Although it had nothing new to showcase at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, Jaguar didn't attend the first major auto show of the year empty handed. The British automaker confirmed its upcoming performance crossover->ke288 and unveiled the first teaser of what will be sold as the F-Pace starting 2016. As you might have already guessed, the F-Pace is the production version of the 2014 C-X17, a concept crossover revealed with much fanfare at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show.->ke235

"The F-PACE is our family sports car," said Ian Callum, Jaguar's->ke39 director of design, who went on to describe the crossover as "a perfectly judged balance of style, performance and practicality."

Details are still being kept under wraps as of January 2015, but the teaser showing a fraction of the F-Pace's rear end confirms it is heavily based on the C-X17 Concept, which in turn is inspired by the F-Type->ke1224 sports car. In addition, JLR global sales director Andy Goss announced the F-Pace, which will be launched as part of the brand's 80th anniversary, is being engineered and developed as we speak, with sales to commence sometime in 2016.

Besides an exterior similar to the C-X17's, we also expect the F-Pace's interior to mirror the concept's, sans the futuristic instrument panel. Under the hood, the F-Pace will most likely receive a range of four-cylinder, V-6, and V-8 units, with the latter to power the range-topping version aimed at the likes of the Audi RS Q5.

Click past the jump to read more about the Jaguar F-Pace.

Why It Matters

A Jaguar-badged crossover would've seemed a crazy idea five years ago, but it's far from absurd in 2015, when most automakers include car-based family haulers in their lineups. With the crossover SUV market increasing at a much higher rate than the regular car market in recent years, it's no longer surprising to see sports and luxury car manufacturers such as Jaguar jump on the bandwagon.

The Coventry-based brand is already off to a fast-paced resurgence thanks to its recent products, including the F-Type and the XE, and the F-Pace will only help it move toward greater heights in terms of sales and market presence. What's more, the F-Pace's presumed success will help Jaguar invest even more in the sports car and GT departments, with greater products to follow.

Jaguar C-X17 Concept