New look for Jaguar X-Type

Jaguar could replace its X-Type lower-premium car with a “shooting brake”-style station wagon. The X-Type, which comes as a sedan and station wagon, is Jaguar’s best-selling model. Its sales have not matched the British sports car maker’s hopes since its 2001 launch.

Development work on the X-Type’s successor has been delayed as Jaguar debates what kind of vehicle should replace it. The X-Type’s successor likely will be equipped with all-wheel drive.

Last year Jaguar built 44,965 X-Types, down from 59,992 in 2004.

Jaguar had problems with the X-Type from the beginning. The vehicle was derived from the Ford Mondeo, and some customers didn’t feel it was a proper Jaguar.

The carmaker was slow to bring diesel and station wagon versions to market. The X-Type also performed very poorly in North America, where dealers had to offer big incentives to sell the cars.