2007 Jaguar X-Type

The X-TYPE 3.0 is a key model for Jaguar in that it provides buyers with entry into the Jaguar brand. Competitively priced with an MSRP starting at $34,995, the X-TYPE 3.0 combines athletic performance with agile handling, a refined ride and all the luxury appointments expected of a Jaguar. And it continues to be the only compact sedan in its class to offer standard traction-enhancing all-wheel drive.

While the new MSRP is an increase on 2006 base pricing, the 2007 version now includes, as standard, high-cost items such as power tilt/slide moonroof and a split/folding rear seat (previously optional extras), plus Dynamic Stability Control.

For 2007, the previously optional Sport and VDP packages for the 3.0 sedan have been discontinued. They are replaced by a single, high-content ‘Luxury' package that makes the X-TYPE 3.0 even more luxurious and better-equipped than the VDP.

'The X-TYPE still has a major role to play in Jaguar's North American line-up. For many buyers, it provides an important first step onto the Jaguar ladder,' explains Bibiana Boerio, Jaguar Cars, managing director.

* Not available in Canada

DESIGN – A TRUE JAGUAR

Introduced in August 2001, the X-TYPE was the first compact-sized Jaguar since the classic Mark II of the early 1960s. It followed closely behind the original S-TYPE – launched in 1999 – and made Jaguar accessible to a whole new segment of buyers, including many who had never previously considered a Jaguar.

The X-TYPE's distinctive, wedge-shaped exterior – seven inches shorter than the S-TYPE – combines strongly sculpted forms – such as the powerful rear haunches and crisp detailing. This gives the car a sporty and purposeful stance, as well as the unmistakable presence of a Jaguar.

The styling incorporates familiar design cues from the last-generation XJ, like the sleek profile, quad elliptical headlamps and low-profile chrome mesh grille. And, of course, the famous Jaguar ‘leaper' hood ornament.

INTERIOR – CLASSIC STYLE

Like the exterior, the X-TYPE uses classic Jaguar themes with a contemporary twist to provide an intimate, comfortable and thoroughly functional cabin. Traditional wood veneers in Bronze Sapale are combined with rich, leather seating surfaces. Attention to detail throughout the car reflects Jaguar's rich tradition of craftsmanship, including the refined feel of control, as well as the overall high quality of fit and finish.

And for 2007, the X-TYPE 3.0 is better equipped and more luxurious than ever, with split-fold rear seats and a power tilt/slide moonroof added to the car's standard interior feature list.

For the best in audio, a six-speaker, 120-watt AM/FM stereo with CD player also comes standard. Power door locks, power windows with one touch up/down and an eight-way power driver's seat are part of the long list of standard features.

AGILE HANDLING, REFINED RIDE

Jaguar developed the X-TYPE 3.0's driving dynamics to reward the driving enthusiast, providing nimble responses while delivering a traditional smooth, comfortable and quiet ride.

An exceptionally stiff body structure serves as the foundation of the X-TYPE's agile handling and compliant ride. The four-wheel independent suspension, employing a MacPherson strut layout at the front and a multi-link torsion control link system at the rear, delivers a high degree of inherent stability. The front struts are mounted at the top via a unique, twin-bearing system to reduce friction and enhance steering feel.

AJ-V6 POWER FOR ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE

The X-TYPE's 24-valve, four-cam 3.0-liter AJ-V6 engine is derived from the S-TYPE's proven AJ-V6 powertrain, and uses a lightweight alloy cylinder block, alloy cylinder heads and a steel crankshaft. With advanced features, such as continuously variable cam phasing and advanced, 32-bit engine management system, the engine delivers spirited and athletic performance coupled with competitive fuel economy and low emissions.

The 3.0-liter engine is highly efficient, delivering 227bhp and 206 lb.-ft. of torque. Mid-range torque is particularly impressive, with more than 90 percent of peak torque available between 2,500 and 6,000 rpm, and more than 80 percent available from below 1,500 rpm through the maximum engine speed of 6,800 rpm. Against the stopwatch, the X-TYPE is an athletic performer. In benchmark 0-60mph acceleration, the X-TYPE 3.0 automatic covers the distance in just 7.1 seconds.

RING OF SAFETY

Safety is key with the X-TYPE 3.0 sedan, as it is with every Jaguar. Standard safety features include anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), three-point safety belts throughout and pre-tensioning front safety belts with load limiters.

Designed to offer the ultimate in occupant protection, the X-TYPE's advanced airbag system features dual-stage deployment of the front airbags, front seat-mounted side-impact airbags and state-of-the-art side-impact head protection curtain airbags for the front and rear outboard occupants.

Protecting the lower legs of the driver, the X-TYPE features an inflatable knee bolster airbag located within the driver-side footwell. Side airbags that deploy from the outer side bolsters of each front seat and the curtain airbags complete what is known as the ‘ring of safety'. This ‘ring' protects the driver and passengers on three sides of the cabin.

