Why I Hate The Jaguar Era That Produced The X-Type
It was only a matter of time before it happened. Only a matter of time before I parked up our Jaguar XE S longtermer next to its predecessor, the X-Type. So, when this first occurred a couple of weeks ago, I made sure I stuck around for a minute or two to survey the scene in front of me. “Jaguar’s idea of a 3-series rival, then and now” is how I put it when posting the comparison pic on Instagram. And oh my, does seeing the two next to each other do wonders for the newer car.
The modern, fresh XE made the classically styled X-Type look faintly ridiculous (not to mention small, thanks to the growth of cars over the years), and reminded me of just how much I hate that era of Jaguars. The X-Type, the S-Type and - even though I’m a fan of the car - the old XJ all share a ridiculous faux-retro look. And I don’t just dislike that because it resulted in some not terribly attractive cars (I find the S-Type in particular deeply ugly), but because having interior and exterior styling that looked to the past just wasn’t right. Particularly for a company like Jaguar.
If you look through the firm’s admittedly chequered history, it’s chock full of forward thinking and innovative technology. The XK120 was the first mass-produced engine to have hemispherical combustion chambers and dual overhead camshafts. The company was renowned for its work with disc brakes: the C-Type racer (above) had discs all round, and the car’s 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans win is widely credited as being the driving force for the disc brake revolution in the car industry.
The C-Type’s successor - the D-Type - was known for bringing aircraft-style engineering to the world of four-wheel in the form of a then-radical monocoque construction and advanced aerodynamics. The XJ220 may not have been the car it was supposed to be (despite four-wheel drive and a V12 engine being promised, it ended up being rear-wheel drive and powered by a turbo V6), but it was still a massive achievement to be crowned the fastest car in the world, even if it only briefly held the title.
Even in the daft retro pastiche, Ford-owned years, we had the X350 XJ with its aluminium construction - making it 40 per cent lighter and 60 per cent stiffer than its X308 predecessor. But that just made it all the more frustrating that Jaguar decided to wrap up all that high-tech stuff with a design that looked like it had been penned by someone who’d been locked in a windowless room without any contact with the outside world for the previous few decades.
These days, there’s plenty of innovation going on at Jaguar. There’s cool future tech like invisible pillars and clever systems to save us from the hell of pot holes, aluminium construction in all of its current cars and much more besides. Sure, the current infotainment system is pretty naff, but a replacement is on the way that’s said to be one of - if not the - best car touchscreens out there. Most importantly though, all that retro styling nonsense is nowhere to be seen. And that’s the way it should be.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Never was a fan of the S-type or the X-type saloon but the X-type estate and the XJ are great looking cars in my opinion
While I agree the xtype was not perfect at least it looked like a jag completely individual and unique in styling XE and the XF look like the picture this Ford Mondeo and yes I do have an X-Type bought it with 52000 miles it’s now at 94000 miles and I’ve replaced just two oxygen sensors which are expected to go around 70000 miles a radiator due to a stone and that’s it except for normal tyres new brake discs and pads on the front new pads on the rear and the normal fluid services everything out of the car is original my car is a 2005 2.5 v6 all wheel drive would I give it up for an XE forgetting the value difference has my car is now approaching 13 years not a chance for one reason and one reason only the styling is far too close to a Ford Mondeo so what I appreciate modern technologies but the new XE and XF for that matter I would rather have my Jag X-Type but to be fair I wouldn’t buy one now second hand remember I bought mine at 50000 and I am only the second owner and I have looked after it extremely well.
Jag XE ? No wait its a FORD MONDEO!!!!! At least the Jag X-Type looks like a Jaguar while I agree time to move on but why copy everyone else the Jaguar design has always been unique but not anymore the company is more interested in what sales hence why the current crop look like Ford Mondeos
People must also remember that part sharing between manufacturers is extremely Common whether low end price cars the most expensive top end sports cars part sharing is common and to be fair sensible because it keeps prices down it also allows manufacturers to use the best that manufacturers have to offer and when Jaguar made the X-Type bearing in mind it was supposed to be a car to encourage the younger generation into the brand so the price point had to be very keen for this reason the base model was around £20,000 slightly more then hi spec Mondeo of the time the pot shed with the front and rear subframes the actual floor they cut down slightly to accommodate the four wheel drive system of the larger engine models the most Ford in any of the Jaguars other diesels front wheel drive 2L and 2.2 the V6 engine only the Bare block of that engine is Ford the rest is Jaguar developed including items like pistons the variable valve timing giving a BHP of 194 compared to the Ford 2.5 of the time 160 ish BHP the wheel hubs and bearings are Ford the brakes are the same as the Ford but these are made by Bosch so don’t problem there I believe in the estate the rear suspension components I also Ford yet your body the interior most of the running gear and the V6 engines are Jaguar designed while it’s true that the jaguar has a more relaxed steering feel then in the Ford it fits the character of the car well I bought my 2005 2.5 v6 automatic Estate SE with sat nav and a whole host of toys in 2011 second owner 54000 miles on the clock I am now at 94000 miles and honestly all I have replaced are two cat sensors these go at 70000 miles approx also a radiator due to a flying stone and that’s it all my wheel bearings suspension components bushes exhaust are all original of course I’ve had the normal tyres brake discs and pads at the front pads at the back and fluid services but everything else is original I have looked after my X-Type extremely well and it runs as well as a day I first got it seven years ago I’m not even tempted to sell it it’s smooth it’s fast for an estate it might not have the crazy amounts of took the latest BMW diesels have but I’ll never have a diesel that’s the fuel of the devil and couldn’t be with a chug chug chug sound would I buy used one now probably not simply because most of them by now would have a string of owners lacklustre servicing etc apart from the dreaded MOT a garage has not touch my car for any reason whatsoever
I was in the market for a decent sized, comfortable saloon, and I went with the X-Type. It’s got a lovely interior, it’s actually a really nice looking car - I often get genuine compliments, and the only people who ever parrot the tired mondeo thing are either not car people but have seen top gear at least once, or drive a sh*tbox and want to make themselves feel good. It’s really economical (50+mpg) and has loads of torque, and is about as powerful as the equivalent 320d or C-class.
Also, park you XE-S next to a regular XE and that will look crap. Park a new 3-series next to a standard E46 and that will look crap. The Jaguar has a timeless design while other marques have aged badly. As for the “faux-retro” quip - it’s not faux, it was totally concurrent with the design of their cars at the time.
If you go on the Jag forums you’ll find thousands of enthusiasts who love the car, and for good reason. Car Throttle should maybe spend a bit less time slagging off cars its writers almost certainly haven’t driven. Stop acting like youtube commenters or fanboys.