Jaguar pushes for XE sportscar

JAGUAR is on course for a 2011 Geneva motor show presentation of a concept entry-level roadster evoking the spirit of the legendary E-Type, but the production version appears to have been delayed by the economic downturn and may not hit the road until at least 2012.

To be called the XE, in line with Jaguar’s current naming regime, the Mercedes-Benz SLK and Porsche Boxster competitor has the open support of new Jaguar owner Ratan Tata and Jaguar Cars managing director Mike O’Driscoll.

As well as Jaguar’s new 5.0-litre V8 engines – both ‘atmo’ and supercharged – recent reports out of Europe suggest the XE will be offered with an extended-range hybrid drivetrain, with a small three-cylinder engine acting as a generator for a primary electric motor driving the rear wheels.

Jaguar Australia general manager Chris Lidis last week added his support to the roadster project, saying it was clearly at the top of his future model wish list.

“If I had a wish list, a Jaguar roadster would be on the top of that list,” Mr Lidis said at the launch of the revised XF sedan range. “That fits with the Jaguar image of fast, beautiful cars.”

Left: Jaguar's classic E-Type. Below: The Jaguar X-Type.

However, visiting Jaguar engineering chief Kevin Stride said that, while there was enormous enthusiasm for the XE – which was previously talked about as the F-Type – there remained no firm product plan for the car.

“We haven’t got a confirmed plan that we’ll admit to with the roadster,” Mr Stride told GoAuto last week.

Mr Stride also said that, while Jaguar was working on a number of alternative drivetrains in conjunction with Lotus and Caparo, including an F1-style KERS system, the company had not yet locked into any production plans for them.

Ratan Tata has been openly saying that “we have resurrected” the iconic E-Type and is keen to push ahead with Jaguar’s new model plans.

But the Indian industrialist is now concerned about financing the debt required to buy Jaguar while raising the development funds for new models in the current climate.

“I would like to see us coming out of the recession with these new products in place,” Mr Tata told Britain’s Sunday Times last month.

“What would be sad – remorseful – is if the meltdown continues and we can’t get access to funds.

“The first thing that will happen will be that these projects will go on hold, and we will come out of the recession just as we went in. I had hoped we would come out of it a new company.”

Mr Lidis, who became general manager of Jaguar Australia only six months ago, will visit head office in the UK next month and hopes to return “with some good news” on the roadster.

“Maybe it will be unveiled in 2011 and go into production later – here’s hoping,” he said.

There is no doubt that the concept car is locked in and that it will appear at Geneva in less than two years from now.

“Geneva 2011 will be the 50th anniversary of the launch of the E-type, and what better way to celebrate that than to launch a new sports car,” said Mr O’Driscoll recently.

Jaguar has been looking at doing a sub-XK roadster for many years and produced an F-Type concept under Ford management almost a decade ago, before abandoning that project.

Mr Stride said the new Ian Callum-designed concept car would look considerably different, but would not be simply a short-wheelbase XK, saying that would look odd.

“If you now look at the F-Type concept we did all those years ago, it doesn’t really fit in with our design language,” said the XF chief engineer.

“We’ve got several sets of options you could do with any derivative like that.”

He did not reveal if the roadster would follow the trend to a folding metal roof, but believes Jaguar made the right decision going with a conventional soft-top for the current XK, saying that they did coupe-convertible concept that looked “crap”.

“Typically, there are serious style compromises when you go for a folding hardtop – and weight,” said Mr Stride.

He said there had also been no decision made about the platform, saying that aluminium (as used with the XK) was an attractive proposition but that cost remained a problem.

Jaguar is understood to be using considerable aluminium in the forthcoming all-new XJ saloon to keep weight down. The XJ will be previewed next month before going on sale late this year and in Australia in 2010.

Later this year Jaguar Australia will also introduce an upgraded XK sportscar range with the 5.0-litre V8 engines introduced in the XF last week. It is also possible that the XK will eventually get the XF’s new 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine.

With the XE expected to get the go-ahead, the next-generation could become a true GT with a rear seat to set it apart from the smaller car.

There remains no clear future for the ageing X-Type, or a replacement model, although Jaguar boss Mike O’Driscoll has been heard to talk about a fifth, smaller model that would slot in under the XJ, XK, XF and XE.

The four-wheel-drive Mondeo-based X-Type has been a major disappointment for the company since being introduced in 2001 and was recently dropped in the US.

Although Jaguar Australia reports an increase in interest in the current economic climate and is trying to increase its 2009 X-Type allocation from 250 cars to 350, Mr Stride said it was hard to produce a car that met Jaguar’s “beautiful fast car mantra” in that compact segment with a 2.0-litre engine.

What's coming from Jaguar:
XK 5.0 V8	October
XJ saloon range	2010
XE concept	2011
XJ hybrid	2011
Production XE	2012
X-Type replacement	2013
Third-generation XK	2014

Read more:

First drive: New engines for revised Jaguar XF

First drive: Jaguar XFR is the Cat’s whiskers