1973 Jaguar E-type 5,3 Serie Iii Roadster Rhd on 2040-cars

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Jaguar could still revive XK as luxury grand tourer

With the F-Type taking the lion's – or Jaguar's – share of attention lately, it would be all too easy to forget all about a Jag once known as the XK. But it existed, and it could once again. First introduced in 1996 as the XK8 to replace the old XJS, the XK survived for two generations. It was available as a 2+2 coupe or convertible and was powered by Jaguar's signature AJ-V8 engine. By the time it was discontinued just this past summer, the ultimate XKR-S packed as much as 542 horsepower. But though it had two more seats, the XK was rendered largely obsolete by the arrival of the nimbler, newer and arguably more stylish F-Type. According to Autocar, however, the XK could be reinstated with a more GT-like approach. The XK as we've known it, said Jaguar's Ross Varney to the British weekly, "straddled the GT and sports car segment, with more of an emphasis on the GT side but probably not enough." Varney was in charge of the F-Type project and was also responsible for a new project to replace the XK until it was shut down earlier this year. "We have plans to do lots more with the F-Type," said Varney, "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." What Varney is saying, essentially, is that while the XK project may not be moving forward just yet, it could be revived in the near future. If it did, we'd be looking at a more accommodating and luxurious grand tourer, different from the F-Type that's more of a focused sports car. Think of it, then, as more of a Bentley Continental GT, but probably less expensive - or put another way, if the F-Type is a junior Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the new XK would be a (relatively) more accessible DB9. The intel sounds similar to what we heard when the most recent XK was being put out to pasture, but tells us that hope is still alive for those interested in a two-door Jag with room for the kids in the back.

Jaguar and Land Rover to consolidate dealerships

Jaguar and Land Rover are set to merge their sales facilities, according to Inside Line. Jaguar Land Rover North America President Andy Gross says 45 percent of Jaguar owners also have an SUV in their stable, so it makes sense to give customers as much exposure to the cat's high-riding cousins and possible. The number of overall outlets will remain the same, and the brands will reportedly remain separate on the showroom floor, however.
So far, just one dealer has made the move to combine under the roof of one 68,000 square-foot facility in Paramus, New Jersey (above), though a further 20 are ready to make the shift and become Jaguar Land Rover outlets. Gross believes the shift is necessary so that his company's dealer network will accurately reflect the company's products. We'll see how cozy the brands are when Jaguar starts rolling out its own SUVs in a few years.

Jaguar XF Sportbrake is the cure for the common F-Pace

Before Jaguar introduced the F-Pace crossover, the only way an American could get their hands on a long-roof leaper was to either move to Europe and buy an XF Sportbrake or pick up the rare X-Type Sportwagon on the used market. But now that the F-Pace is on sale, there's no need for a Jag wagon (henceforth known as the Jagon), right? Wrong. Spotted lapping the Nurburgring, the second-generation XF sedan transitions to wagon duty as naturally as the first-gen car did, promising a boost in cargo capacity without sacrificing the good looks of Jaguar's middle child. But the sloping roofline won't do the XF's versatility too many favors – as our spies rightly state, it looks like Jag's designers are favoring style over outright cargo space. Beyond the roofline, expect the new Sportbrake to follow its predecessor's example and adhere very closely to the XF sedan. Don't expect any changes from the firewall forward, with most of the changes above the beltline and at the tail, where Jag's designers obviously need to rethink the look to accommodate the rear hatch. The overall taillight shape should stay the same, while the lower bumper will carry over with only modest adjustments. Under hood, our spies report the car shown here is Jaguar's potent S trim, with a 380-horsepower, 3.0-liter, supercharged V6. While it's a safe bet that Jaguar will sell the Sportbrake in Europe with all the lesser XF engines – not to mention R and RS variants – it's unlikely all three mainstream engines will arrive in the US. Oh yeah, our spies claim there's a chance the long-roof XF will hit the US market. We're calling it a very slim chance, though. Audi and BMW deported their A6/5 Series wagons years ago, leaving the segment to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The Volvo V90 will add some Swedish flair to the segment, but the bottom line is that importing and federalizing a new model to compete in a segment responsible for just 20,000 units per year isn't good business. Here's hoping Jaguar makes a bad business decision. Related Video: Featured Gallery Jaguar XF Sportbrake: Spy Shots View 11 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos Jaguar Wagon Luxury jaguar xf sportbrake