The Jaguar J-Pace will face rivals such as the BMW X7 and the Mercedes-Benz GLS

The Jaguar F-Pace has become a real success for the carmaker, as the company managed to sell 23,520 units in Europe last year and another 14,752 in the United States. Those figures far exceed the sales of the Jaguar XE and the Jaguar XF, so it is no surprise that Jaguar is planning a range of new crossovers.

While the company remains firm on its future plans, it recently invited the jury of the World Car Awards to “make the most of its premium models for 2020”. This included a glimpse of the new replacement versions of the Jaguar XE and Jaguar F-Type, as well as the upcoming electric Jaguar XJ.

Jury members were also able to catch a glimpse of several completely new models, including the Jaguar J-Pace. Although the World Car Awards did not say much about the vehicle, it is expected to become the brand’s large SUV. Some sources rumour that it could go head-to-head with models such as the new BMW X7 or the Mercedes-Benz GLS. The crossover is expected to be developed on the company’s new MLA platform.

The platform will debut on the Land Rover Defender 2020 and, according to the manufacturer, can be adapted to conventional hybrid, mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid propulsion systems. The architecture can also support fully electric vehicles, but it is unknown whether a fully electric Jaguar J-Pace can be expected.

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Jaguar J-Pace: will this new SUV join the brand’s range?

At the other end of the spectrum, the company is working on a small crossover that could be nicknamed A-Pace or B-Pace. Little is known about this prospective model, but it is “considerably less expensive” and presumably sits below the E-Pace, which starts at around 35,000 euros. However, the crossover does not appear to have received the green light yet.

Some reports have suggested that the possible hybrid system that the future Jaguar SUV could include would consist of a six-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine driving the front wheels and an electric motor driving the rear axle. The fully electric driving mode would have a range of at least 80 kilometres.

In addition, Jaguar may also be planning a cheaper version of the rumoured SUV, which could become the brand’s flagship. This version would be powered by a four-cylinder engine and, if there were enough demand, a fully electric variant could also be given the green light.

In terms of size, the Jaguar J-Pace will sit above the Jaguar E-Pace and the Jaguar F-Pace. It is said to measure 4.9 metres long and offer a boot capacity of 650 litres, roughly the same as the new Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupé. Inside, everything points to it featuring OLED screens like those fitted to the refreshed Jaguar XE.

Eliminating the traditional mechanical connection to the rear wheels will allow for a smarter packaging of the battery pack. It will also improve interior space, as there will be no transmission tunnel. However, rear headroom will be affected by the rumoured sloping roofline, unlike the next-generation Range Rover, which will use the same architecture.