(MAHWAH, N.J.) ‑ January 16, 2013 ‑ Two standard Jaguar XJ vehicles with Instinctive All Wheel Drive™* have returned successfully from a 2000‑mile round trip journey to the coldest city on earth.
On December 19th, thermometers in Dawson City recorded ‑56F (‑49ºC), reportedly making the gold‑rush town in Canada's Yukon Territory the coldest town on the planet ‑ so cold in fact that if you threw a cup of hot water in the air, it instantly turned into a mini blizzard, freezing before it hit the ground.
Perhaps the greatest North American drive in the depths of winter, the aim of the journey was to drive from the Yukon capital Whitehorse (1800 miles north of Vancouver, BC) to a point of perpetual sunset in the shortest daylight week of the year.
The cars employed for the epic adventure were a pair of Jaguar's recently launched Instinctive All Wheel Drive models, powered by the new 340hp 3‑liter supercharged V6 engine.
Jaguar Global Brand Director Adrian Hallmark said, "The cars excelled in conditions way beyond limits likely to be experienced even by owners in North America and cold weather climates such as Russia. Deep snow, sheet ice, gravel and rutted frozen mud were underfoot the whole way. With this capability our XF and XJ sedans are perfect for the North American winter."
The adventure has been captured in a film released today to coincide with the opening of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The film follows the expedition into the Arctic Circle. Starting at Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon and an important point of the Alaska Highway, the cars followed the mighty Yukon River north to Dawson City, scene of the gold rush in the 1890's. Dawson is located at the bottom end of the Dempster Highway, domain of the Ice Road Truckers®, which runs past the Arctic Circle to the town of Inuvik in the Northwest Territories.
To view and share the film, follow this link
Note to editors:
The US‑spec 2013 Jaguar XJ cars were standard cars as assembled by
the factory, with the exception of Pirelli® winter tires. They were
filled with original equipment Castrol Edge® synthetic oil and
other standard fluids.
Jaguar Instinctive All Wheel Drive™ at‑a‑glance:
- The Instinctive All Wheel Drive system is powered exclusively by a new 340hp supercharged 3‑liter V6 driving through an eight‑speed ZF automatic transmission and featuring Stop/Start technology.
- Jaguar Instinctive All Wheel Drive operates 'intelligently,' continuously monitoring grip levels and driver inputs to both pre‑empt and react to wheel‑slip, enabling maximum traction in all conditions.
- Active torque distribution allows the system to actively anticipate wheel slippage and prevent it occurring, therefore providing greater driver confidence and vehicle stability in low‑grip scenarios. Torque split can be up to 50:50 front/rear.
- At speed in normal grip conditions the all wheel drive system delivers drive predominantly to the rear wheels, thus providing the dynamic driving experience all Jaguars are renowned for, while maximizing powertrain efficiency.
- Suspension and steering systems have also been reengineered in order for the XF and XJ vehicles with Instinctive All Wheel Drive to match their rear‑wheel drive counterparts' acclaimed driving dynamics.
- All wheel drive versions of the XF and XJ sedan are available in selected markets from January 2013.
- North America, Russia, China and continental Europe will account for the majority of sales for the new all wheel drive models.
# # #
* This feature is not a substitute for safe and
attentive driving, nor can it overcome all extreme circumstances.
Please consult the owner's manual or your local authorized Jaguar
Retailer for more details.
ICE ROAD TRUCKERS is a registered trademark of A&E Television Networks, LLC
About Jaguar
Jaguar Cars Limited is a premier manufacturer of luxury sedans
and sports cars offering unparalleled design with tremendous
performance. The company's vision throughout its storied history
has been simple: To produce beautiful, fast cars that are desired
the world over. Jaguar strives to provide a world class ownership
experience to every owner. Today's Jaguar lineup consists of
the XJ luxury sedan, XF sports sedan and the XK coupe and
convertible sports cars. Jaguar designs, engineers and manufactures
exclusively in the United Kingdom, at the Castle Bromwich
manufacturing plant in the British Midlands. Jaguar is fully
engaged with sustainability initiatives and social concerns with
continuous involvement in environmental and community
programs. For more information visit the
official Jaguar website at http://www.jaguarusa.com.
About Jaguar Land Rover
• Jaguar Land Rover is the UK's largest automotive
manufacturing business built around two iconic British car brands
with a rich heritage and powerful consumer appeal and loyalty.
Additionally, Jaguar Land Rover is at the centre of the UK
automotive industry's drive to deliver technical innovation in all
areas of vehicle development.
• As the UK's largest automotive employer, JLR has a world
class team of nearly 25,000 people.
• In the 2011/12 fiscal year, JLR achieved record profits of
£1.5 billion, an increase of £392m when compared to the previous
year.
• Jaguar Land Rover is the largest investor in automotive
R&D and engineering in the UK.
• Jaguar Land Rover has two state of the art engineering and
design facilities and three advanced manufacturing plants in the
UK.
• Headquartered in Mahwah, New Jersey in the United States,
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC has offices across the USA and
Canada and is represented by more than 330 retail outlets.
Contact:
Wayne York Kung
Product Communications Manager
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC
201.760.8591
wkung@jaguarlandrover.com
Leah Watkins‑Hall
Corporate, Brand & Interactive Communications Manager Jaguar
Land Rover North America, LLC
201.760.8578
lwatki40@jaguarlandrover.com
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Information about Jaguar North America products is available to
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