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The Jaguar X-Type is a front-engine, all-wheel/front-wheel drive
compact executive car
A compact executive car, also known as a compact luxury car, is a premium car larger than a premium compact and smaller than an executive car. Compact executive car is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in the European car classification.
A ...
manufactured and marketed by
Jaguar Cars
Jaguar (, ) is the luxury vehicle brand of Jaguar Land Rover, a British multinational car manufacturer with its headquarters in Whitley, Coventry, England. Jaguar Cars was the company that was responsible for the production of Jaguar cars ...
from 2001 to 2009 under the internal designation ''X400'', for a single generation, in
sedan/saloon and
wagon/estate body styles. In addition to offering Jaguar's first station wagon/estate in
series production
Mass production, also known as flow production or continuous production, is the production of substantial amounts of standardized products in a constant flow, including and especially on assembly lines. Together with job production and batch ...
, the X-Type would ultimately introduce its first diesel engine, four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive configuration.
The X-Type was developed during the period when Jaguar was owned by
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
as a division of its
Premier Automotive Group (PAG) (1999-2009) — and marked Jaguar's entry into the critical compact executive segment. The programme aimed to double the marque's worldwide sales — requiring expansion of engineering resources, factory capacity, marketing capability, sales support and service.
At launch,
Autocar called the X-Type "the most important Jaguar ever."
With annual projections of 100,000 sales, the X-Type recorded a production of 350,000 over its eight year manufacturing run.
Overview
The X-Type, codenamed ''X400'', launched in 2001 to compete in the compact executive class dominated by the rear-wheel drive
BMW 3 Series
The BMW 3 Series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the 02 Series and has been produced in seven generations.
The first generation of the 3 Series was only avail ...
and
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a series of compact executive cars produced by Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the 190 (W201) range, the C-Class was the smallest model in the marque's line-up until the W168 A-Class ...
despite Ford/Jaguar having no directly competitive platform.
Instead, the X-type used a modified version of the front-drive
Ford CD132 platform shared with the contemporary
Ford Mondeo
The Ford Mondeo is a large family car manufactured by Ford since 1993. The first Ford model declared as a " world car", the Mondeo was intended to consolidate several Ford model lines worldwide (the European Sierra, the Telstar in Asia and Aus ...
— with the addition of all-wheel drive (marketed as ''Jaguar Traction'' or ''Jaguar Traction 4'') and handling and steering engineered to minimise front-wheel drive torque-steer.
Initially, the X-Type was available only with all wheel drive, using a centre differential and a compact, maintenance-free viscous coupling
with a default split of 60 percent torque to the rear wheels, 40 percent to the front wheels. Under loss of traction front or rear, the coupling could vary the front/rear torque split and could fully transfer torque to either front or rear wheels to ensure grip.
From 2005-on, X-Types used an electronically controlled transfer cases rather than the centre viscous coupling.
Despite the X-Type's importance to Jaguar and Ford's Premier Automotive Group, extensive engineering development, a different wheelbase and track, body styling and significant testing the X-Type was often described as just a "reshelled Ford Mondeo".
Although in the end, just 19% of the cars origins were shared, much of which were perfectly suited components such as HVAC units hidden from view and which in no way detracted from the X400’s Jaguar heritage.
As Jaguar's first compact executive car since the
Jaguar Mark 2
The Jaguar Mark 2 is a mid-sized luxury sports saloon built from late 1959 to 1967 by Jaguar in Coventry, England. The previous Jaguar 2.4 Litre and 3.4 Litre models made between 1955 and 1959 are identified as Mark 1 Jaguars.Eric Dymock, Th ...
of 1959, the X-Type was the last Jaguar styled under the supervision of
Geoff Lawson, with Wayne Burgess and Simon Butterworth as principal designers.
The four door saloon launched in 2001, and the five door estate followed in January 2004, with production of both ending in July 2009. The estate offered a Cd of 0.32 in standard form and 0.33 in Sport trim.
