The Jaguar F-Pace wins Car Of The Year and Design Car Of The Year awards 2017.

• F-PACE wins two titles at 2017 World Car Awards
• Jaguar’s first performance SUV takes 2017 World Car of the Year title
• Also wins World Car Design of the Year prize
• The F-PACE is Jaguar’s fastest selling global model
• F-PACE is designed, developed and built in the UK

The Jaguar F-PACE is officially the best and most beautiful car in the world after double success at the 2017 World Car Awards, scooping the prestigious World Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year titles.

The performance SUV is the fastest selling model Jaguar has produced and is only the second vehicle to claim the historic double in the 13-year history of the World Car Awards. To win the pair of trophies, the F-PACE saw off the competition in a vote of 75 influential motoring journalists from 24 countries.

These are the latest in a line of major honours for the F-PACE since its April 2016 introduction. The fastest-selling Jaguar ever has collected more than 40 awards, including being named Women’s World Car of the Year, Auto Express ‘Car of the Year’ and ‘Best Premium SUV’ by Telegraph Cars.

Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, said: "The F-PACE was designed and engineered as a performance SUV with exceptional dynamics, everyday usability and bold design. Winning this award endorses the talent and great work of our teams that have delivered the world’s most practical sports car and Jaguar's fastest-selling vehicle”.

The awards brace is the first overall success for Jaguar at the World Car Awards. The XE sports saloon was a finalist for the 2016 World Car Design of the Year title. The F-PACE triumphed over finalists the Audi Q5 and Volkswagen Tiguan to claim the 2017 World Car of the Year prize.

Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar said: “The F-PACE is our first ever SUV but it is clearly recognisable as a Jaguar and for it to win the 2017 World Car of the Year trophy vindicates our decision to bring our unique design principles and dynamic qualities to a new sector of the market.”

The World Car Awards jury comprises influential motoring journalists and to win the 2017 World Car Design of the Year prize the F-PACE saw off the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet and Toyota C-HR in the final three.

Mike Rutherford, Juror, Director and Vice-Chairman of the World Car Awards/World Car of the Year said: "Jaguar has done the unthinkable by first securing the World Car Design of the Year award, then lifting the big one - the overall World Car of the Year trophy. With F-PACE, the British company and its proud and talented workers have taken on and beaten far bigger, wealthier European, Asian and North American rivals."

The new World Car of the Year has contributed to record sales growth by attracting new customers to the brand. It is a performance SUV designed and engineered to offer the agility, responsiveness and refinement that Jaguar is renowned for, together with unrivalled dynamics and everyday usability.

It is already the most searched Jaguar ever in the UK with 4.4 million unique page views of F-PACE content since launch and more than 680,000 people taking the time to configure their dream F-PACE online.

Jaguar’s first performance SUV is designed and developed in the UK and built at Solihull. The business invested £120m in its Solihull facility to build the F-PACE, part of a total £2bn investment in the plant and awarded £5bn of UK supplier contracts to support its production.

Engine options for the F-PACE range from the efficient and innovative four-cylinder 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel, with CO₂ emissions as low as 126g/km* to the high-performance 380PS, supercharged V6 petrol model that can accelerate from 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in just 5.5 seconds.

Tracker announces that the Defender from Land Rover has seen a 75% increase in thefts since production ceased.

• TRACKER joins NFU Mutual in urging owners to boost their vehicle security
• www.tracker.co.uk

Shocking new statistics from NFU Mutual, reveal that thefts of Land Rover Defenders have increased by a staggering 75%, as gangs of thieves target rural areas to swipe vehicles.   The Defender ceased production in January, which has led to a significant rise in demand for the car and its parts.  

Backing NFU Mutual’s campaign to warn Land Rover owners to be vigilant, TRACKER, the UK’s leading stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) provider, adds that many of these stolen vehicles are being shipped overseas, and urges owners to fit a tracking device before they disappear for good, as recommended by NFU Mutual. 

Police forces across the UK are reporting a rise in thefts, with many fearing that criminal gangs with links to the US and Eastern Europe are targeting owners.   

Land Rover Defender owners are being advised to improve their security by investing several layers of protection, including trackers, alarms and steering-wheel locks.  NFU Mutual is also advising owners to mark components with paint and to keep vehicles locked up or parked in well-lit areas.  

Following this advice will substantially increase the chances of these classic 4x4s being located and recovered.

Adrian Davenport, Police Liaison Manager for TRACKER, part of the Tantalum Corporation, says, “Criminal gangs often target particular vehicles when demand increases and the Land Rover Defender is a popular vehicle all around the globe. 

Not surprisingly, since they’ve been discontinued, the Defender has risen to the top of the car thief’s hit list, with the northeast, southwest and the midlands reported to be where the highest number of insurance claims are being made.

“Owners of Defenders tend to live in rural areas, so well-lit parking isn’t always possible, making it vital that people ensure they take ample security measures.  

A tracking device won’t stop a car being stolen, but it can significantly increase the chance of police locating and returning a vehicle to its owners. 

Without a TRACKER fitted, Land Rover Defenders can be hidden in containers without detection and shipped abroad by organised criminal gangs who will make a tidy profit.  Don’t make it easy for thieves, fit a TRACKER device to help police close the net on the criminals.”

