The debut of Jaguar's->ke39 first crossover->ke288 vehicle, the F-Pace,->ke5038 is coming up fast, and with it a fundamental change in the way we think of Jaguar. The CUV is expected to debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show->ke235 this September, broadening Jaguar's lineup in an entirely new direction. Car and Driver snatched a moment at the Mille Miglia->ke2659 to chat with Jaguar's chief designer Ian Callum about the F-Pace and the future of the rest of the Jaguar lineup, and got some surprising tidbits -- most notably, that a next-generation XK->ke1153 is "not a priority."

Callum, who's been behind the design of every modern Jaguar since 1999, said that the F-Pace will be a performance CUV, borrowing from Land Rover's->ke46 sport-CUV playbook while riding on a platform that's unique to Jaguar. As the F-Pace is intended to improve Jaguar's ability to compete with BMW,->ke178 Audi->ke14 and Mercedes,->ke187 competent handling will be paramount.

Things get interesting when Callum is asked about the next XK. The success of the F-Type->ke1224 has led to speculation that the next XK might be a 2+2 version of that car, and Callum observed that the question has been asked at Jaguar as well. "We've got a few ideas," he said. "It's not a priority." He didn't elaborate on what Jaguar's focusing on instead, of course, but did observe that in spite of the foray into the crossover market, "We're not really in a place to expand any more," in regards to the possibility of another small Jag. A larger crossover has also been all but ruled out.

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Why it matters

Chances are this is good news for Jaguar fans worried that the brand is going to lose its focus. Though the F-Pace might at first seem to be anathema to Jaguar's sporting heritage, it's a calculated move by the company, and Callum's comments seem to suggest that this is not the beginning of a wild expansion that will ultimately dilute Jaguar's spirit. The F-Pace rides a modular aluminum-intensive platform that is expected to underpin both the upcoming XE->ke3138 sedan and the next-generation XF, providing sustainable growth for Jaguar's lineup. In spite of the next-gen XK being labeled not a priority, the 911-fighting->ke282 F-Type (whose next generation is already being considered by Callum and his design team) will ensure that Jaguar's performance spirit stays alive.

2016 Jaguar F-Pace

You can read our speculative review of the F-Pace here.