A mysterious test mule that looks like a Land Rover Range Rover Evoque with a Jaguar grille has been spotted undergoing cold-weather testing.
A mysterious test mule that looks like a Land Rover Range Rover Evoque with a Jaguar grille has been spotted undergoing cold-weather testing. License plate information reveals that the test mule is registered to Jaguar, thus we’re likely looking at the early stage of development of a new crossover sitting below the automaker’s F-Pace.
While there have been rumors Jaguar’s next SUV might be a large, seven-seat model dubbed the J-Pace, or even F-Grace—as in Jaguar’s historic catchphrase “grace, space and pace”—Jaguar design boss Ian Callum has said in the past that if the automaker were to launch a second high-riding model it would likely be smaller than the F-Pace—and that’s exactly what we see here.
This one will be a compact crossover targeting the likes of the BMW X1, Audi Q3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA. The platform is thought to be the next-generation version of Jaguar Land Rover’s LR-MS platform, which made its debut in the 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport. The platform is also earmarked for a new Range Rover Evoque and may even end up in a model from parent company Tata.
From the spy shots, we can see that the test mule has a longer wheelbase and wider track than the Range Rover Evoque whose body it’s hiding under. The final design will likely appear like a scaled down version of the F-Pace.
It’s too early to talk powertrains but expect Jaguar Land Rover’s new Ingenium four-cylinder engines to feature. We’re unlikely to see anything larger offered, but we could see the vehicle feature a new three-cylinder engine Jaguar Land Rover is investigating.
A debut is expected in 2017, which would likely make the vehicle a 2018 model year arrival for the United States.
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