Automobile USA – September 2019

NEW AND FUTURE CARS

the status quo. Based

on Jaguar Land Rover

aluminum architecture,

the new 2021 Jaguar

XJ will likely be an all-

electric sedan with battery

and twin-motor all-wheel-

drive tech borrowed from

the I-Pace crossover. With

a range of about 300

miles, the new XJ’s push

toward electrification will

give luxury EV buyers

another option besides

Tesla and could even take

a bite out of upcoming

Porsche Taycan and Aston

Martin Lagonda sales.

We’ll likely catch our first

look later this year, with

sales starting by the end

of 2020.

for the typical AMG and

M crowd. With a starting

price of $188,495, all this

performance doesn’t come

cheap, but you can rest

assured you’re one of just

300 XE SV Project 8 owners

around. How’s that for

exclusivity?

When Jaguar launched its

all-new flagship XJ sedan a

decade ago, it was a massive

departure from previous

versions, which clung

stalwartly to the original

XJ formula of old-world

luxury and charm. But as

the present XJ (pictured) is

set to end production this

very summer, the XJ of the

future could be an even

more dramatic swing from

XE

XJ

shallow 5-foot steel bed.

Solid axles use a five-link

coil suspension design with

forward-facing shocks; in

the Rubicon, they’re Fox

brand, and they’re excellent.

Sport and Overland get the

Command-Trac 4×4 system;

Rubicon is upgraded to the

Rock-Trac system with Tru-Lok

locking differentials. It also

gets an electronic anti-roll

bar disconnect. Knowing

owners might well increase

the Rubicon’s 33-inch tires to

35-inchers, the under-bed full-

size spare has a mount that

will handle rubber that large.

There is ample passenger

room, instruments and

controls are thoughtfully

designed, and all electrical

connections are moisture-

sealed. Loosen four bolts,

and you can fold down the

windshield, and the doors are

removable. The Gladiator’s

features are so nicely thought

through that you can’t go

wrong. And Jeep offers more

than 200 parts to further

personalize your truck.

The Sport starts at $35,040;

the top-of-the-line Rubicon

starts at exactly $10,000 more

and reaches to the moon as

you add equipment. Either

way, the overall package

should make the Gladiator

another hit for Jeep.

There are three models—

Sport, Overland, and the pre-

mium Rubicon. It can tow an

impressive 7,650 pounds when

properly equipped. The only

available engine at the mo-

ment is the 3.6-liter Pentastar

V-6 with 285 hp and 260 lb-ft

of torque. A 3.0-liter diesel

V-6 with 260 horsepower and

442 lb-ft arrives in mid-2020.

Official EPA mileage estimates

for the Pentastar come in at

16/23/19 mpg city/highway/

combined with a manual

transmission and 17/22/19 with

the eight-speed automatic.

A 137.3-inch wheelbase

accommodates the relatively

ON SALE:

Now

BASE PRICE:

$35,040

2020

JEEP

GLADIATOR

The wait felt like it would never

end, but Jeep’s new pickup has

finally landed, and it’s a beauty.

The spiritual successor to the

Scrambler, the Gladiator might

have appeared sooner had Jeep

not been so busy cranking out a

bajillion Wranglers. But it’s here

now, and boy, has the company

done a bang-up job with it.