Autoblog

So anyway, that new 2009 Jaguar X-Type we showed you this morning -- the one currently being crucified in the comments? No need to worry: it's not coming here. On the same day it announced the updated version for the rest of the world, Jaguar has officially pulled the plug on the X-Type in the US. The car's biggest sales year was 2003 when it was first introduced, and it has not met expectations since. Not even the introduction of the wagon for MY 2005 helped. Of course, perhaps if more people knew the wagon existed in the first place, it might have made somewhat of a difference. I say this as I carry on a parallel IM chat with Neff, who had no idea the wagon was available in the US until about 5 minutes ago. Suffice to say that the estate could have been marketed more effectively. The 2008 model (above) will continue to arrive until March, and after that, the X-Type turns into a pumpkin. You'll probably be able to snag a nice deal on one at the local Jaguar store, and there's no shortage of value-priced examples on the used market, either. Jaguar expects the XF to make up for lost sales of both the S- and X-Types when it arrives.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Click image for photo gallery

Jaguar has unveiled a freshened X-Type sedan and wagon for the '09. On sale in the UK in March and other European markets in April, the car boasts around 500 changes inside and out. The styling has been updated to better emulate the XJ sedan, adopting a similar grille with the "growler" cat badge. The area below the front bumper has been cleaned up and likewise, the rear end has been modified with the addition of the full-width metallic strip and a new typeface used for the X-Type name badging. Four different seat styles and a variety of trim elements adorn the cabin, and the instrument cluster has been modernized in the style of the new XF. Updated Bluetooth, Parking Assist, and support for digital audio broadcasts are among the techno bullet points. On the mechanical side of things, the Euro-market 2.2L diesel engine is now available with a 6-speed auto that featuring a sequential shift mode. A comprehensive rundown is included in the press release after the jump, and you can check out the new car in detail via the attached gallery.

[Source: Jaguar]

The Jaguar X-Type looked dated before the first sedan came off the line back in 2001, and the last generation Mondeo-based model hasn't aged gracefully from there. Sales bottomed out at 32,500 units worldwide last year, and rumors persist that the X-Type will soon be discontinued in the US – but the X-Type's demise may be exaggerated.

Car online has uncovered spy shots of a face-lifted X-Type out and about, and changes look very subtle. As evidenced by the strategic camo, the front grille, front and rear bumpers, moldings, and rims are likely to see an update, and changes to the X-Type's aged interior are probable as well. No word on updates to the X-Type's powertrain, but we'd expect little or no changes due to a lack of corporate options. We're not optimistic that cosmetic changes will alter the fate of PAG's biggest pimple, and we're not sure why Jaguar would even bother.

[Source: Car online}

The results are in from the latest automotive consulting firm you've never heard of. According to AutoPacific's Vehicle Survey Award, the Jaguar X-Type took top honors in the 2007 Aspirational Luxury Car segment. The survey asks 24,000 US new car buyers how they rank their car 60-90 days after buying it. Perhaps such a result can be explained by George Peterson, the president of AutoPacific, who explained "Often times, the most satisfying vehicle is the one with the most personality, not the one that is screwed together the best." So normal issues -- like too many trips to the repair shop -- might be trumped by a car's feel-good sensations, which is fine.

Still, we don't know anyone who would say the X-Type is overflowing with personality. But those are the results. Click the "Read" link to see the rest of the winners. (In a more understandable victory for Jaguar, the XJ just won Luxury Car of the Year from Business Car magazine. Now that's a car with personality.)

[Source: Auto Spies]

Yet another week passes, and if you haven't registered to win the $29,000 Dodge Nitro, you're too late. As a consolation prize, there was a ton of new information on Autoblog, including the introduction of the freshened Saab 9-3, the updated Jaguar XK, and Autoblog's review of the leviathan Ford F450 King Ranch. We also ponied up for spy shots of the Cadillac CTS-V engine bay, and some very clear photos of the interior of the upcoming Lincoln MKS.

The last week was packed with information, and you only need three minutes to get an update by clicking on the above video. We've also added links below to some of the more significant galleries from the last seven days. This week we have some kickass music from Barry McCabe with "Rollin". Enjoy!

Jaguar scraped together a few bucks to make several less-than-noteworthy changes to the XK, XKR and the X-type, and since they took the trouble of putting together press releases, we felt obligated to pass along the information to you.

The XK and its hotted-up big bro the XKR receive a revised rear spoiler, new 20-inch five spoke rollers, and an Alcon-developed braking setup that was only available on the Portfolio Special Edition. On the inside, owners that opted to wait a year will now get a choice of wood or aluminum inserts, piano black instrument and shifter surrounds, a bit more chrome, alloy pedals and an optional 525-watt Bowers & Wilkins audio arrangement.

As for the X-Type, the only visual change comes courtesy of new mesh grille and two new colors: Blue Prism and White Onyx. The model choices now consist of "S," "SE," "Sport Premium" and "Sovereign."

For the Jaguar aficionados out there, you can read both press releases in their entirety after the jump and check out the high res galleries of the vehicles below.