TRACTION-4 DELIVERS ALL-WEATHER CONTROL

The X-TYPE 3.0 derives its great-driving character from the Jaguar Traction-4 TM advanced all-wheel-drive system – the first in Jaguar's history. It's an innovation that sets the X-TYPE apart from its competition as it continues to be the only car in its class to come with standard traction-enhancing all-wheel drive.

JAGUAR X-TYPE SPORTWAGON IN DETAIL

VERSATILITY – KEY TO THE PREMIUM ALL-WHEEL DRIVE WAGON

Jaguar's first ever production wagon – the X-TYPE Sportwagon – debuted in 2004 as a 2005 model. It has since attracted a new generation of sport wagon buyers to the Jaguar brand who base their purchase decisions primarily on style, versatility, and driving dynamics.

The X-TYPE Sportwagon gives design-conscious consumers the perfect blend of functionality, style and performance to accommodate their active lifestyles without compromising their desire for sophistication. Designed for use, owners have all the cargo area flexibility and space to meet their needs.

DESIGN

Based on the X-TYPE sedan, but with unique body styling and structure from the rear, B-pillars back – including rear doors and roof – the X-TYPE Sportwagon offers an unrivalled combination of luxury, refinement and flexibility.

Working with key competitor benchmarks in terms of carrying capacity and convenience features, the overriding design brief was not to compromise the X-TYPE's Jaguar aesthetics simply to achieve load volume. Thus, the X-TYPE Sportwagon offers Jaguar style and dynamics at all times and the useful carrying capacity of a sport wagon whenever needed.

From the B-pillars back, the elongated roof dips much more gently towards the front – further improving the already generous rear-seat headroom and requiring taller upper rear side-door profiles inlaid with totally new rear quarter windows. The tailgate has a dynamic slope to its rear glass, and a spoiler – strategically placed on its top edge where it joins the roof – helping to give the X-TYPE Sportwagon a subtle, sporty side profile.

FELXIBILITY – AND INTERIOR WITH ENDLESS OPTIONS

The X-TYPE Sportwagon is designed for people with active, demanding lifestyles. However, it is not merely a ‘lifestyle sport wagon' – where looks and image are more important than genuine practicality and load-carrying ability. The X-TYPE Sportwagon combines all these elements, emphasizing the difference between real life and lifestyle.

The X-TYPE Sportwagon's maximum volume with both rear seats folded forward is a cavernous 50 cubic feet. Even with the rear seats in use, the X-TYPE Sportwagon offers an impressive 15.7 cubic feet of luggage volume to the bottom of the window level, and 24.2 cubic feet to the roofline.

A host of intelligent interior features will give owners the flexibility to use their vehicle as best suits them. Split-folding rear seats allow one, two or all three rear seat spaces to be allocated to luggage-carrying, so it is still possible to carry either one or two rear-seat passengers even with the backseats partially folded. The seats are released by a simple latch in each backseat, and can be folded without removing the rear-seat headrests.

The tailgate itself offers maximum practicality and versatility with an independently opening rear window as well as a conventional wagon opening, either from a pre-programmed remote key fob or via an electrically operated lock controlled by a concealed button.

Designed with the driver in mind, the tailgate opening and closing is assisted by a pair of gas-filled struts and opens to a wide 88-degree angle, and closes to an all-new low bumper top with very little intrusion from the rear lights – perfect for easy use.

The spacious load area is fully carpeted and trimmed, and to keep luggage securely in place and hidden from view, there is a retractable tonneau cover that rolls out over the load area. Luggage can be secured with a variety of systems including a standard cargo net, tie-down straps that hook onto the four, strong D-rings incorporated in the luggage area floor and hidden storage compartments of various sizes.

On the outside, fixed silver roof rails are fitted as standard and a range of additional carrying systems are available – from ski racks to luggage boxes – to meet individual needs.

DRIVING DYNAMICS – A SPORTWAGON WITH SEDAN HANDLING

A key part of the engineering brief for the X-TYPE Sportwagon was that, like the X-TYPE sedan, it should have a combination of great driving performance and excellent comfort – the solid foundation for Jaguar's renowned suspension dynamics. That meant its bodyshell had to retain the exceptional torsional stiffness of the sedan.

Consistent with the X-TYPE sedan, the X-TYPE Sportwagon is engineered to deliver a supple ride with maximum control and sporting dynamics, including exceptional steering feel.

Most aspects of the Sportwagon's suspension and electronic control systems have been tuned to its specific needs, but essentially the layout is unchanged from the sedan. The front suspension is a twin-tube MacPherson strut with a fabricated steel front cross-member and lower control arm. A unique double bearing top strut mount reduces friction around the damper rod, which enhances the smoothness of both suspension and steering.

