Jaguar recently staged the North American debut of three models in Michigan and a senior Jaguar Land Rover official reportedly used the event to suggest new electric vehicles could be possible.
According to The Detroit Bureau, an unnamed official told them “you can assume” the platform that underpins the electric I-Pace can be used on other vehicles. This isn’t too surprising as automakers typically develop flexible platforms to help spread development costs.
Interestingly, the report says the platform wasn’t designed to accommodate sedans or coupes. As a result, any future electric vehicles based on the architecture would crossovers.
The automaker also elaborated on plans to offer electrified versions of every vehicle the company makes. Jaguar Land Rover plans to introduce hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles but the company is expecting a bulk of its eco-friendly sales to come from plug-in hybrids. These models will reportedly focus on performance rather than efficiency.
Despite the focus on eco-friendly vehicles, Jaguar design director Ian Callum said “We still love our bubbly V8s.” This was clear to everyone in attendance as the company showed off the new XJR575 which features a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine that produces 575 hp (428 kW) and 517 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque. It enables the $122,400 sedan to rocket from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds before hitting a top speed of 186 mph (299 km/h).
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