Jaguar X-type 2001–2009
| Jaguar X-Type | |
|---|---|
Jaguar X-Type Saloon
|
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Jaguar Cars |
| Production | 2001–2009 |
| Assembly | United Kingdom: Halewood, England (Halewood Body & Assembly) |
| Designer | Ian Callum (estate) Wayne Burgess (saloon) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Compact executive car (D) |
| Body style | 4-door notchback saloon 5-door estate |
| Layout | Transverse Front engine, front-wheel drive / all-wheel drive |
| Platform | Ford CD132 platform |
| Related | Ford Mondeo |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine |
|
| Transmission | 5-speed automatic 6-speed automatic 5-speed manual 6-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 106.7 in (2,710 mm) |
| Length | Saloon ('01-'08): 4,672 mm (183.9 in) Saloon ('08-'09): 4,716 mm (185.7 in) Estate ('04-'09): 185.5 in (4,710 mm) |
| Width | Body ('01-'09) 70.4 in (1,790 mm) Overall ('01-'08) 78.8 in (2,000 mm) Overall ('08-'09) 2,000 mm (78.7 in) |
| Height | Saloon ('01-'08) 54.8 in (1,390 mm) Saloon ('08-'09) 1,430 mm (56.3 in) Estate ('04-'09) 58.4 in (1,480 mm) |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Jaguar XE |
The Jaguar X-Type is an entry-level luxury car that was manufactured and marketed by Jaguar Cars from 2001 to 2009 in a single generation under the internal designation X400.
Manufactured at the Halewood Assembly Facility near Liverpool, the X-Type was developed during Jaguar's tenure in the Premier Automotive Group (PAG) of Ford Motor Company — and was based on a modified version of the Ford CD132 platform, shared with the contemporary Ford Mondeo.
The smallest of the Jaguar model range, the X-Type was marketed in notchback saloon and estate variants, and was the first estate manufactured in series production by the company.
Description
The Jaguar X-Type, codenamed X400, was launched in October 2001 as Jaguar's first compact executive car since the Jaguar Mark 2 of 1959. The X-Type was one of the last to be styled under the supervision of Geoff Lawson, with Wayne Burgess as principal designer.
The four-door saloon was launched in 2001 and in 2004 the five-door estate joined the range with production of both versions ending in 2009. The estate was officially marketed as the "Sportwagon” in the United States and was the first Jaguar model designed by Ian Callum.
Initially, the X-Type was only available with all-wheel-drive and either a 2.5 litre or 3.0 litre V6 petrol engine. In 2002, an entry-level 2.1 litre V6 front-wheel-drive model was added. All three engines were available with either five-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmissions. The X-Type grille was slightly modified for both the 2004 and 2006 model years.
Facelift
The X-Type facelift was unveiled at the 2007 Canary Wharf Motorexpo. The revised X-Type went on sale internationally during 2008, with UK sales from March. The facelift featured revised front and rear fascias, new door mirrors with integrated turn indicator repeaters, the choice of a 2.2-litre diesel with particulate filter and a new six-speed automatic transmission with Jaguar Sequential Shift. The range continued to offer the 2.0-litre diesel, and two V6 petrol engines; 2.5 and 3.0-litre. In some European markets, the petrol engines were no longer marketed.
On 15 July 2009, Jaguar Land Rover announced that it would end production of the X-Type by late 2009, with the loss of 300 jobs, and have a three-week shut down, at their plant in Halewood where the car was built, between September and December. By this time more than 350,000 had been produced.
Special editions
In 2004, the Spirit limited model based on the 2.5-litre V6 featured the 'Sports Collection' pack with new spoilers and rear valance. It was followed in 2005 by the XS limited edition, which continued the sports theme, but available with a wider range of engines.
Technical
The X-Type was based on a modified version of the Ford CD132 platform shared with the Ford Mondeo. The X-Type was initially offered as all-wheel drive only and mated to a 2.5 litre and 3.0 litre AJ-V6 petrol engine.
The Jaguar AJ-V6 engine design is unique to the Jaguar X-Type; one notable addition is the use of variable valve timing. The X-Type's petrol engine is also set apart by the use of SFI fuel injection, four valves per cylinder and features fracture-split forged powder metal connecting rods plus a one-piece cast camshaft and has direct-acting mechanical bucket (DAMB) tappets.
In 2003, the X-Type was also offered in front-wheel drive with the introduction of Jaguar’s first four-cylinder diesel engines (based on the Ford Duratorq ZSD unit from the Mondeo and Transit), and with the smaller 2.1 litre petrol V6. The six-speed automatic transmission supplied on the later 2.2-litre diesel models includes Jaguar Sequential Shift.