The X-TYPE Sportwagon's multi-link rear suspension layout uses a torsion control link that allows each wheel to react independently, again improving handling and reducing harshness.

Like the front suspension, it is virtually identical to that of the X-TYPE sedan. Its very compact packaging makes almost no intrusion into the sides of the new load area and allows an impressively low trunk floor for easy loading and maximum luggage volume.

Steering is by a variable-ratio ZF power-assisted rack-and-pinion system, which provides high-speed stability even with full loads, as well as the same ride comfort and responsive handling that have made the X-TYPE sedan the segment benchmark for feel and precision.

POWERTRAIN – THE JAGUAR AJ-V6

The X-TYPE Sportwagon offers the same powertrain as the X-TYPE sedan paired with the Traction-4 TM all-wheel-drive system that helps make the car so rewarding to drive. Under the hood, it features Jaguar's 3.0-liter 24-valve, four-cam AJ-V6 engine with a maximum output of 227bhp at 6,800rpm, and a very strong torque peak of 206 lb.-ft., again at a usefully low 3,000 rpm. And while its power is impressive, the efficiency is competitive in both fuel consumption and emissions.

The compact and durable, yet sophisticated all-wheel-drive system gives sure-footed handling at all speeds and in all weather conditions while retaining the positive feedback and precise steering feel that are fundamental to Jaguar driving dynamics.

The standard electronic five-speed automatic transmission, controlled by the latest version of Jaguar's unique J-gate gear selector, gives optimum fuel efficiency as well as quick acceleration and refined highway cruising.

SAFETY

Alongside all these comfort and convenience features, the X-TYPE Sportwagon has the high levels of both active and passive safety Jaguar buyers expect. Active safety begins with an extremely strong bodyshell, energy-absorbing impact zones and class-leading chassis dynamics, including Traction-4 TM all-wheel drive.

The X-TYPE also has a comprehensive passive safety package that includes an occupant-sensing restraint system, adaptive dual-stage driver and passenger front airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags, knee bolster driver's airbag and side-impact head protection curtain airbags for both front and rear occupants.

Front safety belts have pre-tensioning and load-limiting functions, and the rear seats offer three three-point belts and adjustable head restraints for outboard passengers. Also for the X-TYPE Sportwagon, attention was paid to the strength of the rear seat mountings, release catch and vertical luggage net of the load cover system to ensure luggage retention in case of an accident. As with the sedan, there are ‘door open' warnings for both elements of the tailgate.

THE X-TYPE SPORTWAGON MARKETPLACE

The premium compact sport wagon market is sophisticated, well-established and very competitive. Dominated by the German makes, the Jaguar designers' brief for the X-TYPE Sportwagon was not to be the same as its competitors, but to stand apart from them.

The core target customer is an extension of the X-TYPE core customer: someone that may use their car for business during the working week, then for active leisure-time pursuits on the weekends, such as skiing or mountain biking.

These customers see their car as an extension of themselves. They want the load space and carrying capacity of a wagon, but they do not want to compromise driving dynamics or quality and craftsmanship.

Styling is also a very important part of their purchase decision – there is strong evidence to suggest that far from choosing a wagon on the basis of practicality, many people buy them because they prefer the styling to that of a sedan.

by Jaguar

Since 2001 the Jaguar X-Type has served as Jaguar's entry-level model and was built on Ford's CWW27 platform. The X-Type embodies more of Ford's engineering and components than Jaguar's. The X-Type was the first compact-sized Jaguar since the classic Mark II of the early 1960s. The distinctive wedge-shaped exterior was seven inches shorter than the S-type. With the unmistakable presence of a Jaguar, the car featured a sporty and purposeful stance. Featuring a sleek profile, quad elliptical headlamps and low-profile chrome mesh grille, the Jaguar X also showcased the famous Jaguar ‘leaper' hood ornament.

An entry-level luxury vehicle, the Jaguar X-Type debuted in 2002 as a car/compact executive car produced by Ford owned British luxury marque Jaguar. The X-type was the smallest of the current Jaguar saloon vehicles and was built on a modified version of the Ford CD132 platform. The Ford CD132 platform is a British version of the Ford C Dw27 platform, which is based off of the Ford Mondeo. Designed on the success of the S-type, the X-type continues in production at Jaguar's Halewood facility in England today. Various styling cues were pulled from the XJ series. 70% of the parts of the X-type were built by subcontractors while 10% are made by Jaguar and 20% by Ford.

The exterior of the Jaguar X was built on classic design that used Jaguar themes, yet with a contemporary twist to provide a comfortable, elegant, intimate and thoroughly functional cabin. Rich, leather seating surfaces were created with traditional wood veneers in Bronze Sapele. Jaguar's rich tradition of craftsmanship is evident in the attention to detail throughout the X-types interior.

