New Jaguar SUV tested to the extremes

Jaguar’s upcoming F-PACE “performance crossover” is currently undergoing testing in the most demanding locations.

From the searing heat and dust of Dubai to the ice and snow of northern Sweden, the new F-PACE has been tested to the limit in some of the most inhospitable environments on earth.

Jaguar says it’s one of the most demanding test programmes the company has ever devised with weather extremes from -40°C to +50°C.

“Just as we paid obsessive attention to detail over the engineering of every single component, we’ve exhaustively tested the F-PACE in the most challenging conditions to ensure that it will exceed the expectations of our customers around the world,” explains Andrew Whyman, Vehicle Programme Director, Jaguar F-PACE.

At Jaguar Land Rover’s test facility in Arjeplog, Sweden, average winter temperatures rarely exceed -15°C and often plummet to -40°C.

The 60km of purpose-built handling tracks, mountain climbs, inclines, split-friction straights and off-road areas are ideal for optimising the calibration of the all-wheel drive system, Dynamic Stability Control and technologies such as Jaguar’s All-Surface Progress Control.

In Dubai, ambient temperatures can exceed 50°C in the shade. When vehicles are left out in direct sunlight, cabin temperatures can soar to 70°C – exactly what’s needed to ensure that everything from climate control systems to infotainment touchscreens function perfectly in extremes of heat and humidity.

The F-PACE will make its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and go on sale in 2016.