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New Jaguar XK Considered, Could Use The Next F-Type’s Platform

Remember the awe-inspiring XK? Even though production stopped in 2014 and there’s no clear replacement on the horizon, Jaguar design director Ian Callum indicates that a 2+2 GT slotted above the F-Type sports car is a must.
Jaguar XKR-S 11 photos
Photo: Jaguar
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Speaking to Autocar at Pebble Beach, Callum said: “I want a two-seater and a 2+2. We’re working on something now. There’s nothing approved, but we instigate in design – that’s what we do.” Reading between the lines, the design team is trying to convince the higher-ups and bean counters that there’s sense to their madness. After all, Jaguar is known for making timeless grand tourers.

The XK, XJS, E-Type 2+2, there’s no denying grand touring is in the nature of Jaguar. On the subject of how the XK was phased out of production due to dwindling sales, Callum highlights that finding out the model line was dropped “was much to my frustration.” If the designer and his team get the go-ahead from the head honchos of the British automaker, Callum intends to make sure the XK will come back with a lot of room for the passengers and their luggage.

Probably the most telling line in Autocar’s report is the following: “The F-Type was never meant to kill the XK.” So to speak, it was always the plan to have both models serve different customers, and with an all-new XK, Jaguar could push its agenda even further up the food chain. After all, the XK is more oriented toward luxury while the F-Type is more about the driving experience.

If it happens - and it will probably will – the new XK would ride on the platform of the next-generation F-Type, which is expected to go official in 2019. Similar to the F-Type, the XK would be built at the company’s Castle Bromwich plant in the United Kingdom. According to the cited publication, the next-generation XK would not be introduced until at least 2021.
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Editor's note: Jaguar XKR-S pictured.

About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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