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Jaguar X-Type
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The X-Type is a compact executive car produced by the British luxury automaker Jaguar since 2001. It is the smallest of the current range of Jaguar saloons and, alongside the 1998 S-Type, was intended to spearhead the company’s efforts in emulating the sales of German rivals Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. It was produced at Jaguar-Land Rover’s Halewood facility in Liverpool, alongside the Land Rover Freelander/LR2.
named X400, the X-Type was Jaguar’s attempt to compete in the compact executive car segment.
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Encyclopedia
The X-Type is a compact executive car produced by the British luxury automaker Jaguar since 2001. It is the smallest of the current range of Jaguar saloons and, alongside the 1998 S-Type, was intended to spearhead the company’s efforts in emulating the sales of German rivals Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. It was produced at Jaguar-Land Rover’s Halewood facility in Liverpool, alongside the Land Rover Freelander/LR2.
Model History (2001 – present)
Overview
Codenamed X400, the X-Type was Jaguar’s attempt to compete in the compact executive car segment. Jaguar and parent company Ford envisaged the ‘baby Jag’ as Jaguar's first compact 4-door. The X-Type was one of the last to be styled under the supervision of Geoff Lawson, with the principal designer credited as Wayne Burgess.
Neither Jaguar nor Ford had a suitable small rear-wheel drive platform to base the X-Type on, and the decision was made to base the X-Type on a modified version of the Ford CD132 platform, the basis for the 2000 Ford Mondeo. In order to distinguish it from its rivals and its Ford origins, the X-Type was initially offered as all-wheel drive only and mated to a 2.5 litre and 3.0 litre V6 petrol engine. In 2003, the X-Type was offered in front-wheel drive with the introduction of Jaguar’s first diesel engines, and with the smaller 2.0-litre petrol V6.
In 2004, a further body style was added with the introduction of a estate version, making it the second-ever Jaguar estate car. In the United States, the estate was officially known as the "Sportwagon”.
In 2007, the X-Type was facelifted and sports a different front grille, front bumper, rear bootlid, and rear bumper, to give the car a more dynamic and contemporary look. The new grille echoes the grille on the 2008 XF, and the facelifted 2008 XJ.
Limited Editions
2.5 AWD Spirit Limited Edition
Introduced in 2005 featuring the 'Sports Collection' which comprised a new front lower spoiler, black mesh finish for both upper and lower grille openings , lowered side sills and a new, lower rear valance , more pronounced rear boot spoiler and new exhaust tailpipe finishers. In addition to the Jaguar Sports Collection treatment, the 2.5 AWD Spirit Limited Editions featured a unique 'Spirit' badge on the right hand side of the boot plinth, below the 2.5 engine badge. A planned 450 Spirit Limited Edition cars in a choice of four different colour combinations; Platinum, Quartz, Ebony and Jaguar Racing Green.
Engines
Petrol Engines| Displacement | Cyl | Power | Years | | 2.0 L | V6 | | (2003 – 2007) | | 2.5 L | V6 | | (2001 – 2007) | | 3.0 L | V6 | | (2001 – 2008) | |
Diesel Engines| Displacement | Cyl | Power | Years | | 2.0 L | I4 | | (2003 – 2008) | | 2.2 L | I4 | | (2003 – 2008) | |
Sales & Future
X-Type has been Jaguar's bestselling model since its introduction, nonetheless it was largely a financial disaster for the marque. Despite the X-Type competing in the growing compact executive sector, sales never met expectations of 100,000 annually, peaking at 50,000 in 2003. In the United States, the car's primary market, sales dropped from 21,542 in 2004 to 10,941 in 2005. In the same year, Audi sold 48,922 A4s, BMW sold 106,950 3-series and Mercedes-Benz sold 60,658 C-Classes.
Ford's attempt to turn the Ford Mondeo front-drive compact car into an "all-wheel drive" Jaguar sports sedan by badge engineering backfired. Many compared it to the Cadillac Cimarron, even though reviews were not largely negative. Its humble origins did little to appeal to the buyers of high-priced imports. Consumers also thought it was absurd to pay considerably more for a rebadged Mondeo despite more standard equipment, and rather Ford should have developed a compact model specifically for Jaguar instead.
Due to poor sales and reduced profit margins, stemming partly from a weaker United States dollar, Jaguar ceased sales of the X-Type in North America in late 2007.
The current facelifted model is expected to continue through to the 2010 model year in its remaining markets and will not be directly replaced. It emerged in early 2008 that despite management denials at the time, the slow-selling X-Type “was essentially designed in Detroit and presented as close to a fait accompli to reluctant designers and engineers at Jaguar's Whitley design centre, near the Midlands city of Coventry”.
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