ALL-NEW EVOQUE TO LEAD JLR ASSAULT
Jaguar Land Rover is planning a major overhaul of its entire line- up and adding four all- new models
Jaguar Land Rover ( JLR) has embarked on a massive programme of investment in new models that will enable the company to expand its line- up by four new or returning nameplates by 2023, launch 99 new model variants and replace every current model by 2024.
As well as the I-Pace, JLR will roll out the all- new Defender, the super- luxury Jaguar J-Pace SUV and a more road- biased Range Rover ‘ Allroad’ EV as the four new models.
First out of the blocks in this new era for JLR will be next year’s all- new Range Rover Evoque, which will include in its line-up a highly economical plug- in hybrid version with a CO2 rating of just 45g/ km. The new Evoque sits on a heavily modified version of the current steel platform, but the new strategy should eventually see future all- new JLR models based on the same aluminium platform, known as the MLA ( Modular Longitudinal Architecture).
This new rear- and all-wheel drive architecture will allow vehicles to be offered with petrol and diesel mild-hybrid engines, plugin hybrid tech and a pure battery electric set-up.
JLR is also addressing the issue of diesel pollution with a new generation of Ingenium diesel engines that convert up to 98% of NOx emissions into harmless gases and are much cleaner than new pollution regulations require.
All new models will be powered by one of three base Ingenium engines, including a new three-pot unit and a new straightsix. Electrically powered turbochargers (which improve both economy and throttle response) will be standard on future petrol and diesel engines, allowing a downsizing of JLR’s engine range. V8 engines will be dropped and replaced by high-performance versions of the new Ingenium straight-six.
JLR management is also investing significant effort into connectivity. All future vehicles will be connected to the web 24/7, allowing updated engine software to be automatically downloaded and JLR to monitor vehicle performance and send owners information on unscheduled servicing.
The first of these cleaner, greener and higher performance JLR models will be the second-generation Evoque, which should arrive in showrooms in early 2019 after a debut at the Los Angeles motor show in November.
According to official JLR documents, the Evoque 2 platform has been significantly upgraded from the current model’s, justifying the new Premium Transverse Architecture (PTA) name for its steel structure.
The company claims the Evoque 2 has “better ride comfort” thanks to a new, stiffer body structure. Refinement has also been significantly improved, JLR claims, aided by a 10% reduction in drag and wind noise thanks to improved aerodynamics.
Luggage space has also been improved by 10%, something that carries through to the plug-in hybrid version because the battery packs are mounted under the floor pan ahead of the rear axle.
The move to electrified Ingenium engines will, according to the JLR briefing, reduce the overall CO2 output of the Evoque range by around 13%. The Evoque eco champion will be a plug-in, which uses a 300V hybrid set-up coupled with a new three-cylinder Ingenium diesel engine for a 45g/km CO2 rating. This exceeds the new Chinese standard for ‘new energy vehicles’. China wants to lead the world on electrified vehicles.
The current JLR plan is to eventually build all of its future models on the new MLA aluminium platform. This promises to be a remarkable piece of engineering that will allow any configuration of vehicle, from turbocharged three-pot petrol to a highcapacity electric car, to be built from the MLA components set.
MLA will be lighter than the current JLR aluminium architecture, a big advantage when moving to plug-in hybrids. It will also usher in more driver aids.
JLR has developed its own bespoke EV architecture for the Jaguar I-Pace, but this will be the only JLR car built on it, with all future models switching to MLA.
First up on the MLA platform will be the long-awaited new Defender. Its extended development cycle now makes more sense because its launch had to coincide with the new architecture. It will be made at JLR’s new Slovakian plant from 2020. The new Jaguar J-Pace, a large super-luxury SUV also based on the MLA platform, is also expected to roll out by that year.
The next XJ is also set to make use of the electric version of MLA. The new road-oriented Range Rover ‘Allroad’ EV — which won’t be launched under the internal Road Rover nickname — is scheduled for 2022 onwards.