Engines included either of two V6 petrol engines: 2.5 litre or 3.0 litre. In 2002, an entry level 2.1 litre V6 front wheel drive model was added. All three engines were available with either five- speed automatic or five speed manual gearboxes. The X-Type grille was slightly modified for both the 2004 and 2006
model year
The model year (sometimes abbreviated "MY") is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured.
...
s. The base petrol engine was a Jaguar tweaked (Ford Duratec V6) derived from the 2.5-litre that served in the
Ford Mondeo
The Ford Mondeo is a large family car manufactured by Ford since 1993. The first Ford model declared as a " world car", the Mondeo was intended to consolidate several Ford model lines worldwide (the European Sierra, the Telstar in Asia and Aus ...
, and the 3.0-litre V6 is essentially an adaptation of the base engine from the
Jaguar S-Type and
Lincoln LS
The Lincoln LS is a four-door, five-passenger luxury sedan manufactured and marketed by Ford's Lincoln division over a single generation from 1999–2006. Introduced in June 1999 for model-year 2000, the LS featured rear-wheel drive and near ...
.
Eventually, the X-Type would become available with front-wheel drive and a 2.1-litre petrol or 2.0 Turbo diesel engine. In July 2009, Jaguar Land Rover announced the end of X-Type production by the end of 2009.
Both saloon and estate configurations were manufactured at the
Halewood Assembly Facility near
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
,
renovated at a cost of $450 million.
Technical
The X-Type was based on a modified version of the
Ford CD132 platform shared with the Ford Mondeo. The X-Type was initially offered as
all-wheel drive
An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand.
The most common forms of all-wheel drive are:
;1x1 : All unicycles Reflecting one axle with one w ...
only and mated to a
2.5 litre and
3.0 litre AJ-V6 petrol engine.
One notable addition to AJ-V6 engine design is the use of variable valve timing. The X-Type's petrol engine is also set apart by the use of SFI fuel injection, four valves per cylinder and featured fracture split forged powder metal connecting rods, plus a one piece cast camshaft, and has direct acting mechanical bucket (DAMB) tappets.
In 2003, the X-Type was also offered in
front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longit ...
with the introduction of Jaguar’s first
four-cylinder
The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized.
Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...
diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
s (based on the Ford
Duratorq ZSD unit from the Mondeo and
Transit
Transit may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film
* ''Transit'' (1979 film), a 1979 Israeli film
* ''Transit'' (2005 film), a film produced by MTV and Staying-Alive about four people in countries in the world
* ''Transit'' (2006 film), a 2006 ...
), and with the smaller
2.1 litre petrol V6. The six speed automatic transmission supplied on the later 2.2 litre diesel models includes Jaguar Sequential Shift.
Equipment
At the X-Type's launch, standard equipment included automatic climate control; leather upholstery; eight-way power driver's seat; 70/30 split folding rear seats;
Sapele
''Entandrophragma cylindricum'' is a tree of the genus '' Entandrophragma'' of the family ''Meliaceae''. It is commonly known as sapele or sapelli ( ) or sapele mahogany, as well as aboudikro, assi, and muyovu.
Origin of the name
The name ''sa ...
wood interior trim; tilt-and-telescope steering wheel; six-speaker, 120-watt AM/FM/CD stereo; power locks; one-touch power windows; a power tilt-and-slide glass sunroof; automatic headlights; and 16-inch alloy wheels.
Later trim configurations would introduce
carbon fibre
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
dash panels
Alcantara seat surfaces.
All interior wood was genuine, manufactured with veneers for the rest of the Jaguar line-up at
Browns Lane’s Veneer Manufacturing Centre, including the door trim pieces on higher models, increasing the development and production costs.
The estate adds a 320-watt premium Alpine sound system, wood-and-leather steering wheel, 10-way power adjustable seats for driver and front-seat passenger, electrochromic mirrors inside and out, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a programmable garage-door opener, message centre and trip computer, Reverse Park Control, and 17-inch alloy wheels.
