Bosch European Motors
At the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, though, Jaguar introduced this F-Type Coupe. Sure, the droptop model had been around for a bit, but I thought it was the new coupe that most captured the E-Type's classic aesthetic, with a swooping roofline, those gorgeous rear haunches and a long, powerful hood. I had to drive one. It was lucky, then, that a hardtop F-Type V6 S arrived in my driveway not long ago. I'm not sure who at press fleet operations drew the lucky assignment of configuring the company's F-Type media cars, but I'd like to tip my hat to them. My tester showed up in as classically perfect a color scheme as you'll find - British Racing Green with tan-and-black interior upholstery. The 19-inch Centrifuge wheels it wore did their part, too, with the alloys being the closest thing Jaguar offers to the original multi-spoke wheels of the E-Type. These aesthetic decisions only served to heighten the attractiveness of the Coupe. This is a stunning vehicle in person, with a bevy of interesting curves and angles that force you to stop, linger and stare.
At around mid-morning we watch from the vehicle as a medium sized bull elephant pushes over a 10 metre Colophospermum, or Mopane tree. The Latin name means oily seed. A few seconds after a sharp KA-CRACK of hard wood snapping, two or three other elephants immediately advance steadily towards what must be a delicacy to them. When we replay the video recording it鈥檚 clear that these elephants do have a strong appetite for the Mopane鈥檚 compound, butterfly-shaped leaves. It鈥檚 an entirely African product, this tree, as African as the African elephant. Why are these trees not found in abundance further south? Because they鈥檙e neither cold nor frost resistant, and they prefer the 鈥楥otton soils鈥?of the area which have a higher clay content than the adjacent sand areas. The name 鈥楥otton soil is derived the soil where cotton grows so well in the southern states of the USA. 鈥?Hennie鈥檚 expert knowledge always adds a lot of depth and insight to our trips; he鈥檚 a great guru to have at your campfire at the end of the day.
Land Rover says the Range Rover Sport PHEV will deliver up to 31 miles of all-electric driving range. Now, I don鈥檛 know why my test vehicle wouldn鈥檛 do that, but my Range Rover Sport's inability to remain in EV mode proved frustrating. To set the stage, the Range Rover Sport PHEV combines a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine with a 141-hp (105-kW) electric motor and a 13-kWh battery. Together, these components produce 398 horsepower and a stout 472 pound-feet of torque, ensuring speedy acceleration when needed, combined with electric operation when wanted. When you climb aboard and start the Range Rover Sport PHEV, you'll find that the car defaults to its gas-electric hybrid driving mode; you're running the gasoline engine, but it's being assisted by the electric motor and battery. If you want pure electric driving, press the EV mode button on the center console. It illuminates with orange backlighting, and away you whir. Starting off on my testing loop, I chose EV mode in order to see if the SUV could deliver on Land Rover's promised 31 miles of electric driving.
How much does a Land Rover LR2 weigh? Reduced car weight and especially its amount is one of the aspects that is often mentioned in the vehicle's reviews when a new generation of Land Rover LR2 hits the market. Automotive experts have long admitted the constant attempts to decrease the average curb weight of the car simply by using lightweight materials. This is no wonder because lighter cars drive faster, become more fuel efficient, have better acceleration times and potentially can boost the sales. On the other hand, automakers have to stick to certain car weight limits that meet the requirements of the corresponding class. It is important here not to confuse the terms of curb weight of LR2 and its gross weight. Curb weight measures the weight of the car with all of the standard equipment and amenities while passengers, cargo or any other separately loaded items are not taken into consideration.
Our reliability score is based on the J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) rating or, if unavailable, the J.D. Power Predicted Reliability rating. There have been 1 safety recalls issued from NHTSA. Summary: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain model year 2010-2015 LR2 and 2012-2013 Range Rover Evoque vehicles. A component within the Occupant Classification System (OCS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may fail, resulting in the front seat passenger air bag being totally or partially disabled. Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, if the air bag is disabled, the air bag may not deploy or may not deploy properly, increasing the risk of injury to the front seat passenger. Remedy: Land Rover will notify owners, and dealers will update the Restraint Control Module software, free of charge. Use our tools to calculate monthly payments or figure out which cars you can afford.
