Preview of Jaguar's Detroit star saloon

[Pebb]

Source: AutoCar

You might not realise it, but you're looking at the tail light of the next new Jaguar saloon. The company has today released the first official picture of the concept car that's rumoured to prefigure the replacement for the current S-type, and this is it.

The concept will be shown at the Detroit show for the first time, and if it meets with a warm reception, is likely to enter production largely unchanged in early 2008. For now its name, and further pertinent details that relate to it, remain closely-guarded secrets at Gaydon. However, you can see Autocar's own artistic impression of the new car pictured right.

To find out all the details about Jaguar's big Detroit unveiling, get Autocar on 3 January

 

[skip0110]

Oh dear. Looks like a Kia or a Hyundai from the front.

 

[exigeracer]

What a pooey attempt at Jaguar design on the right.

The Jaguar one is great though. Callum will once again show us how it's done...

 

[Omnis]

Haha...Gaydon.

 

[ExigeEvan]

Oh dear. Looks like a Kia or a Hyundai from the front.

I certainly saw the Kia bit straight away.

 

[inferno]

yeah the artists rendering (right pic) is not a pleasant one. however the official pic of the tail section is the stuff of sweetness. i love how the waistline kind of continues on back with the rear of the canopy tapering inward. gives it a lovely hard core performance feel. and with those skinny tail lights... it reminds me allot of the 70 charger. and thats a verry good thing for me anyway. i love the way those cars look and the strongly styled rear deck has always been my favorite part. i'm loving this car.

[EDIT]
please note that ALL of my comments in regards to this car were reffering to the ONE official jaguar pic, (left pic) and in complete disregard of that horribly ugly, hyundai-esque artists rendering (right pic) that the car will most likely look nothing like.

 

[Poverty]

Ewwwww

 

[McLaren]

Well, this is a first. Jaguar mimicing Hyundai...what next? Ferraris looking like Kias?

Hyundai Sonata.

 

[TopHat]

Erm, wasn't the Hyundai a copy of a Jaguar, or a Mercedes E? Jags have always had those to Ovular Headlights, Do we care if they use it on the XJ? No. But on a new sedan, its the biggest deal in the world. Give it a rest. Its a Jag, they have those headlights. Get over it.

 

[McLaren]

The S-Type had 4 circles that never touched. The XJ Series also looks nothing like the Sonata.

And I'm not talking about the headlights. Study the front of the Sonata and the Jaguar picture. Many parts are very similar.

 

[JohnBM01]

I'll make this one quick... don't tell me that Jaguar and Buick joined forces! Just look at the grill of that thing! If this keeps up, then I'll have only Aston Martin to accept in terms of lovely British cars. That grill kind of looks like the grill to the Buick Lucerne or something. I don't dig this design change. Do you?

 

[harrytuttle]

The S-Type had 4 circles that never touched. The XJ Series also looks nothing like the Sonata.

And I'm not talking about the headlights. Study the front of the Sonata and the Jaguar picture. Many parts are very similar.

Yeah, I don't know how people can't see this: it's the bulbous grille and it's proportions to everything else. Besides just looking awful, it's a dead ringer for the Sonata. The lumpy hood doesn't help things either.

It doesn't look like a typical Jaguar (which is something I'm sure they were trying for, and something they need), but the problem is that it looks nothing like a Jaguar. The rear photo, though, does look promising. Could have been the shoulders of the new XK. Oh, well....

 

[Dave A]

Bear in ind that the right picture is not the official Jag image, the official Jag image is the left pic. The pic on the right that resembles a Kia, is an artists impression.

 

[YSSMAN]

Here is a good question; Is this going to be based on the new RWD platform that is supposedly spun-off of the Mustang?

 

[Jim Prower]

Erm..woah. that's not a Jaguar. nowhere NEAR sexy enough. hell, it DOES look like a Hyundai! form the back, it could be mistaken for a Lincoln!

As The Balladeer once said, "well, every great country band hits a few clinkers." that, and these pictures aren't really that good, anyway.

 

[Sting]

The front of the S-Type has always looked ugly to me, i hope they ditch the old style vertical grille.

 

[Dave A]

I dissagree, I think the current S-Type is a fantastic looking car, I hope they don't change it too much. Imo it's not nearly as boring to look at as most German, or Japanese counterparts, regardless of what may or may not be a better overall car than the Jag.

 

[YSSMAN]

Well, lets hope they can do a bit better with the S-Type replacement. In most cases, the XJ is at least a competitor in some respects to the 7-series and S-class, and I would hope the new S could do better against the 5-series and E-class.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

I can understand the need for a modernization of design over at Jag, but part of the attraction for me personally is the fact the XJ looks nigh-on identical to the last generation, but is a better car in every respect. I've grown to like the current S-type as well, because it's modern in every aspect except the looks, but what fun it must be to blow by unsuspecting sports car pilots in what looks like an old man's car .