2006-2007_Jaguar_X-Type_(X400)_LE_sedan_02.jpg
Jaguar_XKR_-_Flickr_-_The_Car_Spy_(5).jpg
Jaguar_XKR_-_Flickr_-_The_Car_Spy_(4).jpg
Jaguar_XKR_-_Flickr_-_The_Car_Spy_(6).jpg
Estate
![Jaguar X-Type 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Jaguar_X-Type_3.0_AWD_SW.jpg)
The estate was the first Jaguar model designed by
Ian Callum
Ian Stuart Callum (born 30 July 1954) is a Scottish car designer who has worked for Ford, TWR, and Aston Martin. In 1999 he became the Director of Design for Jaguar Cars, later Jaguar Land Rover, a position he held until mid 2019.
In 2019, ...
. From its saloon counterpart, the design revised 420 tooled parts and 58 stampings for all components rearward of the windscreen, adding 150-pounds.
The design used a tailgate with independently-opening, strut-supported rear window,
operable by key fob or dashboard located switch; roof-mounted luggage rails in chrome or black; interior luggage tie-downs; removable luggage cover; cargo net and a cargo compartment under the rear floor with a 12-volt power outlet and below that, storage for a full-size spare tyre.
The rear seats could be lowered without removing their headrests, and the cargo compartment offered 16 cubic feet up to the side windows or 24 cubic feet to the headliner, with the rear seats up — or a total of 50 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.
The estate was marketed as the ''Sportwagon'' in the United States.
Facelift
![Jaguar X-Type Estate front 20080731](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Jaguar_X-Type_Estate_front_20080731.jpg)
The X-Type facelift debuted at the 2007 Canary Wharf
Motorexpo and went on sale internationally during 2008, with United Kingdom sales from March.
The facelift featured revised front and rear fascias, new door mirrors with integrated turn indicator repeaters, the choice of a 2.2 litre diesel with particulate filter, and a new six speed automatic transmission with Jaguar Sequential Shift. The range continued to offer the 2.0 litre diesel, and two V6 petrol engines; 2.5 and 3.0 litre. In some European markets, the petrol engines were no longer marketed.
Special editions
In 2004, the ''Spirit'' limited model based on the 2.5 litre V6, featured the 'Sports Collection' pack with new spoilers and rear valance. It was followed in 2005 by the ''XS'' limited edition, which continued the sports theme, but available with a wider range of engines.
Engines
Safety and security
The X-Type was tested by Thatcham'
New Vehicle Security Ratings(NVSR) organisation and achieved the following ratings:
Sales and reception
In November 2000, managing director
Jonathan Browning said Jaguar's objective was to achieve annual sales of 100,000 with the car, partly by taking market share from established German rivals and partly by expanding the market segment in Jaguar's key markets.
The X-Type was Jaguar's best selling model during almost all its production run,
but sales did not meet projections, 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
Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide.
Th ...
sold 48,922 A4s, BMW sold 106,950 3 Series
The BMW 3 Series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the 02 Series and has been produced in seven generations.
The first generation of the 3 Series was only avail ...
and Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
sold 60,658 C-Class.[
The X-Type's sharing of a modified ]Ford Mondeo
The Ford Mondeo is a large family car manufactured by Ford since 1993. The first Ford model declared as a " world car", the Mondeo was intended to consolidate several Ford model lines worldwide (the European Sierra, the Telstar in Asia and Aus ...
platform (shared with the Land Rover Freelander
The Land Rover Freelander is a compact luxury crossover SUV that was manufactured and marketed by Land Rover from 1997 to 2015. The second generation was sold from 2007 to 2015 in North America and the Middle East as the LR2 and in Europe as the ...
