Jaguar has decided to abandon its work on what would be an amazing lineup of sports cars including an XK coupe replacement and the hot hot hot C-X75 supercar it made a big deal about in that movie last year, according to Automobile Magazine. Instead they want to do something dumb and develop “electric vehicles” for “the future.”
Back when Jaguar killed the XK a couple of years ago there was still hope they might attempt to remodel it into a larger GT car on a stretched F-Type platform, and offer both a coupe and convertible. Well that’s not happening now, likely for a lot of reasons. Mainly because Jag has the F-Type and it’d be silly to introduce something bigger and likely more expensive to compete within the lineup.
There’s also the badass C-X75 concept car that started out as a turbine monstrosity, died, and then came back with a V8 to be the bad guy in last year’s Bond flick, Spectre. Fans and potential owners alike begged Jaguar for at least a limited run, and it sort of seemed like a now-or-never time to greenlight the hot-then-cold car, but evidently it will now be never.
The report form Automobile Mag claims that Jaguar design chief Ian Callum had been fighting for both, but will have to instead work with a large four-door coupe luxury EV codenamed the X590:
Codenamed X590, the large luxury EV is said to be a breathtaking four-door coupe with a rear hatch. The decision to build the X590 signals a dramatic shift in strategy by JLR as it attempts to build a presence in a segment dominated by the Mercedes-Benz S-class and BMW’s 7 Series — and ends a clash between JLR boss Ralf Speth, who wanted a conventional three-box sedan to replace the current XJ, and Jaguar design chief Ian Callum, who had been fighting for a big coupe.
The X590 will use the brand-new electronic architecture developed under the watch of former BMW engineer Wolfgang Ziebart, which can reportedly be adapted to accommodate the software — and hardware – needed for advanced autonomous driving capability. The whispers out of Coventry suggest Jaguar will buy batteries and electric motors from leading third party systems suppliers while defining the performance electronics in-house.
Jag is gunning to beat the Germans’ EV limousines to market by a year, which might give the brand’s large-sedan lineup the boost it needs. The normal XJ and its long wheelbase version are not expected to die off immediately to help transition buyers to something dumb called the future.
Then, in 2019, Jaguar will introduce an electric SUV that started life as a Range Rover, which will be available with RWD or AWD motor configurations. From the report:
Both EV Jags, which are likely to be built by Austrian manufacturing specialist Magna, will go on sale just as demand for premium EVs is projected to explode. The production volume of the X590 is currently slated to be between 20,000 and 30,000 vehicles per year, while the SUV, which will be more affordable, is expected to attract between 30,000 and 50,000 customers.
It’s sad that the sexy coupes had to die to make room for Jaguar to develop its electric future—we’re not even getting EV coupes for a one-to-one swap. But, as Tesla has proven, an electric platform can provide the British brand with the performance enthusiasts want and the luxury you expect, which just might make them the perfect Jaaaaaags.
Just keep making the F-Type forever, too.