I suppose the sales determine the final path though, and the bottom line is Jag isn't selling as well as the thrusty german cars. This teaser shot, oddly enough, continues the Callum theme of being very similar to Astons, because it has the Rapide's shoulders and light profile. Interesting to see what the rest of the car will look like.

 

[Dave A]

Well, lets hope they can do a bit better with the S-Type replacement. In most cases, the XJ is at least a competitor in some respects to the 7-series and S-class, and I would hope the new S could do better against the 5-series and E-class.

You make it sound like the S-Type isn't classed as a good car in America, I've read a few reviews of the S-Type from magazines like motortrend and they were all favourable ddP. It's not the best car in it's class but it is a very good car imo, I'd pick one over an Audi, Merc or BMW, they just appeal to me more.

 

[YSSMAN]

Well, lets put it this way... By the time the S-Class was on sale, combined with Jaguar's reluctance to significantly update the car has pretty much put it out of competition with most of the larger sedans in it's class. Certainly, it is a good car, but it just isn't as good as the 5-series or E-class... Hell, even the Cadillac STS manages to trump it...

I'm just hoping that Jaguar gives the same attention to this "XF" as they did to the XJ and XK, that way the car can take its rightful place at or near the top in the class. Because for those of us who would rather be driving British in some cases (that would be me, sometimes), our options are looking rather dim, year after year.

 

[exigeracer]

Don't forget how amazing the S Type diesel was written about. It took most publications by surprise, many saying it was one of the best diesels they'd ever driven.

 

[Dave A]

Well, lets put it this way... By the time the S-Class was on sale, combined with Jaguar's reluctance to significantly update the car has pretty much put it out of competition with most of the larger sedans in it's class. Certainly, it is a good car, but it just isn't as good as the 5-series or E-class... Hell, even the Cadillac STS manages to trump it...

Which is what I mean, I never read anytihng from America that put the car down below something like the STS. Literally everything I read form America about the S-Type was positive. It's not the best car in it's class by no means, but it's not that far off the top.

 

[G.T]

Don't forget how amazing the S Type diesel was written about. It took most publications by surprise, many saying it was one of the best diesels they'd ever driven.

It is...

As most of you probably know, my Dad used to own one for a few months, and it was truly a great car. I've never been in a BMW 5-series or Mercedes E-Class, but that Jaguar appealed a lot more to us, due to Jagaur's ever rising reliability, superb after sales support and considerably cheaper used (and new, even) prices here in the UK. It was quiet, except for a bit of wind noise on the motorway, comfortable and had a good ride with minimal body roll for such a car.

Hell, I even took a video of Dad overtaking a car on full throttle just before we parted with it a few months ago, just to remember how quiet that engine was (can upload it if you so desire...). Not the fastest thing ever, but it was certainly refined.

I'm now just afraid that Jaguar may mess up the usual "Jaguar-ness" of this car by making it sporty. I know it has to be done to survive, but they at least have to try and still be different...

 

[YSSMAN]

My guess is that Jaguar will maintain it's position as the "refined" choice in the segment, but adding a bit of sport will help. The XJ certainly is a performer, even in low-spec models (I wish we had the V6 version in America!), and it is the same story for the XK. Hopefully the XF will still be a bit of a soft-rider, but still be able to corner and carry plenty of speed.

 

[YSSMAN]

Official photos are here:

Photos of Jaguar's new C-XF concept leaked today, less than two weeks ahead of its official unveiling. As the name implies, the C-XF is a concept version of the forthcoming XF sedan. The XF will replace the S-Type in 2008, for the 2009 model year.

The C-XF has the same 400 horsepower 4.2-liter V8 as the S-Type R. The production model will be offered with a wide range of powerplants, similar to the existing S-Type. The production model will have a less sloped roofline, since the XF is intended to compete with the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes E-Class, rather than the Mercedes CLS.

Much better! Lets hope the performance is good enough to match the looks of the car!

 

[Dave A]

Ooh, now that is a tasty car. I'm not too fussed about it's performance, as in, how fast it will go round a track or if it will keep up with xxx to 100mph or anthing like theat tbh. For a car of this nature I never have seen the fuss in that, you never see them at the track. 0-60 again is only really needed upto a certain point. The 30-60, 50-70 ect is important, overtaking acceleration is something you use on the road day to day. Which again, is something most cars in this class arn't lacking in. A lot of people seem to think that it's not as good if it's 1 second slower to 60 than xxx car, but in day to day use, are you really going to miss that 1 second. What really matters is the ride quality, the feel of the car to drive as opposed to raw performance, then there's the comfort, reliability and build quality of the trim which are very important in a car like this, far higher on my list of importance than performance which is almost gaurenteed to be better than you'll need.

 

[Jim Prower]

Oh...better puctures...Better looks.

Sorry, Jaguar, I was wrong...still dont' like the "Lincoln" tails, though.

 

[G.T]

Very tasty styling!

Not many cars around that look like that, that's for sure.

 

[DuckRacer]

Now that's a sweet car.