, a small offroader which was also produced at Halewood) wasn't well received by Jaguar "purists." Notably, the Volkswagen Passat
The Volkswagen Passat is a series of D-segment, large family cars manufactured and marketed by the Germany, German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen since 1973, and now in its eighth generation. It has been marketed variously as the Dasher, Sa ...
shared its platform with its compact executive class rival, the B5 Audi A4
The Audi A4 is a line of compact executive cars produced since 1994 by the German car manufacturer Audi, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group.
The A4 has been built in five generations and is based on the Volkswagen Group B platform. The first ...
. The X-Type's limited powertrain choices affected its initial press reception.
Initially, the X-Type was only available with six cylinder petrol engines, coupled to an all-wheel drive system, resulting in poor fuel economy, while its key German rivals, the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class were sold predominantly in two wheel drive form, with four cylinder petrol or diesel engines, a critical offering in the economy conscious European market. A four cylinder diesel option (only available with front wheel drive) was not offered in the X-Type until two years after its launch.
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English broadcaster, journalist, game show host and writer who specialises in Driving, motoring. He is best known for the motoring programmes ''Top Gear (2002 TV series), Top Gear'' an ...
, then of BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's ''
Top Gear
Top Gear may refer to:
* "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission
Television
* ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme
* ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the or ...
,'' lauded the X-Type, especially the 4×4 and sport versions. In two episodes, he demonstrated its capabilities in the snow, declaring that it "laughs in the face of the weatherman, the police and the AA, with their advice to stay at home". With regards to the sharing of the
Ford Mondeo
The Ford Mondeo is a large family car manufactured by Ford since 1993. The first Ford model declared as a " world car", the Mondeo was intended to consolidate several Ford model lines worldwide (the European Sierra, the Telstar in Asia and Aus ...
platform, Clarkson states that this should not put you off, stating that "genetically you are 98% identical to a
halibut
Halibut is the common name for three flatfish in the genera '' Hippoglossus'' and ''Reinhardtius'' from the family of right-eye flounders and, in some regions, and less commonly, other species of large flatfish.
The word is derived from ''h ...
, but it's the 2% that makes the difference".
Other car magazine and website reviews were largely positive for the X-Type, especially during its introduction.
The X-Type used only 19% of Ford Mondeo's components,
while a variety of Ford platforms, engines and components were being used by all models of the Ford Motor Company's luxury brands in that period, namely
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC is an English manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Steered from 1947 by David Brown, it became associated with ...
, Jaguar and
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincol ...
. In January 2008, Jaguar director of design
Ian Callum
Ian Stuart Callum (born 30 July 1954) is a Scottish car designer who has worked for Ford, TWR, and Aston Martin. In 1999 he became the Director of Design for Jaguar Cars, later Jaguar Land Rover, a position he held until mid 2019.
In 2019, ...
said that the X-Type “was essentially designed in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
and presented as close as a ''fait accompli'' to reluctant designers and engineers at Jaguar's
Whitley design centre."
Noted automotive designer
Robert Cumberford
Robert Wayne Cumberford (born August 4, 1935) is a former automotive designer for General Motors, author and design critic – widely known as Automotive Design Editor and outspoken columnist for ''Automobile'' magazine.
Examples of ...
called the X-Type's styling "an unimaginable pastiche of many past Jaguars" in the June 2001 issue of
Car and Driver
''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011. It was fou ...
magazine.
Overall, due to poor sales, Jaguar lost €4,690 per vehicle produced.
Reviews
*
The AA
AA Limited, trading as The AA (formerly The Automobile Association), is a British motoring association.
Founded in 1905, it provides vehicle insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans, motoring advice, road maps and other services. Th ...
Likes: Elegant yet contemporary looks, silky smooth driving experience, petrol engines provide suitable soundtrack, high specification level as standard.
Gripes: Non AWD models less fun to drive, smallish load area with all seats in place, rear seats do not fold completely flat, body-coloured grilles of Sport models spoil looks.
* ''
Auto Express
''Auto Express'' is a weekly motoring magazine sold in the United Kingdom published by Autovia Limited. The editor-in-chief is Steve Fowler.