[Source: Jaguar]

The X-Type is Jaguar's best selling vehicle, but it is probably the least loved Jag of the bunch. As the people in charge try to figure out the way forward for Ford's ailing premium brand, getting rid of the X-Type could be part of the remedy.

Mulally has told the public as well as Jaguar workers that the leaping cat will not be sold. He also said that he envisions Jaguar as Ford's low-volume high-profit marque. Frankly, the X-Type doesn't fit anywhere into such an equation. While the X-Type has broadened Jaguar's customer base, it diluted the brand, wasn't as reliable as it should have been, and didn't meet its sales targets. That's three strikes, so it might be out. According to David Blackhall, Managing Director Jaguar Australia, "The plan in relation to the X-Type is not resolved. There are a number of studies underway in the UK, and a number of alternatives are being considered – including doing nothing at all." He goes on to add that he's fine with no new X-Type... as long as there's an XF (a production version of the C-XF) to replace it.

And gunning for the quote of the month, Blackhall says of the XF, "It has to be a success. [It] has to be a home run. This is Jaguar's money-shot for the next five years." Doling out some specifics on the car, Blackhall says the NY Auto Show car will be very close to the production version, with only minor changes needed to make it practical. We have one thing to say to the X-Type then: Goodbye. Jaguar, bring on the XF already.

[Source: Drive]

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in Arlington, Va. has just concluded testing on some 75 vehicles' head restraint systems and after performing a simulated rear-end impact of 20 MPH, only 22 of the systems received the top score of "good."

At the head of the class was Audi's A4, S4 and A6, along with the Chevy Cobalt, Ford Five Hundred (Taurus, whatever) and its Mercury counterpart, Honda's Civic, Hyundai Sonata, Jag S-Type, Kia Optima, Merc E-class, Nissan Sentra and its lesser sibling the Versa, Subaru's Impreza, Legacy and Outback, as well as Volvo's S40, S60 and S80 (no surprise).

The flunkees included the Acura TSX, BMW 5-series, Buick LaCrosse and Lucerne, Caddy CTS, DTS and STS, Chevy's Aveo, the Honda Fit and Accord, Infiniti's M35, the Jaguar X-Type, Kia Rio, Mitsubishi Galant, Pontiac's Grand Prix, plus the Toyota Avalon and Corrolla.

Considering that the IIHS estimates that the injuries sustained to the back and neck in these types of collisions costs insurance companies around $8 mbillion dollars per year, their interest in the matter is obvious. Whether or not consumers will include this in their purchasing criteria is another matter however.

[Source: IIHS]

Back in 2000, Ford Motor Company was swimming in SUV cash and Jaguar looked poised for a big-time turnaround. Excitement for the brand grew when the Concept F-Type was shown at the 2000 North American International Auto Show. Executive Wolfgang Reitzle even gave the project the green light and then pulled the plug due to a lack of funds. Fast-forward to 2007 and Jaguar has had the worst sales performance in the US of any luxury automaker over the past few years. In fact, Jaguar had the single largest decline in the US auto industry in 2006, with sales dropping by 31%. Only four years earlier Jaguar had US sales of 60,000 units which is three times what the classy cat gets now.

There are several reasons for this steep decline, and the absence of the F-Type in the Jaguar lineup probably isn't one of them. However, a group of enthusiasts over at JaguarMania are currently circulating a petition to put the F-Type back in Jaguar's plans. The Jag-fans maintain that the F-Type could compete with the Porsche Boxster in the luxury realm. It was a shame the F-Type never made production back in 2003, but the design now looks like a last-generation XK. We love new products as much as anyone, but in retrospect the Blue Oval bean counters probably got this one right the first time. An all new F-Type would be extremely favorable to us though, especially if it competes at the Boxster's price-point. The seven year-old design of the F-Type on the other hand would probably only contribute to Jaguar's problems.

[Source: CoolBrit.net]

Autoweek wrote up a compelling exposé on an internal movement at Jaguar that might have boosted profits and added some sporting credentials to the troubled marque.

The entire report is well worth the read, but the quick-and-dirty version involved slapping superchargers onto every model in the Jag lineup and pushing these high performance models as the new face of Jaguar. The rationale for this plan was simple: Jaguar's R-badged offerings made more money per unit, for both the automaker and the dealers, than any of their other models and if they could make Jag the "supercharged" brand, there might have been a light at the end of the financially troubled tunnel.

During the exploratory phase, Jag's engineers worked up a few supercharged X-type prototypes while the marketing crew was hard at work trying to gear advertising towards their new mission statement.

In the end, the X-types were either crushed or thrown into storage, numbers didn't crunch as intended, executives began getting squeamish -- especially at the prospect of the inevitable comparos between Jaguar and other high- performance luxury brands (ahem, BMW), and eventually, the entire plan was shelved. Considering that the goal was to make Jaguar a niche player, selling a small amount of unique vehicles at a profit, it's disappointing to see that the brand is now just selling a small amount of vehicles.

[Source: Autoweek]