AUTO EXPRESS AWARDS - And the overall winner of Car of the Year, this year goes to........

• The Jaguar F-PACE has been named Car of the Year by the UK’s best-selling weekly car magazine, Auto Express, as it also picked up the Compact SUV of the Year title
• Anthony Joshua, recently crowned World IBF Heavyweight Champion, congratulated Jaguar on its latest title, as he took a closer look at the F-PACE
• The F-PACE is already the fastest-selling Jaguar ever
• Completing a hat-trick of wins, the Jaguar XE also picked up the Compact Executive Car of the Year title for the second year running at the Auto Express Awards
• The Jaguar F-PACE is the most practical sports car on the road, combining maximum driving exhilaration with efficiency and space, starting from £35,020

Boxing world champion, Anthony Joshua, has been spending time with another newly-crowned British champ, the Jaguar F-PACE, after it was named Car of the Year 2016 by Auto Express. The F-PACE was also awarded Compact SUV of the Year by the team at Auto Express, the UK’s biggest-selling motoring weekly magazine.

Anthony Joshua, IBF heavyweight champion, said: “I have a Jaguar XJR at the moment but after the team showed me around the F-PACE I might make a change! I love the way it looks but for me the additional space is the key element, especially with all the kit I have to transport. The Activity Key wristband is a great idea, too; I’m always switching bags and changing gear for training so being able to not worry about where my car keys are would be so helpful. Congratulations to the team on the Car of the Year title; I love seeing Brits taking on the world and coming out on top.”

The Auto Express Car of the Year award is the latest major success in an incredible launch for Jaguar’s first ever SUV, which immediately became the brand’s fastest ever selling model.

Jeremy Hicks, Jaguar Land Rover UK MD, said: “The response to F-PACE around the world has been absolutely sensational, both in terms of critical acclaim and sales, and for it to be named Car of the Year by the UK’s biggest-selling weekly motoring magazine is a real honour. The team behind F-PACE was set on creating a car that was more desirable, great to drive, and better value than anything else in its class – we didn’t want to just be a part of the performance SUV market, we wanted to own it. This award is the proof that we’ve succeeded, and we intend to carry this momentum into all our future products.”

The F-PACE uses Jaguar’s Aluminium Lightweight Architecture to create a light, stiff body structure, allowing for great performance and emissions across the range. A rear-wheel-drive 180PS diesel F-PACE emits just 129g/km, while the 380PS supercharged V6 model is capable of 0-60mph in 5.1 seconds. With chassis technology developed for the F-TYPE, the F-PACE is the sports car that all others look up to, starting from £35,020.

The F-PACE comes with a selection of high-tech equipment, too, including the Activity Key; a wristband that allows owners to leave their traditional key inside the car if they’ll be taking part in activities like swimming or running. There’s also a wi-fi hotspot in the car, allowing eight separate devices to connect, and an InControl app, which lets owners remotely access functions on the F-PACE, like pre-heating, checking the fuel status or even location.

Steve Fowler, Editor-in-Chief of Auto Express, said: “Jaguar last won our overall Car of the Year award in 2008, with the XF – a car that heralded a forthcoming range of excellent Jaguar models. With the F-PACE you get the sense that Jaguar is on a roll again; the XE, XJ, all-new XF and F-TYPE are all world-class models. But it’s the F-PACE that really stands out for us – it’s a worthy winner of our 2016 Car of the Year title.

As well as winning the overall Car of the Year award, Jaguar also took home the Compact Executive Car of the Year title for the second year running. Before the XE first won the award, it had been more than a decade since a non-German manufacturer had been named Compact Executive Car of the Year.

Ian Callum, Jaguar Design Director, and the man who styled both the F-PACE and XE, said: “What an incredible evening for us; we’ve got two cars competing in the most highly sought-after categories and not only have we won them both, but F-PACE is Car of the Year, too. As ever, I’m amazed and proud by what the Jaguar team is capable of.”

• The Jaguar F-PACE is built at Jaguar Land Rover’s Solihull Advanced Manufacturing Plant, alongside the Land Rover Discovery, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Jaguar XE
• The Solihull Advanced Manufacturing Plant was recently transformed into one of the most advanced car manufacturing facilities in the world, thanks to a £1.5bn investment – it now covers an area equivalent to 22 football pitches
• The Jaguar F-PACE is the most practical sports car on sale, priced from £35,020 – for further details go towww.jaguar.co.uk
• The F-PACE First Edition, strictly limited to 2,000 units globally, sold out in record time as buyers raced to own one of the very first F-PACE models. With a design inspired by the C-X17 concept and packed full of high-tech features as standard, the First Edition is the ultimate F-PACE.
• F-PACE’s range of efficient and powerful engines include the 3.0-litre V6 380 PS Supercharged Petrol and the new 2.0-litre 4 cylinder 180PS Diesel Ingenium engine, which can achieve 57.7mpg and CO₂ emissions as low as 129g/km - the lightest, most efficient vehicle in the segment.
• F-PACE gives you state-of-the-art technology, such as the optional Head-up Display and Activity Key, as well as advanced driving aids to make every journey easier and more relaxing. 

USA - Jaguar North America to unveil the new XE and F-Pace at customer events throughout the country.

• Jaguar continues momentum to target heart of luxury market with retailer debut of all-new Jaguar XE & F-PACE
• Thousands of consumers get first-look at Jaguar's latest vehicles

Today, Jaguar North America announced retailers throughout the country will be hosting exclusive customer events this spring to introduce the brand's latest compact sports sedan, the Jaguar XE & Jaguar's first ever compact SUV, the F-PACE. 

