Jaguar XE: more details revealed
By Andrew C., 27 Aug, 2010. 0 Comments
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If you've fallen in love with Jaguar's E-type-inspired oval grille, then you would feel bad knowing that its next generation of sports cars is about to ditch the grille since the design isn't sufficiently adaptable. The issue lies on how to stretch the shape to fit the nose of the two new models: the XK and new XE. An insider had said that the proportions are all wrong when the shape is stretched. There's still no solution. However, many say that a shape like that of the new XJ/XF grille makes sense for a small car company like Jaguar, which could boost its brand clarity by focusing on a single, memorable grille design. Marketing the BMW Z4-sized front-engined, rear-drive XE is taking longer than many in the industry had hoped.
It has been agreed that the two-seater is being planned in aluminum as a platform derivative of the next-generation XK coupe and convertible; however, the exact direction of each model is still a toss up and the insider has said that it is being debated internally. One group wants the next XK needs to get bigger and more luxurious to make room for the smaller car. That implies that the XK should grow up to a size close to Maserati's GranTurismo and feature a pair of proper rear seats.
The other group wants the XK to keep to its current theme and dimensions, which historically has been the foundation of its sales. The difficulty lies in engineering the two cars on the same platform so they share costly elements like the front bulkhead and engine bay, but are also positioned sufficiently apart from each other to appeal to different customers at different price points.
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