Automakers regularly subject new vehicles they're developing to extreme climactic conditions to make sure they'll hold up no matter what the customer throws at it. We rarely get to see what those conditions entail, save for the odd batch of spy shots here and there. Jaguar, however, has given us a glimpse behind the proverbial curtain as it puts the finishing touches on the upcoming new F-Pace crossover.
The British automaker reports that it's put the F-Pace through its paces in temperatures ranging from as low as 40 degrees below zero (on either scale – that's where they meet) to 50 degrees Celsius above (122 Fahrenheit). Those are some punishing conditions, achieved in the dead of winter in Northern Sweden and at the height of summer in the searing deserts of Dubai, where cabin temperatures inside a vehicle left in the sun can top 158 degrees Fahrenheit. The former is where Jaguar Land Rover maintains a dedicated arctic test facility in Arjeplog, with over 37 miles of test tracks carved out of the ice, snow, and mountains. Jaguar even threw gravel mountain passes into the test regime for the first time, because while it may be geared more toward on-road use than its Land Rover counterparts, people still expect their crossover to be sure-footed in a variety of conditions.
Jaguar has now confirmed that the production F-Pace will make its bit debut in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show. That's the same venue where the C-X17 concept that previewed the F-Pace's arrival was first showcased the last time the show came to town two years ago. And while the company recently signed a manufacturing contract with Magna Steyr to build an undisclosed model line in Austria, JLR confirms that the F-Pace will be built in the UK at the Solihull plant that already handles production of the Land Rover Discovery/LR4, Defender, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Jaguar XE.
The British automaker reports that it's put the F-Pace through its paces in temperatures ranging from as low as 40 degrees below zero (on either scale – that's where they meet) to 50 degrees Celsius above (122 Fahrenheit). Those are some punishing conditions, achieved in the dead of winter in Northern Sweden and at the height of summer in the searing deserts of Dubai, where cabin temperatures inside a vehicle left in the sun can top 158 degrees Fahrenheit. The former is where Jaguar Land Rover maintains a dedicated arctic test facility in Arjeplog, with over 37 miles of test tracks carved out of the ice, snow, and mountains. Jaguar even threw gravel mountain passes into the test regime for the first time, because while it may be geared more toward on-road use than its Land Rover counterparts, people still expect their crossover to be sure-footed in a variety of conditions.
Jaguar has now confirmed that the production F-Pace will make its bit debut in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show. That's the same venue where the C-X17 concept that previewed the F-Pace's arrival was first showcased the last time the show came to town two years ago. And while the company recently signed a manufacturing contract with Magna Steyr to build an undisclosed model line in Austria, JLR confirms that the F-Pace will be built in the UK at the Solihull plant that already handles production of the Land Rover Discovery/LR4, Defender, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Jaguar XE.
JAGUAR F-PACE TESTED TO EXTREMES
#FPACE
- Jaguar F-PACE exhaustively tested in the most demanding locations
- Durability proven at extremes of hot and cold: -40°C to +50°C
- Dynamics and performance optimised for all conditions
- Gravelled mountain passes included in a Jaguar test programme for the first time
Wednesday 29 July 2015: From the searing heat and dust of Dubai to the ice and snow of Northern Sweden, the new F-PACE has been tested to the limit in some of the most inhospitable environments on earth.
Jaguar's performance crossover offers an unrivalled blend of performance, design and practicality.
To ensure that every system functions perfectly even under the most extreme conditions, the new
F-PACE has been subjected to one of the most demanding test programmes the company has ever devised.
"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.
"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."
Andrew Whyman, Vehicle Programme Director, Jaguar F-PACE
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 revolutionary All-Surface Progress Control. The work done here makes sure that, whether on asphalt, snow or ice, the F-PACE delivers the connected steering feel and agility fundamental to Jaguar dynamics DNA.
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.
And while the test engineers can relax in air-conditioned comfort as they drive in city traffic, this part of the test cycle is designed to place the cooling systems under very high load through a combination of high ambient temperatures and low airflow.
The F-PACE has also been driven over gravelled mountain passes. This is the first time that a Jaguar test programme has included this uniquely challenging environment, and it is this attention to detail that will help to make Jaguar's first performance crossover the benchmark in its segment.
#FPACE
- Jaguar F-PACE exhaustively tested in the most demanding locations
- Durability proven at extremes of hot and cold: -40°C to +50°C
- Dynamics and performance optimised for all conditions
- Gravelled mountain passes included in a Jaguar test programme for the first time
Wednesday 29 July 2015: From the searing heat and dust of Dubai to the ice and snow of Northern Sweden, the new F-PACE has been tested to the limit in some of the most inhospitable environments on earth.
Jaguar's performance crossover offers an unrivalled blend of performance, design and practicality.
To ensure that every system functions perfectly even under the most extreme conditions, the new
F-PACE has been subjected to one of the most demanding test programmes the company has ever devised.
"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.
"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."
Andrew Whyman, Vehicle Programme Director, Jaguar F-PACE
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 revolutionary All-Surface Progress Control. The work done here makes sure that, whether on asphalt, snow or ice, the F-PACE delivers the connected steering feel and agility fundamental to Jaguar dynamics DNA.
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.
And while the test engineers can relax in air-conditioned comfort as they drive in city traffic, this part of the test cycle is designed to place the cooling systems under very high load through a combination of high ambient temperatures and low airflow.
The F-PACE has also been driven over gravelled mountain passes. This is the first time that a Jaguar test programme has included this uniquely challenging environment, and it is this attention to detail that will help to make Jaguar's first performance crossover the benchmark in its segment.
Featured Gallery Jaguar F-Pace: Extreme Climate Testing
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