Attendees will be amongst the very first consumers to see Jaguar's latest five-model line-up, which has the capacity to reach a far wider range of potential luxury customers than ever before.

Events will be taking place through the month of May, with over 75 taking place May 23-31. 

Jaguar retailers will welcome the vehicles in grand style, with events that include social media contests for weekend vehicle loans, interactive bars and live music. Retailers, including Barrett Jaguar in San Antonio, Texas will be unleashing the cats at their event, as they send aerialists and body-painted Jaguar cats into the crowd to unveil the XE & F-PACE, while Jaguar Sacramento will be hosting an evening party at Mather Aviation for an impressive unveiling with music by DJ Louie, a San Francisco-based DJ.

Jaguar Main Line will be taking their event to the outdoors at the Devon Horse Show, which will feature a five-car Jaguar display, tickets to carnival rides and a raffle of an all-new Jaguar F-PACE, with all proceeds benefitting Bryn Mawr Hospital. 

Throughout the events, attendees and dealership personnel will be sharing images and information via social media using #NewGenJaguar.

"This is a major milestone for the Jaguar brand and we are excited to have our retailers showcase the expanded lineup of Jaguar models to a larger target audience during their New Generation of Jaguar events," said Chris Marchand, Vice President, Operations, Jaguar Land Rover North America. 

"Guests will be among the first to experience the XE and F-PACE and learn about our all-new ownership package with best in class coverage, Jaguar EliteCare¹."

For added piece of mind, all 2017 Jaguar models sold in the U.S. now come equipped with Jaguar EliteCare, a best-in-class ownership package¹ offering a new vehicle limited warranty with complimentary scheduled maintenance, roadside assistance and Jaguar InControl® Remote & Protect™ for five-years or 60,000 miles.

The competitively priced Jaguar XE and F-PACE add relevance for the Jaguar brand placing them in a strong position in the luxury segment. The 2017 Jaguar XE is currently available with an MSRP starting at $34,900², and the 2017 Jaguar F-PACE with an MSRP starting at $40,990². 

¹  Class is cars sold by luxury automobile brands and claim is based on total package of warranty, maintenance and other coverage programs. For complete details regarding Jaguar EliteCare coverage, please visit JAGUARUSA.COM, call 1.800.4.JAGUAR or visit your local Jaguar Retailer.

² All prices shown are Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. Excludes $995 destination/handling charge, tax, title, license, and retailer fees, all due at signing, and optional equipment. Retailer price, terms and vehicle availability may vary. See your local authorized Jaguar Retailer for details.

Fleet News awards the all-new Audi A4 Best Premium Car in its annual awards in London.

Cost-effectiveness combines with outstanding premium credentials to secure key award for latest Audi compact executive  

• All-new compact executive saloon wins through in one of the most hotly contested corporate sales sectors
• Editor Stephen Briers: “Audi has addressed every single niggle, no matter how small, and put it right – the attention to detail is astonishing”

Fleet News, the magazine that assesses every new car as much for its ‘on-paper’ financial viability as its on-road appeal, has pronounced the all-new Audi A4 Best Premium Car in its annual awards, held recently in London.

The experts presiding over the annual awards honouring the best options for fleet managers and company car drivers reach their conclusions with the help of a complex scoring matrix. This factors in fundamentals such as efficiency, performance, driver appeal and safety, as well as important considerations such as P11D pricing, BIK implications, residuals and running costs and manufacturer support.

The compact executive saloon which has been one of the linchpins of the Audi range since 1994 has turned another corner in its fifth generation, striking out into new realms of refinement, efficiency, technological sophistication and dynamic ability. 

The very tangible advances have been sufficient to push the new car ahead of its premium sector rivals and to clinch the award, according to Fleet News Editor Stephen Briers: “The old car was good, but Audi has addressed every single niggle, no matter how small, and put it right – the attention to detail is astonishing,” he said. 

“The A4 is class-leading in refinement, specification, breadth of range (saloon, estate, engines – even 4x4 quattro) and looks. Low running costs and strong residual values are the icing on the cake.”

James Douglas, Head of Fleet Sales for Audi UK, emphasised the particular significance of the award: “My team and I are absolutely delighted that the Fleet News judging panel has recognised the new A4 as the best premium fleet car, particularly as this award is of course not simply made on the strength of the car in its own right but also acknowledges the many other factors behind it that need to stand scrutiny by our fleet and business customers. This is a ringing endorsement of the car’s all-round appeal to business users for which we are extremely grateful.”

Twelve ultra variants

The all-new A4 Saloon and Avant ranges are available to order now with a wide choice of TFSI and TDI engines, the latter powering a total of twelve acutely efficiency-focused ‘ultra’ variants offering economy returns of up to 74mpg combined with tax-efficient CO₂ outputs of as little as 99g/km. The low running costs to which these figures contribute are complemented by typically robust residual values that, according to leading trade guide CAP Monitor, are either strongest in the premium compact executive class or unbeaten in the class.

With a quality of finish that palpably exceeds its predecessor’s already widely acclaimed standard, a degree of refinement that genuinely merits comparison with cars in the luxury class and a cabin that artfully blends supreme comfort with subtly integrated, state-of-the-art technology, the latest A4 saloon doesn’t constantly remind its driver of its cost-effectiveness. Its appeal as a ‘business tool’ can also be further enhanced by a raft of innovative options, from Matrix LED headlights to Audi traffic jam assist and a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system. Prices start from £25,900 OTR for the 150PS 1.4 TFSI six-speed manual, rising to £40,350 OTR for the 272PS V6 TDI Avant with quattro all-wheel-drive and eight-speed tiptronic transmission.