TRACKER’s SVR systems work like an electronic homing device. A covert transmitter is hidden in one of several dozen places around the vehicle, and there is no visible aerial, so the thief won’t even know it’s there.

Unlike any other provider of SVR devices, some TRACKER products combines GSM, GPS and VHF technology, and its use of VHF technology makes it resilient to ‘jamming’, creating the most robust SVR device available.   

Jamming devices, readily available on the internet, are increasingly being used by car thieves to disrupt GPS signals so that the police are unable to track and locate stolen vehicles fitted with SVR devises that rely on GPS alone.

Adrian Davenport concludes:  “We strongly advise Land Rover Defender owners to choose a system that provides a more resilient solution and, better still, one that delivers multiple means of location and communication. TRACKER’s SVR systems use unique VHF technology, offering motorists effective safeguards against theft, even if the GPS does fail.”

Reborn initiative from Land Rover Classic offers customers the opportunity to buy one of 25 factory restored Series I models

• Reborn initiative from Land Rover Classic offers unique proposition for customers to buy one of 25 factory restored Series I models
• Each of the 25 examples are hand-picked by Land Rover Classic’s team of experts for authenticity
• Series I perfectly restored according to original specification and using genuine Land Rover Classic Parts
• Land Rover Classic continues to nurture the passion for the Land Rover brand through the provision cars, services, parts and experiences

Land Rover Classic is underscoring its commitment to providing the very best cars, services, parts and experiences to passionate Land Rover customers with the launch of the ‘Reborn’ initiative for the iconic Series I at Techno-Classica in Essen, Germany.

Reborn offers 25 prospective customers the unique opportunity to purchase an original and highly collectable Land Rover Series I directly from Land Rover Classic.

Land Rover Classic’s expert team has drawn on decades of experience to hand-pick 25 Series I chassis from Land Rover’s global network. Each model will undergo a complete restoration according to the brand’s original 1948 factory specification and using Land Rover Classic Parts to preserve authenticity. This includes the choice of five period finishes including Light Green, Bronze Green, RAF Blue, Dove Grey and Poppy Red.

Customers will be able to select their preferred base vehicle with the help and guidance of Land Rover Classic’s experienced restoration team, and they will be able to follow the restoration of their cherished Series I from start to finish at Land Rover’s new Classic workshop located within the original Defender production centre at Solihull. 

Tim Hannig, Director, Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said: “The launch of the Reborn initiative represents a fantastic opportunity for customers to own a valuable and collectable automotive icon. Reborn showcases Land Rover Classic’s expertise in restoring and maintaining our loyal customers’ prized Land Rovers. It also demonstrates the business’ commitment to supporting customers with original and genuine parts for Land Rover models that have been out for production for longer than 10 years.”

The New jaguar XE has been put forward for the 2016 European Car Of The Year Award.

Of the 35 candidates for the 2016 European Car of the Year award, the Jaguar XE is one of just seven to be short listed. The 58 jurors representing 22 European countries will announce the winner on 29 February 2016. Key criteria for European Car of the Year are technical innovation and value for money.

Developed using Jaguar’s Lightweight Aluminium Architecture, the XE is the most fuel-efficient Jaguar and offers the lowest total cost of ownership of any Jaguar, boasting class-leading residual values and CO₂emissions from just 99g/km.

Together with benchmark vehicle dynamics, perfect proportions and dramatic Jaguar design, these qualities have already contributed to 23 global awards. The inherent strength and stiffness of the body structure, together with cutting-edge driver assistance systems including stereo camera-based Autonomous Emergency Braking, helped the XE to achieve the maximum five star safety rating from Euro NCAP.

“We are delighted that the Jaguar XE has made it onto the short list for European Car of the Year. The votes from the jury are testament to the absolute dedication and hard work of every single member of the team that has helped to develop this truly outstanding sports saloon.

“Our no-compromise approach is why the XE is the only car in its class with an aluminium-intensive monocoque. It’s also why the XE is the first car in the world to feature the revolutionary All Surface Progress Control system. The hard work continues as we introduce technologies including all-wheel drive and our state-of-the art InControl Touch Pro infotainment system, but just like every other member of the team, I’m looking forward to hearing the winner announced in February next year.”

Kevin Stride, Vehicle Line Director, Jaguar XE, XF, F-PACE

Created from a clean sheet, the Jaguar XE is the first model developed using Jaguar’s advanced, Lightweight Aluminium Architecture. Together with highly sophisticated double wishbone and Integral Link suspension systems, this enables an unrivalled combination of ride, handling and refinement.

The XE is also the first model to feature the all-new Ingenium diesel engines. Clean, quiet and responsive, they use advanced technologies including low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation, variable exhaust cam timing and selective catalytic reduction to deliver exceptional fuel efficiency and low emissions. XE diesels will also meet stringent North American emissions regulations.

For the 2017 model year, the Jaguar XE will offer all-wheel drive. The torque on-demand system will preserve the XE’s inherent agility and rear-wheel drive character but will maximise the performance and handling benefits of the extra traction, particularly in adverse conditions.

The XE will also offer Jaguar’s most advanced infotainment system ever. InControl Touch Pro is designed around a tablet-style 10.2-inch touchscreen and is as intuitive to use as it is powerful and responsive, making every journey a more enjoyable, rewarding experience.