Car Throttle Parting Shot - The Jaguar X-Type

Welcome to the Car Throttle Parting Shot, where we take a look at a production vehicle that has been recently discontinued, and ask "Was it really that bad?". At the turn of the millennium, Jaguar (who was then owned by the Ford Motor Company) wanted to reach for new buyers who seemed to always like the look of a Jaguar, but felt that it may have been too expensive to acquire. Jaguar watched how successful BMW and Mercedes entry level models were at capturing, and then retaining their customer base, and felt they could copy the formula. Unfortunately, the X-Type wasn't their best effort in capturing or retaining buyers. Let's take a Parting Shot at the Mondeo in Jaguar clothing, the X-Type.

The Jaguar X-Type was produced from 2002-'08. Available as a sedan and later, beginning in 2005 as a Sportswagon, the X-Type featured Jaguar's classic exterior styling cues, meant to recall the elegant XJ-series sedans. The subtle Jaguar styling included flowing lines, hooded headlamps, a rectangular grill, chrome features throughout, and a leaping Jaguar hood mascot.

Originally, Jaguar offered X-Type buyers the choice of a 194-horsepower 2.5-liter V6 or a 3.0-liter V6 (first rated at 231 hp and later 227). A five-speed manual gearbox was offered only with the smaller V6. Most buyers still ordered the five-speed automatic transmission on the X-Type 2.5, however. Jaguar dropped the 2.5 model altogether after the 2005 model year. All-wheel drive, which helps to improve traction in wet or snowy conditions, was always standard. However in 2003, in an effort to move more X-Types, there was a FWD version available, which still did not help.

Like most small luxury cars, the Jaguar X-Type was comfortable for up to four passengers but cramped for five. Buyers should also note that the car's dramatic roof line made for tighter headroom than in some other entry-luxury compacts. The X-Type's interior had an unfortunate blend of traditional Jaguar elements (wood veneers, supple leather upholstery and a restrained use of chrome trim) and mundane plastic parts more appropriate for a Ford rental. There were also quality control problems on early models.

The X-Type has been Jaguar's bestselling model since its introduction, but it was largely a financial disaster for Jaguar. Despite the X-Type competing in the growing compact executive sector, sales never met expectations of 100,000 annually, 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 sold 48,922 A4s, BMW sold 106,950 3-series and Mercedes-Benz sold 60,658 C-Classes.

Ford's attempt to turn the Ford Mondeo front-drive compact car into an "all-wheel drive" Jaguar sports sedan by badge engineering backfired. Many compared it to the Cadillac Cimarron, even though reviews were fairly positive. Its origins did little to appeal to the buyers of high-priced imports. Consumers also thought it was absurd to pay considerably more for a rebadged Mondeo despite more standard equipment, and consumers felt that Ford should have developed a compact model specifically for Jaguar instead.

Due to poor sales and reduced profit margins, stemming partly from a weaker United States dollar, Jaguar ceased sales of the X-Type in North America in late 2007, but sales in Europe continue. Now that Jaguar is a part of the TATA Group, there should be very little badge engineering, unless they decide to produce a Jaguar version of the Nano.

The idea of producing an entry level Jaguar was a noble one. Taking the playbook from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes Benz, a true entry level executive car should have started with a brand new platform, not a borrowed chassis from a mass produced everyday vehicle. Because the buying public is so informed on the vehicles they purchase, the idea of paying an executive car price tag for a reworked Modeo really didn't help. Is the Jaguar X-Type really that bad? Well, no, they are nicely styled, and later versions actually held up quite nicely. The Sportwagon version is actually a nice ride. But it's still a Ford Mondeo under all that stylish sheet metal, and that's my parting shot.