This according to the Indian owned British automaker’s Head of Design Ian Callum, who told US publication Road & Track at the Paris Motor Show that the replacement for the aged luxury sedan is almost ready for production.
He also rebuked claims that it is becoming more challenging to sell sedans in relation to the rapid shift towards SUVs and crossovers, saying that the XJ, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, has proved to be a satisfactory despite being smaller than its immediate competition.
“The [sales] volume of this XJ? It has never been huge. It was in the 20,000s at one point, and it went down to below 10,000 worldwide I think, but it is eight years old now. It’s still the best to drive though, of all the F-segment cars. But it is eight years old, and I think the age has a lot to do with it,” Callum said.
“Interestingly enough, the sedan market is still as big as the SUV market, it’s fifty-fifty around the world. It is skewed towards Asia. They do prefer sedans, and we can’t ignore that. But the western world is definitely heading towards SUVs”.
Describing the greater majority of buyers as “fickle”, Callum remarked that the chances of the traditional three-box sedan falling by the wayside are small given that a generation of buyers, “beyond millennials”, are not concerned with wanting an off-roader.
“I think they will want sedans again. I think it might move back, and so we have to be prepared. People are moving towards SUVs because they are more practical. And people like to sit high, like to have a dominating view of the world. [However], I’m not convinced it will be forever. I think people will be back to sedans, and station wagons as well. I hope,” he continued.
Asked about the next XJ, Callum stated that, “It has to be beautiful, sporty, sleek, it has to be a drivers’ car. The design has to signify the message of a sports car. It’s not just a three-box sedan. It’s something people wanna get into and drive. And that has to be a message of its shape”.
Meanwhile, Jaguar has announced that it has ended production of the limited run XJR 575 in Europe due to it not meeting the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) requirements enforced on the Old Continent on September first.
Unveiled just over a year ago, the XJR 575, which uses a reworked version of the long serving 5.0-litre supercharged V8 that produces 423kW/700Nm and comes with a number of model specific tweaks, will however remain available in the United States and in other markets outside Europe, including South Africa.
