Not happy with tackling traditional segments Jaguar are rumoured to be working on a front-wheel driven baby saloon. The new model is supposedly aimed at the Indian and Chinese markets, as well as taking a leading role in the all-important US market. The smallest member of the Jaguar family will target the upper end of the premium small car market such as the imminent Audi A3 saloon and Mercedes-Benz’s CLC.
Our counterparts at Autocar.co.uk say the all-new model will be introduced by 2015 and is likely to built in the UK and India. Power for the new “baby” Jag will be supplied by all-new three-cylinder, 1,5-litre and four-cylinder, 1,8 and 2,0-litre turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. Eight and nine-speed automatic transmissions are expected to be used for power delivery.
The car’s closest conceptual rivals in the showroom are expected to be the upcoming Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLC small saloons, both of which have been previewed as concepts. Apart from the four-door version there will be variations on the theme including a coupé and possibly a small roadster.
Last year, now-departed Jaguar-Land Rover boss Carl-Peter Forster said Jaguar needed a “successor to the X-type… and we need (it) in several variations.”
Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar’s global brand director, told Autocar earlier this year that he bought in to the concept of a small saloon. “We’ve got to be careful, and not be too British and think that just because we didn’t hit the bull’s-eye first time [with the X-type], we can’t hit it a second time,” he said.
There are no initial indications as to the new model’s style direction, but don’t bet on it not sharing several cues with its larger siblings. The interior will be more modern than anything Jaguar has done so far, putting the emphasis on large-screen displays and connectivity, as well as Audi-matching finish.
The baby Jaguar could be based on a variation of the new LR-MS platform that underpins the new Range Rover Evoque. Even though Jaguar is increasingly making play of its use of lightweight aluminium construction, an all-aluminium platform would be too expensive for a car of this price.
