Jaguar has released specifications, equipment levels, and the engineering details of its upcoming X-Type compact luxury/sport sedan. Based on our recent trip to England for some up-close and personal time with Jag's new kitty, the X-Type appears armed for the fight against the segment's German standard-bearers when it hits showrooms late this summer.
Any angle flatters the X-Type, which eschews the S-Type's retro flavor, instead of sticking to more modern Jaguar styling cues for its first entry into the compact luxury/sport sedan market. The maroon X-Type shows off the Sport option's body-color trim and more aggressive 17-in. rolling stock.
The X-Type model lineup is straightforward: one four-door body style, two engine offerings, the return of a manual transmission after a several-year hiatus, and a variety of trim levels, including a Sport version. The range begins with a 2.5L/194-hp DOHC V-6-powered X-Type backed by a five-speed manual transmission; a ZF five-speed automatic is optional. The topline powerplant is a 3.0L version of the same AJ-V6, good for 231 hp; take your choice between the stick or automatic at no additional charge.
One significant design element is that all X-Types will be equipped with standard all-wheel drive-a Jaguar first. This stems from the fact that the X-Type shares certain platform components with the new Europe-only Ford Mondeo, which is a front-drive car. A FWD Jag would never do, and the transverse engine layout precluded a RWD-only version. Converting it to AWD proved a neat solution. All-wheel drive is a $1750 option on Audi's A4 and the BMW 3 Series, and not even offered on the C-Class, Lexus IS 300, or Cadillac Catera. If you're at all concerned that the X-Type is a "leaper"-engineered Ford compact sedan, forget it. The two share but a half dozen or so chassis stampings, plus some basic powertrain architecture, and that's about all. Nothing you can feel, touch, or see is the same, and most critical dimensions are actually different.
The X-Type's styling will leave little doubt that this is indeed a Jaguar. The new car's front end clearly recalls the current (and still elegant) XJ sedan and maintains a wide-looking frontal aspect via its oval-shaped headlamps. Out back, the theme somewhat follows that of the XK8 coupe, its strongest feature being the feline-inspired "shoulders" that strengthen the upper rear fender line. The X's shape is nicely proportioned, well balanced, and unmistakably Jaguar, even if it does have perhaps one too many character lines running down the side. And don't be fooled into thinking it's a too-small package: the X-Type is only seven inches shorter and an inch narrower than the midsize S-Type. At 16.0 cu ft, the trunk is larger than those of the S and full-size XJ sedans.
Jaguar claims to have invested considerable effort into designing and tuning the X-Type's suspension system to give it an athletic, youthful driving attitude, while maintaining that certain suppleness people identify with the marque. MacPherson struts manage things up front, with an independent, coil-sprung multilink system out back and anti-roll bars front and rear. Four-wheel disc brakes with four-channel ABS are standard, as is power-assisted speed-sensitive variable-ratio rack-and-pinion steering. Jaguar's Traction-4 is a full-time all-wheel-drive system and employs a planetary center differential with a viscous coupling to manage power front to back. Traction-4's operation is completely transparent to the driver; its front/rear torque split is 40/60, aimed at retaining a rear-drive feel.
The X-Type's all-aluminum DOHC V-6s employ considerable technology that enable them to deliver competitive power levels. Most important are a three-stage intake manifold and continuously variable valve timing (on the intake side only) to maximize both low-end torque and top-end power. The 3.0L's 231-hp rating is on par with that offered by BMW's new 3.0L (225 hp) and Lexus (215 hp). As the engine is a naturally balanced 60 design, it should be smooth throughout the rev range. But it remains to be seen whether it will have the same silken feel offered by BMW's and Lexus' inline-sixes.