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Jaguar planning plug-in hybrid XJ?

 
5 2,754 views Apr 12, 2009

next gen jaguar xj spy shots 007

The plug-in hybrid model is expected to arrive one year after the launch of the new XJ sedan

The plug-in hybrid model is expected to arrive one year after the launch of the new XJ sedan

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Jaguar is well underway in the development of its next-generation XJ saloon and despite the company’s financial hardship the car is still on track for a debut in the second half of next year. For the current XJ, Jaguar looked to its past for inspiration and this definitely hurt its sales, especially when compared to rivals like the Mercedes Benz S-Class and BMW 7-series, which have shunned conservative styling in favor of a much more dynamic look.

Jaguar won’t be making the same mistake again. This time around designers are going for a more radical look, borrowing lines from the XF but with even more aggression. However, it isn’t just the styling department kicking it up a gear as the new XJ is also expected to benefit from some very advanced powertrain features.

Thanks to a £307 million loan from the European Investment Bank announced last week, Jaguar, together with Land Rover, will develop a raft of new hybrid technologies for its future models. While Land Rover is expected to use a more conventional hybrid system like the one in the Toyota Prius, where both an electric motor and internal combustion engine drive the wheels, the system planned by Jaguar will be similar to the set-up in the upcoming Chevrolet Volt.

According to Autocar, Jaguar will launch a plug-in hybrid XJ in 2011 or about one year after the debut of the new model. The plug-in hybrid system will use an electric motor running on lithium-ion batteries to drive the wheels and a compact internal combustion engine used solely to top up the batteries.

With this combination, the plug-in hybrid XJ is expected to have an electric range of 30 miles and a fuel-economy of 47mpg (5.0L/100km). Also working on the project is a number of British engineering groups, including Lotus Engineering, MIRA and Caparo.

For more details on the next-gen XJ, check out our previous story by clicking here.
Spy shots: 2011 Jaguar XJ

2011 Jaguar XJ spy video


HI-RES GALLERY: next gen jaguar xj spy shots 007




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Comments (5)

  1. ma_www.mywheelsonwalls.com avatar www.mywheelsonwalls.com Posted: 4/12/2009 8:37pm PDT

    I hope this story is not true because frankly coming home and plugging my car into the wall is not moving forward what so ever!!
     
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  2. ma_Damien Thomas avatar Damien Thomas Posted: 4/12/2009 11:45pm PDT

    MyWheels, what the hell are you talking about? Explain how this is a step backwards? For anyone that drives less than 30 miles to and from work, which accounts for A LOT of people in urban areas, this is perfect. It means you rarely have to queue up with the plebs at a gas station and electricity is MUCH cheaper than gas.

    Pull your head out of the sand.
     
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  3. ma_www.mywheelsonwalls.com avatar www.mywheelsonwalls.com Posted: 4/13/2009 12:04am PDT

    Simple! The article states a plug-in Hybrid. The last thing I want to do is plug my car into the wall when I get home, its what we call an extra step. Plus lets say you go on the road ever pull into a hotel recently and there's a plug in the parking lot? Do you park in your friends garage when you stay the night? or have ever lived in the city and seen plugs in the parking garages!

    Once again plug in hybrids are a complete step backwards!!!! Next time look at the whole picture and run some of lifes senario's throught it. Unless ofcourse you are a complete hermit and are socially challenged so therefore you and your plug-in hybrid stay home...
     
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  4. ma_Damien Thomas avatar Damien Thomas Posted: 4/13/2009 12:21am PDT

    I’m sure most would agree that plugging your car into a wall is a small price to pay for not having to go to the gas station on a weekly basis I’m sure for some drivers it could save them 2 or more trips to a gas station per week).

    You need to understand that this is the ideal solution for daily commuting.

    If you decide one day that you would like to visit a friend on the other side town, go interstate, or stay at a motel then you can fill the tank and drive hundreds of miles.

    You have EXTRA OPTIONS now. Furthermore, the cost of electricity works out to be just 2 to 3 cents per mile. That’s a couple of dollars for one hundred miles of driving to and from work!!

    This is definitely a step forward.
     
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  5. By  buy r4i software Posted: 1/26/2010 8:51pm PST

    Awesome! I love to see this new technology being adopted by established automakers. Keep up the innovation!
     
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