Jaguar C-X17 4x4 2014 Review - Auto Express

Опубликовано 11 ноября 2013, 15:49

Jaguar C-X17 review: bit.ly/HwAbCF
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We've waited for a long time to see a Jaguar 4x4, and finally the Jaguar C-X17 concept was revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show earlier this year. The blue paintwork of the show car is gone with this version getting silver paint. Jaguar has kindly let us drive it, too -- though not for very long.

The most we can really hope to learn from this drive, though, it what the car will look like. In this intense Dubai sun it looks like almosgt every Jaguar in the range, with the XJ-style grille and F-Type-style rear lights meaning it looks fantastic.

It's likely to stay this way, too. Julian Thomson, Advanced Design Director, told us: "we're not in the business of letting customers down, we can't show this concept and then come out with something that looks nothing like it."

The interior reveals the purpose of this car: you sit low down in the car, which makes it feel much more sporty that something like a Range Rover. You feel quite cocooned in, with the sleek concept styling meaning the interior is very futuristic, too.

The 3.0-litre supercharged V6 engine booms away in the car -- it's the same engine used in the Jaguar F-Type. In this concept car it's not insulated -- so the roar of the engine is always there. The steering is very basic, and the ride is harsh too -- but that can be forgiven for a concept car that won't be driven by customers.

There's not much we can get out of this drive in terms of handling or performance, but we have learned that this is being launched as the most dynamic, the most efficient and the best-looking" car in the large SUV class.

We wouldn't bet against the success of the Jaguar C-X17 -- or even Jaguar as a company in the future.