Engines
| Model | Years | Displacement | Bore x Stroke | Power | Torque | Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1-litre V6 petrol | 2001–2007 | 2,099 cc (128.1 cu in) V6 | 81.65 mm × 66.84 mm (3.21 in × 2.63 in) | 157 PS (115 kW; 155 hp) | 201 N·m (148 lbf·ft) | 5-speed manual |
| 2.1-litre V6 petrol | 2001–2008 | 2,099 cc (128.1 cu in) V6 | 81.65 mm × 66.84 mm (3.21 in × 2.63 in) | 156 PS (115 kW; 154 hp) @ 6,800 | 196 N·m (145 lbf·ft) @ 4,100 | 5-speed manual, 5-speed automatic |
| 2.5-litre V6 petrol | 2001–2009 | 2,495 cc (152.3 cu in) V6 | 81.6 mm × 79.5 mm (3.21 in × 3.13 in) | 194 PS (143 kW; 191 hp) @ 6,800 | 244 N·m (180 lbf·ft) @ 3,000 | 5-speed manual, 5-speed automatic |
| 3.0-litre V6 petrol | 2001–2009 | 2,967 cc (181.1 cu in) V6 | 89.0 mm × 79.5 mm (3.50 in × 3.13 in) | 231 PS (170 kW; 228 hp) @ 6,800 | 279.3 N·m (206 lbf·ft) @ 3,000 | 5-speed manual, 5-speed automatic |
| 2.0-litre diesel | 2003–2007 | 1,998 cc (121.9 cu in) I4 | 86 mm × 86 mm (3.4 in × 3.4 in) | 128 PS (94 kW; 126 hp) @ 3,800 | 331 N·m (244 lbf·ft) @ 1,800 | 5-speed manual |
| 2.0-litre diesel | 2008-2009 | 1,998 cc (121.9 cu in) I4 | 86 mm × 86 mm (3.4 in × 3.4 in) | 130 PS (96 kW; 128 hp) @ 3,800 | 330 N·m (240 lbf·ft) @ 1,800 | 5-speed manual |
| 2.2-litre diesel | 2003–2007 | 2,198 cc (134.1 cu in) I4 | 86 mm × 94.6 mm (3.39 in × 3.72 in) | 152 PS (112 kW; 150 hp) @ 3,500 | 366 N·m (270 lbf·ft) @ 1,800 | 6-speed manual |
| 2.2-litre diesel | 2008-2009 | 2,198 cc (134.1 cu in) I4 | 86 mm × 94.6 mm (3.39 in × 3.72 in) | 155 PS (114 kW; 153 hp) @ 3,500 | 360 N·m (270 lbf·ft) @ 1,800 | 6-speed manual |
| 2.2-litre diesel DPF | 2008–2009 | 2,198 cc (134.1 cu in) I4 | 86 mm × 94.6 mm (3.39 in × 3.72 in) | 145 PS (107 kW; 143 hp) @ 3,500 | 360 N·m (270 lbf·ft) @ 1,800 | 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic |
Safety
| Euro NCAP 2002 X-Type | Points | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Occupant: | 26 out of 36 |   |
| Pedestrian Impact: | 2 out of 36 | |
| ANCAP 2010 X-Type | Points | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score: | 26.40 out of 37 | |
| Offset Impact: | 10.40 out of 16 | |
| Side Impact: | 14.10 out of 16 | |
| Pole Impact: | 2 out of 2 | |
| Bonus Points: | 0 out of 3 |
| NHTSA 2004 X-Type | Rating |
|---|---|
| Frontal Driver: | |
| Frontal Passenger: | |
| Side Driver: | |
| Side Passenger: | |
| Rollover 4WD: | (10.5%) |
Security
The X-Type was tested by Thatcham's New Vehicle Security Ratings (NVSR) organisation and achieved the following ratings:
| X-Type | Rating |
|---|---|
| Theft of car: | |
| Theft from car: | |
Sales and reception
In November 2000, managing director Jonathan Browning said Jaguar's objective was to achieve annual sales of 100,000 with the car, partly by taking market share from established German rivals and partly by expanding the market segment in Jaguar's key markets. The X-Type was Jaguar's best-selling model during almost all its production run, but sales did not meet projections, peaking at 50,000 in 2003. In the United States, the car's primary market, sales dropped from 21,542 in 2004 to 10,941 in 2005. In the same year, Audi sold 48,922 A4s, BMW sold 106,950 3 Series' and Mercedes-Benz sold 60,658 C-Class'.
