It's been four years since Jaguar has had a small entry-level model in this country with the last one being the X-Type sedan. Now the luxury automaker is setting its sights again on stepping into the compact segment and it isn't way down on its 'to do' list either.
Reportedly, the more petite Jag will also be the less expensive sibling of the XF and will have a price tag that will float around the $40,000 to $50,000 range. The project is still being kicked around so there aren't many bits of info available at this point about the sedan. The XF which has a price tag of around $47,850 goes up against the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes E Class.
One can only assume that the lil Jaguar-to-be will probably go after the BMW 3-Series.
"We have to get back into that segment," Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar's global brand director told Automotive News. "I won't say whether it's with a sedan or another body style or more than one car. I guarantee you it is our top priority."
The X-Type was a Ford-built car which many considered to be a dud with extraordinarily low residual values, yet despite its reign of futility, the car was a hot seller for the company. One of the X-Type's main problems was a lack of engine and body type variants. "We need engines and variants, or we will end up in the same situation again," Hallmark says. On top of this, the vehicle's cross-pollination with the company's run-of-the-mill family sedan, the Euro Ford Mondeo, was pretty apparent to those who saw that its cheapo roots were apparent.
As to whether Jaguar already has the vehicle in the works, Hallmark would not leak out this tidbit. Will the smaller Jag have an uphill battle in its quest to dethrone a Bimmer, time will truly tell!
--Car Chick
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