Jaguar may be known for its speedy cars, but like any automaker, Jaguar is looking to bust into a new market. In this case, SUVs. It has already made some waves with its first SUV, the F-Pace, and Jaguar further added to its SUV lineup with the I-Pace and the E-Pace. Three SUVs, while great, are not going to put Jaguar in the same league as automakers like Lexus or BMW that are known for producing a wider range of luxury vehicles. That may be part of the reason why Jaguar announced it’s set to release a new SUV, the Jaguar J-Pace.

Target market

No automaker develops a new automobile without some idea of the market it wants to break into. In this case, Jaguar will design the J-Pace to compete with Mercedes-Benz GLE, BMW X5, and Audi Q7. Their cars are in the same league as Jaguar, so it’s only natural that Jaguar would continue to compete with them in the SUV market.

What we know for certain

The J-Pace is definitely going to be a hybrid vehicle according to Motor Authority. Jaguar will offer plug-in and mild- hybrid powertrain when the J-Pace is initially released. It’s also possible that an electric option will come out later.

It’s also going to take some pieces from the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, SUVs produced by Jaguar’s sister brand Land Rover. Being able to gain support from a brand like Land Rover, which is known for its SUVs that can conquer almost terrain, may be what it takes to put Jaguar’s SUVs ahead of the competition.

Motor1 reports, “It will be based on the Land Rover Range Rover, which means it will receive an all-aluminum architecture. However, the overall proportions of the car will be different – Jag’s vehicle will be longer and a bit wider, with more room in the interior, and will sit lower to the ground for better on-road behavior.”

Unlike its off-road sibling, the J-Pace will be more road-oriented.

What we suspect

Since the Q7, Mercedes-Benz GLE, and BMW X5 are mid-size luxury crossovers, this gives us a little better idea of what Jaguar has in store. We can expect the J-Pace to have three-row seating, which will make it more attractive to small families who aren’t interested in minivans.

The engine will most likely have supercharged V6 and diesel options, as well as a 5.0-liter supercharged V8-powered SVR. Again, this is what we suspect and not officially confirmed, but considering the J-Pace will be borrowing parts from the Range Rover, it’s a pretty solid guess.

What we don’t know

How much the J-Pace will start at is still a mystery. We can only assume that it’s not going to be cheap, but it will most likely be worth the money. Another thing we don’t know is an exact release date. Jaguar has hinted that the J-Pace will make its debut in 2021, but there are no more details than that. That’s a very wide range considering there are 365 days in a year. We’re not even sure if it will be early, mid, or even late 2021. For Jaguar buffs who are pondering holding off on that new SUV until the J-Pace comes out, they may be in for a longer wait than they would like. But since Jaguar is starting to reveal prototypes of the J-Pace, the wait may be over sooner than later.

The new J-Pace is up against some steep competition, and it will take more than the Jaguar name to make sales. But considering the waves the F-Pace and I-Pace created, we can only assume that Jaguar will be able to hold its own just fine.