The X-Type's sharing of a modified Ford Mondeo platform (shared with the Land Rover Freelander Compact SUV which was also produced at Halewood) wasn't well received by Jaguar "purists." The X-Type's limited powertrain choices also affected its market reception. Initially, the X-type was only available with thirsty 6-cylinder petrol engines coupled to an all-wheel drive system, whilst its key German rivals - the BMW 3-Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class are sold predominantly in 2-wheel drive form with 4-cylinder petrol or diesel engines, a critical offering in the economy-conscious European market. A 4-cylinder diesel option (with 2-wheel drive) was not offered in the X-Type until several years after its release. Time magazine called the X-Type a "British Cadillac Cimarron" in its "50 Worst Cars of All Time" list, saying its platform sharing made it unpopular.
Jeremy Clarkson of BBC's Top Gear lauded the X-Type, especially the 4×4 and sport versions. In two episodes he demonstrated its capabilities in the snow, declaring that it "laughs in the face of the weatherman, the police and the AA, with their advice to stay at home". Although he gives a different representation of the car being a Ford Mondeo underneath, affirming that this should not put you off, saying that "genetically, you are 98% identical to a halibut, but it's the 2% that makes the difference".
Other car magazine and website reviews were largely positive for the X-Type, especially during its introduction. The X-Type used only 20% of Ford Mondeo's components, while a variety of Ford platforms, engines and components were being used by all models of the Ford Motor Company's luxury brands in that period, namely Aston Martin, Jaguar and Lincoln. In 2008, Jaguar director of design Ian Callum said that the X-Type “was essentially designed in Detroit and presented as close as a fait accompli to reluctant designers and engineers at Jaguar's Whitley design centre."
Media Appearances
Black Jaguar X-Types were a regular occurrence in series nine and ten of Midsomer Murders.
In Brazil's Tempos Modernos telenovela a Jaguar X-Type was used extensively as a main character's vehicle.
My Lucky Star, known in Taiwan as Fang Yang De Xing Xing, featured a silver-blue X-Type in 2007.
A black X-Type was heavily used in series one, episode one of Canadian television series Orphan Black.
Reviews
- The AA
Likes: Elegant yet contemporary looks, silky smooth driving experience, petrol engines provide suitable soundtrack, high specification level as standard.
Gripes: Non AWD models less fun to drive, smallish load area with all seats in place, rear seats do not fold completely flat, body-coloured grilles of Sport models spoil looks. - Auto Express
'Ride, handling and grip are good, finding a fine balance between comfort and sporting ability, cabin is unmistakably Jaguar.'
'Traditional look and feel ... it's not the most spacious car in its class.' - Auto Trader
'The Jaguar X-Type is the only luxury saloon in its class, according to its makers. And while owners of bona fide luxury cars may scoff, the X-Type has all the right ingredients: heritage, comfort and sartorial elegance.' - Car
'A bit of traditional Jag dynamic sensations and half-decent value will tempt some, but no amount of exterior tweaking can hide why the X-type missed its target.' - Driving
Good - Tempting prices, comfort & kit levels, dynamics.
Not So Good - High running costs of petrol models, patchy reliability, old-fashioned styling. - Honest John
Positives: Compact Jaguar, smart looks and roomy load bay, V6s are four-wheel drive, diesels are quite frugal.
Negatives: Not recommended for towing, uneven tyre wear on AWD V6 cars. - Parker's
Pros: Very comfortable and refined, sophisticated image, decent handling, decent boot space, good long distance cruiser.
Cons: Traditional styling, cramped rear space, limited engine range, some cheap interior trim. - RAC
'This is a car that has layers, textures and subtleties to its talents, a Jaguar that needs no preamble. It's up there with the best in the class. Just don't expect a bargain.' - Verdict On Cars
'Average. Jag's supposed rival to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class is fading fast. It's still a good car, but doubts as to whether it deserves the badge are growing.' - What Car?
'Low prices and a good drive make it a real alternative to a BMW 3-Series. [The Estate] drives just as well as the saloon version, but gives more practicality.' - Wise Buyer's
'X-Type is sporty to drive and very comfortable, plus it has that charismatic Jaguar badge. But it's up against some fine executive cars. It majors on value for money and performance.'
Awards
Jaguar X-Type won AutoWeek's Editors Choice Award as the Most Significant Car at the Geneva Motor Show of 2001.
Replacement
In January 2011, Jaguar said plans for successor for the X-Type were under consideration, to compete with models such as the BMW 3 Series, and to be positioned below the current XF.
The project, codenamed X760, is set to be launched in 2015. In March 2014, Jaguar confirmed that the X-Type's replacement will be named the Jaguar XE.