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2016 Jaguar F-Pace SUV Spied Inside and Out

Jaguar Land Rover global sales director Andy Goss declared a little while ago that “the F-Pace has now begun its engineering and development testing program ahead of the new model going on sale in 2016.” We also know that work for the F-Pace started in 2014 and the finished product will be going on sale in 2016, probably after a debut at NY or Frankfurt.
Jaguar F-Pace prototype 13 photos
Photo: SB-Medien
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With little over a year to go until we’ll finally see the uninspiredly named 2016 Jaguar F-Pace, JLR engineers seem to be refining and calibrating the all-wheel drive system and the powertrain of the marque’s first ever crossover SUV. Our spy photographers caught a prototype testing on public roads, wearing what looks like production-ready LED lights, exhaust pipes and bodywork.

Remember the Jaguar C-X16 concept, the two-seater fantasy machine that ultimately became the F-Type Coupe we all love? We’re expecting Jaguar to pull a similar magic trick with the C-X17, which is the concept that prefigures the upcoming F-Pace. Despite the swirly, hypnotic camouflage of the test mule, it’s not that hard to see that the overall design of the C-X17 is present.

Minimal differences have been performed by the doctor’s knife in areas such as the headlights (the clusters’ shape and lighting arrangement resemble those of the upcoming 2015 Jaguar XF), the F-Type-inspired tail lamps and some mild sculpting for the front fenders. Even the glasshouse looks alike that of the C-X17.

All in all, the exterior aesthetics won’t disappoint, that’s for sure!

What did disappoint is the interior of this 2016 Jaguar F-Pace prototype, which is botched from various bits and bobs from Jag’s available parts bin. It’s easy to figure out that the indicator stalks, steering wheel and instrument cluster are lifted from the all-new Jaguar XE D-segment sedan. Though the dashboard’s design resembles that of the outgoing XF’s sans the multimedia system’s display and revolving air vents, we expect the F-Pace to adopt a similar cabin layout to that of the 2015 Jaguar XF.

Speaking of the second generation of the E-segment sedan, it’s not that big a mystery that it and the F-Pace share pretty much the same iQ[Al] underpinnings. As such, powertrain choices will include an all-wheel drive system, a ZF QuickShift automatic box with 8 ratios and a rotary switch-style selector, as well as a selection of turbo petrol and diesel-fed Ingenium 2-liter engines, joined by a supercharged 3.0 V6 lump and, if we’re lucky, a full-on supercharged V8 displacing 5 liters of grunt and a Supermarine Spitfire soundtrack.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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