The X-Type was an all-wheel drive model, unlike the Mondeo and came in two versions, the 2.5 liter and 3.0 liter. The power on both models was supplied from V6 engines and automatic gear systems. The small sedan featured disc brakes on all four tires, airbags in the side for those in the front, and curtain airbags were featured throughout the entire vehicle.

The 3.0 model featured 17 inch tires in 2003. All models also received headlights that were made of xenon, heated front seats and with a warning system if anything was obstructing the path of the vehicle in the back. The following year the 3.0 received headlights that came on automatically, a leather steering wheel and split back seats that could be folded. In 2005, joining the X Type lineup was the wagon. The entry level model was dropped and replaced with a Vanden Plas edition that was featured heated leather front seats.

The X-Type has no been extremely successful against most of its direct competition, especially with the comparably-priced BMW 3-Series which has outsold it by nearly 10 to 1 ratio in recent years. The X-Type does account for more than one third of Jaguar's total U.S. sales. The X-Type has a base price of nearly $30,000 less than the XJ. This is also the only Jaguar to use a five-speed automatic transmission. The fuel economy is lowered slightly by the full time AWD, though the X-Type is light-weight and not incredibly powered. Both models have an estimated EPA of 18/24.

While the original X-Type model was a saloon, in early 2004 the lineup was joined with an Estate version, making it the second ever Jaguar Estate vehicle. The Estate was also the first to use a diesel engine. Launched with mixed reception, in the U.S. the Estate is officially known as the ‘Sportswagon', and is not available as a diesel.

Equipped with either a 192 hp 2.5 L or a 227 hp 3.0 L Jaguar AJ-V6 engine, the Jaguar X-Type featured all wheel drive that was standard on 2.5 L and 3.0 L variants. The 2.0 L petrol and all diesel models are two-wheel drive. In the U.S. there are no diesel versions available. The four-wheel drive system was tuned to send 60% of its engine power to the rear wheels and 40% to the front for a ‘sportier feel'.

In the UK, the 2.0 L and 2.5 L petrol variants had been discontinued as of 2007. In Estate form only, the 3.0 L version is still available. The 2.0 L and 2.2 L Diesels are the only saloon X-Types.

Jaguar had initially projected sales to surpass 100,000 annual sales, and in 2003 the X-Type peaked at 50,000 units sold. In 2004, sales in the U.S., its primary market, dropped from 21,542 to 10,941 in 2005. The front-wheel drive model was dropped for the North American market for the 2006 model year. Ford announced in October of 2007 that it would be stopping its sales of the X-Type in the U.S. though stock is expected to last through the first quarter of 2008. The new generation of X-Type will go on sale in the U.L. in March of 2008 and other European markets in April of 2008. It is expected to be sold in Canada, where it is Jaguar's best-selling vehicle.

With an MSRP that started at $35,725, the 2008 X-Type 3.0 sedan combined athletic performance with agile handling. The X-Type is also the only compact sedan in its class to offer standard traction-enhancing all-wheel drive. The new price was slightly higher than the previous year's price, but the newest model featured many high cost items as standard. The features included Jaguar's Tire Pressure Monitoring System, memory driver's seat, 10-way power-adjustable front seats and a message center/trip computer.

The 2008 X-Type 3.0 is better equipped than ever featuring the best in audio, a six-speaker, 120-watt AM/FM stereo with CD player; all standard.

The X-Type featured agile handling and compliant ride due to an exceptionally stiff body structure. The four-wheel independent suspension, which employed a MacPherson strut layout at the front, and a multi-link torsion control link system at the rear, which delivers a high degree of inherent stability. The 08 X-Type also featured front struts that were mounted at the top through a unique, twin-bearing system to reduce friction and to enhance steering feel.

Derived from the S-Types proven AJ-V6 powertrain, the X-Types 24-valve, four-cam 3.0 liter AJ-V6 uses a lightweight alloy cylinder block, alloy cylinder heads and a steel crankshaft. The engine featured many advanced features such as continuously variable cam phasing along with advance, 32-bit engine management system.

Highly efficient, the 3.0-liter engine delivers 227bhp and 206 lb. –ft of torque. Mid-range torque is impressive, with more than 90% of peak torque available between 2,500 and 6,000 rpm and more than 80% available from below 1,500 rpm through the max engine speed of 6,800 rpm. The X-Type 3.0 was rated at 0-60mph is just 7.1 seconds.

The 2008 X-Type features standard safety features such as anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake Distribution, three-point safety belts throughout and pre-tensioning front safety belts with load limiters.

The first in Jaguar history, the X-Type 3.0 derives its great-driving character from the Jaguar Traction-4™ advanced all-wheel-drive system. The innovative nature of this Jaguar sets it apart from it competition.

by Jessican Donaldson

JAGUAR X-TYPE NAMED TOP ASPIRATIONAL LUXURY CAR