Jaguar to launch the CX-17 SUV in 2016

Jaguar had the audience pleasantly surprised when it first unveiled the CX-17 concept SUV at the Frankfurt Motor Show, last year. The production version of the CX-17 is one the most eagerly anticipated cars from the British carmaker’s stable and according to latest reports, the SUV will break cover sometime in 2016.

The production version of the CX-17 will be based on the same aluminium architecture as Jaguar’s new BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class rival, the XE saloon. The car will be a rear-wheel-drive (RWD), making it a strong contender against the new Porsche Macan, though higher variants might also come with four-wheel-drive (4WD). Measuring around 4.7 metres in length, the new car will be taller than the concept, making it much more practical in the real world.

The new SUV will be powered by Jaguar’s all-new, homegrown family of engines, the Ingenium. These flexible four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines have been developed to return good efficiency and emission figures, without compromising on performance. The top-end twin-turbocharged petrol unit is speculated to have a top whack of 297kmph while managing CO2 emissions as low as 99 g/km.

With the sister company, Range Rover, taking care of the luxury and extreme off-road segments with the Discovery and Range Rover series, Jaguar will concentrate only on sports car dynamics with this new SUV. Previous spy shots of testing mules have shown a more SUV-like profile for the new car, as compared to the coupe-like profile of the Porsche Macan.

The Jaguar SUV will be bigger and more spacious than the Macan and thanks to the lighter aluminium architecture and new powertrains, might just be faster too. We expect the SUV to be launched here a few months after its international launch, and if the success of the BMW X3, Range Rover Evoque and the Audi Q5 is anything to go by, the car is sure to be a huge hit in the Indian market.