Across the whole spectrum of talent and tech, from its lightweight construction to its SUV variant, Jag’s 3 Series rival promises to upset the form book – and help the company quadruple in size.
1. Jag’s 3-series is uniquely aluminium
Jaguar stands on the brink of its most spectacular new model onslaught in history, spearheaded by this sports saloon codenamed ‘X760’, but which we now know as the ‘XE’. Jaguar have revealed the four-door’s design, and will start production of its all-new Ingenium engines, put the finishing touches to its lightweight architecture and take the first customer orders, ahead of initial deliveries in April 2015. That will light the blue touch paper on a make-or-break bid to quadruple Jaguar’s size.
The XE will re-launch Jaguar into the small saloon market, worth two million sales annually. And that means going toe-to-toe with some heavyweight competition: BMW’s all-conquering 3 Series, and new-for-2014 versions of the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Jaguar have chastening memories of their last attempt to crack this market; the ill-fated X-type almost bankrupted the company and limped out of production in 2009.
Whereas the X-type rolled on a rehashed Ford Mondeo platform, a cutting-edge architecture underpins the XE. Uniquely in this market segment, Jaguar’s small sports saloon has an aluminium monocoque chassis, made almost entirely from re-cycled alloy, and joined using innovative bonding and riveting processes. It’s been decades since Jaguar launched a car with unique, potentially class-leading technology.
Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar-Land Rover group strategy director, says, ‘With our intelligent aluminium architecture we have the technology to support our future products, [starting with] a small saloon. This saloon will have an unparalleled blend of performance and efficiency, with the range offering less than 100 g/km of CO2 and 300 km/h. The car will be a true Jaguar, and will revolutionise the segment.’
The aluminium structure should unlock several virtues. There’s a 100-kg weight saving compared with a steel body. So insiders are confident that the XE will be the lightest car in its class, enhancing its efficiency and performance, though they won’t know for sure until Audi and Mercedes show their hands. ‘The super-stiff aluminium structure will set a new benchmark for refinement, the likes of which the class has never seen before,’ says an insider.
Jaguar are targeting a 50:50 front/rear weight distribution for optimum balance, and the rigid structure should provide an excellent base for a precise suspension tuning. ‘We’ve invested a lot in suspension technology, with an advanced multi-link rear suspension to beat the 3 Series. Add in our capabilities on ride and handling and we’re confident we’ll have something very special,’ continues our source.
More on page 2 >
