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( Olaolu Olusina ) The Jaguar F-PACE, Jaguar’s first performance SUV and Jaguar’s fastest selling global model, Thursday, scooped two prestigious awards at the 2017 World Car Awards in New York as it emerged the 2017 best and most beautiful car in the world.
Beating the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet and Toyota C-HR in the final three to the keen competition, the Jaguar F-PACE won the two titles at this year’s World Car Awards which held on the sidelines of the New York International Auto Show.
Jaguar is undoubtedly Europe’s fastest-growing car brand and the prestigious World Car of Year and World Car Design of the Year titles are just the icing of the cake for the U.K luxury carmaker.
Though the performance SUV is the fastest selling model Jaguar has produced and is only the second vehicle to claim the historic double in the 13-year history of the World Car Awards, the F-PACE saw off the competition in a vote of 75 influential motoring journalists from 24 countries to win the double.
Commenting on the feat, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, Dr. Ralph Speth, said “The F-PACE was designed and engineered as a performance SUV with exceptional dynamics, everyday usability and bold design. Winning this award endorses the talent and great work of our teams that have delivered the world’s most practical sports car and Jaguar’s fastest-selling vehicle.”
It must be noted that the awards brace is the first overall success for Jaguar at the World Car Awards as the XE sports saloon was a finalist for the 2016 World Car Design of the Year title. The F-PACE triumphed over finalists the Audi Q5 and Volkswagen Tiguan to claim the 2017 World Car of the Year prize.
Director of Design , Jaguar, Ian Callum, said :”The F-PACE is our first ever SUV but it is clearly recognisable as a Jaguar and for it to win the 2017 World Car of the Year trophy vindicates our decision to bring our unique design principles and dynamic qualities to a new sector of the market.”
Juror, Director and Vice-chairman of the World Car Awards/WO, Mike Rutherford, said: “Jaguar has done the unthinkable by first securing the World Car Design of the Year award, then lifting the big one – the overall World Car of the Year trophy.” He added that “With F-PACE, the British company and its proud and talented workers have taken on and beaten far bigger, wealthier European, Asian and North American rivals.”
It is important to note that the F-PACE has contributed to record sales growth by attracting new customers to the brand. The engine options for the F-PACE range from the efficient and innovative four-cylinder 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel, with CO2 emissions as low as 126g/km* to the high-performance 380PS, supercharged V6 petrol model that can accelerate from 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in just 5.5 seconds. In the last 12 months, three completely new product lines have been launched by Jaguar with successful sales growth across many of Jaguar’s existing products.
