Autoblog

Jaguar Land Rover opens winter testing facility in Minnesota

Jeffrey N. Ross — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:43:00 EST

As it begins the rollout of the all-wheel-drive Jaguar XJ and XF models, Jaguar Land Rover has just announced that it has opened a new facility in northern Minnesota for winter testing. Located in International Falls, MN (on the US and Canadian border), the British automaker says it is one of the coldest locations in the Continental US. Jaguar's new Instinctive All Wheel Drive system was developed primarily to help sell more cars in the northern US, so it only makes sense to open a testing area in the US as well.

With temperatures that can drop to minus 55 degrees Fahrenheit, International Falls was chosen to mimic some of the worst weather a Jaguar or Land Rover will ever see. The grounds house testing chambers, various road surfaces and even a frozen lake. This new facility complements the hot-weather testing grounds in Phoenix, AZ.

The official press release is posted below.

Continue reading Jaguar Land Rover opens winter testing facility in Minnesota

Jaguar Land Rover opens winter testing facility in Minnesota originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW i3 caught winter testing again

Zach Bowman — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:32:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Hybrid, Europe, Hatchback, BMW, Electric

Spy photographers have picked up yet another batch of photos of the BMW i3. This time, the pint-sized Bimmer was spotted during some winter testing in Norway. When we last saw the awkward-looking hatchback, it was whirring about under the power of 600cc two-cylinder range-extending engine back in November. This looks to be the same i3 REx, complete with its "Hybrid Test Vehicle" stickers slathered on both doors. That means the model you see here likely boasts a range of significantly longer than the 100 miles quoted for the pure EV. How much longer? That's a question BMW isn't likely to answer until the production model debuts.

From what we've heard, the BMW i3 is slated hit the market in 2013 with the i3 REx surfacing sometime shortly thereafter. We'll be interested to see whether the production model rides on the same super-skinny tires as the test ride pictured above. Click through our attached image gallery for a host of snowy i3 photos.

BMW i3 caught winter testing again originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz's facelifted GLK snapped inside and out

Noah Joseph — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Europe, Crossover, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

The smallest member of the Mercedes-Benz utility vehicle range, the GLK-Class has only been on the market for a couple of years now. Hardly in need of an update, then, but that hasn't stopped the Silver Star automaker from working on a little refresh for the boxy little crossover.

We first saw spy shots of a facelifted GLK being tested way back in May, and now the prototype has reared its angular head once again, this time for cold-weather testing way up in the northern lands of Sweden.

The exterior is pretty much as expected: new bumper caps front and rear, with new lights at both ends as well, including LED daytime running lamps. But for the first time, we can now see the updated interior, which adopts some of the retro cues from the SLS AMG while moving the shifter (for better or worse) from the center console to a steering-column stalk. Take a closer look for yourself in the gallery to see what Benz has in store.

Mercedes-Benz's facelifted GLK snapped inside and out originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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