We’ve suspected for some time that the 2017 Jaguar F-PACE would be a runaway success, before a single person ever laid eyes on it and before it appeared here at Jaguar Peabody. After all, it has a lot going for it, not least the fact that it’s coming from a company with an 80-year history combining high performance with luxury. The automotive press were cautiously optimistic at first, but now that reviewers have had the chance to drive the SUV, caution has given way to unbridled enthusiasm. Jaguar has seen the writing on the wall — and in the pages of the automotive press — and has apparently decided that they’re onto something, to the point where another SUV is in the offing.

That SUV doesn’t have an official name yet, but it’s being referred to most often as the Jaguar J-PACE. This makes sense. After all, the Jaguar F-PACE is a small crossover that borrows much of its styling and attitude from the F-TYPE Jaguar. The upcoming SUV is meant to be larger, and will likely borrow many of its styling cues from the flagship Jaguar XJ, hence the J-PACE name.

With only a handful of spy shots to go on and in the absence of solid specs, rumors about the Jaguar J-PACE abound. The test mule reveals a longer body beneath the test track camouflage, and there have been hints of a diesel or diesel/hybrid powertrain. Given that the F-PACE is only available in that configuration overseas, we would guess at a six-cylinder Ingenium gas engine under the hood when the SUV comes to the States.

These are interesting times for Jaguar. Just a year ago, the brand had no SUV to speak of, and the thought of one set purists’ teeth on edge. The wait — and the end result — were worth it, since the 2017 Jaguar F-PACE has proven to be a formidable SUV. The Jaguar J-PACE may not show up ’til 2019 (as a 2020 model), but the fact that it, and a smaller Jaguar E-PACE, are in the works is a signal that Jaguar sees where the market is headed and is determined to keep up with the times.

For Jaguar Peabody and the customers we serve, that future is still some way off. However, we’re content with the embarrassment of riches that is the current Jaguar lineup, from the 2017 Jaguar F-PACE to the 2016 Jaguar F-TYPE and Jaguar XJ. Come to our showroom at 247 Newbury St. and see them for yourself!