History and profile
Launched in September 1988, its 1,000th issue was published on 20 February 2008. ...
''
'Ride, handling and grip are good, finding a fine balance between comfort and sporting ability, cabin is unmistakably Jaguar.'
'Traditional look and feel ... it's not the most spacious car in its class.'
* ''
Auto Trader''
'The Jaguar X-Type is the only luxury saloon in its class, according to its makers. And while owners of bona fide luxury cars may scoff, the X-Type has all the right ingredients: heritage, comfort and sartorial elegance.'
* ''
CAR
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded as ...
''
'A bit of traditional Jag dynamic sensations and half-decent value will tempt some, but no amount of exterior tweaking can hide why the X-type missed its target.'
*
Driving
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses, and bicycles. Permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met and drivers are required to fol ...
Good - Tempting prices, comfort & kit levels, dynamics.
Not So Good - High running costs of petrol models, patchy reliability, old-fashioned styling.
Honest JohnPositives: Compact Jaguar, smart looks and roomy load bay, V6s are four-wheel drive, diesels are quite frugal.
Negatives: Not recommended for towing, uneven tyre wear on AWD V6 cars.
* ''
Parker's
The Smith's Snackfood Company is a British-Australian snack food company owned by American multinational corporation PepsiCo. It is best known for its brand of potato crisps. The company was founded by Frank Smith and Jim Viney in the United K ...
''
Pros: Very comfortable and refined, sophisticated image, decent handling, decent boot space, good long distance cruiser.
Cons: Traditional styling, cramped rear space, limited engine range, some cheap interior trim.
*
RAC 'This is a car that has layers, textures and subtleties to its talents, a Jaguar that needs no preamble. It's up there with the best in the class. Just don't expect a bargain.'
Verdict On Cars'Average. Jag's supposed rival to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class is fading fast. It's still a good car, but doubts as to whether it deserves the badge are growing.'
* ''
What Car?
''What Car?'' is a British monthly automobile magazine and website, currently edited by Steve Huntingford and published by Haymarket Consumer Media. Other team members include deputy editor Darren Moss and test editors Will Nightingale, Neil ...
''
'Low prices and a good drive make it a real alternative to a BMW 3 Series.
he Estatedrives just as well as the saloon version, but gives more practicality.'
Wise Buyer's'X-Type is sporty to drive and very comfortable, plus it has that charismatic Jaguar badge. But it's up against some fine executive cars. It majors on value for money and performance.'
* ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine The 50 Worst Cars of All Time
Awards
The Jaguar X-Type won ''
AutoWeek
''Autoweek'' is a car culture publication based in Detroit, Michigan. It was first published in 1958 and in 1977 the publication was purchased by Crain Communications Inc, its current parent company. The magazine was published weekly and focused ...
s ''Editors Choice Award'' as the ''Most Significant Car'' at the
Geneva Motor Show
The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by th ...
of 2001.
Replacement
In January 2011, Jaguar said plans for successor for the X-Type were under consideration, to compete with models such as the
BMW 3 Series
The BMW 3 Series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the 02 Series and has been produced in seven generations.
The first generation of the 3 Series was only avail ...
, and to be positioned below the current
XF.
The project, codenamed ''X760'', was set to be launched in 2015. In March 2014, Jaguar confirmed that the X-Type's replacement would be named the
Jaguar XE
The Jaguar XE (X760) is a rear or all-wheel drive, front-engine, four-door compact executive car manufactured and marketed by Jaguar Land Rover, under their Jaguar marque. The successor to the X-Type, it was designed by Ian Callum and launched a ...
.
References
External links
*
{{Use dmy dates, date=October 2020
X-TYPE
Cars introduced in 2001
Cars discontinued in 2009
Sports sedans
Station wagons
Compact executive cars
ANCAP large family cars
Euro NCAP large family cars
All-wheel-drive vehicles
Front-wheel-drive vehicles