The Jaguar XK->ke1153 has long been a bit of a `tweener car, as it spanned the small gap between sports car and GT car. Thanks to its sleek body lines, precise handling and a range of engines that peak with a 550-horsepower, supercharged V-8, it drives like a proper sports car.->ke506 However, with its comfortable cabin and 2+2 setup, it also feels like a grand touring car.
Despite being a great car, once the 2014 F-Type arrived as the halo sports car for the brand, there was no longer a need for the XK. And with it no longer needed, Jaguar announced that the 2015 XK will mark the end of the nameplate. However, a new report from Autocar claims that this elimination may be a temporary one.
Autocar spoke the the XK's former project leader, Russ Varney, who also oversees the development of the F-Type, and he alluded to the the XK making a comeback. In the interview, Varney said "We have plans to do lots more with the F-type, and we expect it to cover a lot of bases, but there will still be other areas we want to cover. We need to find the right way to deliver on them, and the XK could be one way of doing that." He also said “The car straddled the GT and sports car segment, with more of an emphasis on the GT side but probably not enough of an emphasis on the GT side. There is no reason the XK couldn’t exist today as a true contender in that GT segment."
Reading between the lines, it looks as if he's saying that Jaguar->ke39 may be temporarily resting the XK name while it works on a pure GT car. And the name of that GT car... You guessed it; it very well could retake the XK name. That would be a great way to round out the Jaguar lineup without having to get buyers used to an all-new name.
Whether of not the XK makes a comeback, it is no mystery that Jaguar needs a grand tourer to properly compete with its European rivals.
Autocar
Click past the jump to read more about the Jaguar XK.0}
The luxury car->ke505 realm has become so niche-market dominated lately that smaller manufacturers like Jaguar and Aston Martin have a hard time covering all segments. At the very least, they need to cover all of the main luxury segments, and a representative in the grand touring segment is a must-have. Regardless of its name, this is a segment that Jag can't afford to stay out of, but having a familiar name like the XK would make it far easier to sell.