A few days ago, we brought to you and article by Auto Express reporting on a supercar hunting Jaguar due to make an appearance in as little as 18months. Now we have Britain’s Autoweek rebuking the story and claiming that the story by Auto Express is “nothing more than a pie in the sky that will probably never be reaced.” Instead, Autoweek says, Jaguar is said to be readying a smaller sports car to be called the XE.
We know the name XE will feature in Jaguar’s future plans because it was patented as C-XE along with C-XJ. Normally the people running the British luxury brand prefix the ultimate car’s name with a C when the car first debuts in public as a concept. The 2007 C-XF Concept for instance later became the production XF. Pictures used are those of a rendered XF-based roadster from the World Car Fans files.
The boss of Tata Motors which owns Jaguar, has said that he likes the idea of an entry-level sports car which would afford first-time buyers the opportunity of considering a Jaguar in the mid-end sports segment. The car under discussion would compete in the same league as the Audi TT, BMW Z4 and Mercedes-Benz SLK instead of with a Mazda MX-5 or a Pontiac Solstice. It would hedge the brand against a global credit crunch that in all probability would stifle sales of the bigger, more expensive XK range. Still on the XK, it’s said that a 275hp (205kW) turbo diesel version is being prepared for a friendly rivalry with the BMW 635d.
Source: World Car Fans
