vehicle programme director, Jaguar F-PACE.
“Just as we paid obsessive attention to detail over the engineering of every single component, we’ve exhaustively tested the F-PACE in the most challenging conditions to ensure that it will exceed the expectations of our customers around the world.”
At Jaguar Land Rover’s test facility in Arjeplog, Northern Sweden, average winter temperatures rarely exceed -15°C and often plummet to -40°C. The 60km of purpose-built handling tracks, mountain climbs, inclines, split-friction straights and off-road areas are ideal for optimising the calibration of the all-wheel drive system, Dynamic Stability Control and technologies such as Jaguar’s All-Surface Progress Control.
In Dubai, ambient temperatures can exceed 50°C in the shade. When vehicles are left out in direct sunlight, cabin temperatures can soar to 70°C – exactly what’s needed to ensure that everything from climate control systems to infotainment touchscreens function perfectly in extremes of heat and humidity. The aim with hot weather testing, according to Jaguar, is to place the car’s cooling systems, for both itself and passengers, under extreme pressure via a high ambient temperature and reduced airflow.
And, for the first time ever for a Jaguar car, according to Jaguar, the F-PACE has also been driven over gravelled mountain passes. So, will the F-PACE live up to the hype? We’ll just have to wait and see.
