As we do every year at Jaguar of Peabody, we’re keeping a close eye on the goings on at the North American International Auto Show, better known as the Detroit Auto Show. This year’s NAIAS is notable for two things: the absence of Jaguar from the proceedings, and the long shadow it’s cast anyway. Several makes have introduced new models and concepts that they, and the press, clearly see as taking a shot at the prestige and status enjoyed by Jaguar. The real news, it turns out, had been made by Jaguar itself a week prior at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) thanks to a joint effort that finds the 2016 Jaguar F-Pace leveraged as part of the home of the future. If that sounds confusing at first glance, read on.
The 2016 CES saw two established tech stalwarts and longtime CES standbys — Intel and Meridian Audio — enter collaboration with Jaguar. While Jaguar has several decades on both of its collaborators, this was its first CES appearance, and turned out to be worth the wait. The companies’ collaboration centered on a 2016 Jaguar F-Pace crossover upgraded with smart technology from Meridian and Intel that’s designed to make the car of the future communicate with the home of the future.
The result of that communication? Your home will be able to “inform” your car of your temperature preferences, or finish the podcast you started listening to over breakfast during your drive to work. The car can “talk back,” as well, sending an alert that you’re on your way home so the house is warm and the lights are on before you pull in the garage, or letting you know that someone’s tried to jimmy the trunk. In the habit of losing things or forgetting them in one place or the other? Attach RFID tags and your car can tell you that you left your wallet in your other jacket pocket again, or the house can remind you that your mobile phone’s slid between the seats.
There’s no word on when or how this technology will be rolled out. Early indications from Jaguar are that they’re still in the process of consumer research, and will let demand dictate what’s introduced and when. Two things are clear, however. One: the car of the future is closer than we thought. Two: leave it to Jaguar to bring a touch of class into that future. To see the best of what they have to offer right now, visit the Jaguar of Peabody showroom at 247 Newbury St in Peabody, MA today.
