Back in 2018, we posted a digitally rendered image of the upcoming Jaguar’s flagship SUV, the J-Pace, which you can read about here. Additionally, we also revealed that the SUV will be showcased in production-ready form in 2021 and will share its underpinnings with the Range Rover. This time around fresh reports have emerged that reveal the drivetrain options.
The MLA (Modular Longitudinal Architecture) platform is believed to have been developed for rear-wheel and all-wheel-drive cars. The MLA will be offered in the high-rise, mid-height, and low-rise versions and all JLR products are likely to be underpinned by the MLA platform by 2025. The upcoming J-Pace will also be built on the company’s MLA platform and will be one of the three new ‘mid-height’ Jaguar Land Rover models that will be based on the electrified powertrains. Interestingly, reports also claim that the flagship SUV will provide more luggage carrying capacity than the Range Rover and will also be considerably lighter than the existing D7 and D8 architecture.
The electric motor will power the rear wheels and there are no plans for an all-wheel-drive version yet. The media report further claims that the electric axle will offer significant improvement in handling and off-road activity. The J-Pace is expected to get the plug-in hybrid as standard, while there might also be a turbocharged version powered by the Ingenium straight-six engine. More details about the vehicle will be known in the days to come.