JLR, Volvo stick to path for utilities, electrification

Jaguar Land Rover is hitting a few potholes as it enters its second decade as part of India's Tata Motors. Great Britain's largest automaker just posted a rare quarterly loss, despite fresh product. Jaguar sales are sinking in the vital U.S. market, and Land Rover, the company's crown jewel, is facing big challenges and new competition in the red-hot SUV segment.

In November, the new battery-powered Jaguar I-Pace crossover arrives at dealerships. It is not expected to post huge sales numbers, but it could light a fire under other recently freshened or new vehicles, such as the E-Pace crossover, F-Type sports car and XE sport sedan.

Meanwhile, another Ford castoff, Volvo, is surging thanks to its growing crossover lineup. But the Swedish carmaker still is working to shed the last vestiges of its old image for stodgy vehicles.

Volvo is in the middle of a lineup overhaul intended to make its products more appealing to young professionals and environmentally conscious consumers.

Volvo and its performance brand, Polestar, boosted by a capital infusion from parent company Geely, want to compete with German luxury carmakers by gradually introducing sleeker products with green powertrains, advanced safety functions and new vehicle-ownership models, such as the Care by Volvo subscription service in the U.S. A car-sharing operation under its "M" mobility brand will launch in the U.S. in the spring.

Volvo plans a slew of hybrid powertrains. Polestar has a plug-in hybrid halo car and two all-electric products arriving in the next few years. Also, this summer, Volvo opened its first U.S. plant, which manufactures the S60.

Eyes also will be on Lynk & CO, Volvo's Geely-owned sibling company, which has rolled out products in China and plans European introductions in the 2020s.