Ford_News
09-19-2013, 07:06 AM
Filed under: Sedan (http://www.autoblog.com/category/sedans/), Europe (http://www.autoblog.com/category/euro/), Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/), Jaguar (http://www.autoblog.com/jaguar/), Design/Style (http://www.autoblog.com/category/design-style/), Luxury (http://www.autoblog.com/category/luxury/)
http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/GLOB/crop/1259x844+9+0/resize/628x417!/format/jpg/quality/85/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/adam/5997bef5e448237cf0ec13f9835cd68e/2008xtype_hi001.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-jaguar-x-type-1/)
History has a way of repeating itself, especially in the auto industry. When Jaguar (http://www.autoblog.com/jaguar/) was owned by Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/), the British brand attempted to field a competitor for the BMW 3 Series (http://www.autoblog.com/bmw/3+series/), called the X-Type (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/jaguar+x-type/). Based on the bones of a Ford Mondeo (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/fusion/), it aped the styling of Jaguar's flagship model, the XJ (http://www.autoblog.com/jaguar/xj/), while borrowing liberally from the Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/) parts bin. That was 2001.
Now, in 2013, Jaguar is planning a new 3 Series challenger based on the platform previewed by the C-X17 Concept (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/09/jaguar-c-x17-crossover-concept-revealed/), while Ford is attempting to take the latest Mondeo upmarket (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/03/ford-reveal-vignale-sub-brand-special-mondeo-frankfurt/). The moves have both brands recognizing where, why, and how the X-Type failed. "It didn't look mature or powerful or anything. It was just a car," Jaguar's current head of advanced design, Julian Thomson, told PistonHeads (http://www.pistonheads.com/news/28479.htm). Basing the X-Type on a front-drive car while giving it styling that was meant for a rear-driver lead to proportions that "were plainly wrong," Thomson told PH. Ford's European head of quality, Gunnar Herrmann, added that the X-Type was "a fake Jaguar, because every piece I touch is Ford."
For what it's worth, the X-Type's successor in the segment will sport rear-drive, with plenty of input from Ian Callum (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/ian+callum/). Thomson described the new model, which would challenge the 3 Series as having, "Big wheels right to the ends of the car, low bonnet, short overhangs, very low cabins." Sounds good to us.Jaguar design boss admits X-Type was a mistake (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/19/jaguar-design-boss-admits-x-type-was-a-mistake/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Thu, 19 Sep 2013 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.mnfords.com/rss-term-of-use/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/19/jaguar-design-boss-admits-x-type-was-a-mistake/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20723923/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/19/jaguar-design-boss-admits-x-type-was-a-mistake/#comments)
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http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/GLOB/crop/1259x844+9+0/resize/628x417!/format/jpg/quality/85/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/adam/5997bef5e448237cf0ec13f9835cd68e/2008xtype_hi001.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-jaguar-x-type-1/)
History has a way of repeating itself, especially in the auto industry. When Jaguar (http://www.autoblog.com/jaguar/) was owned by Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/), the British brand attempted to field a competitor for the BMW 3 Series (http://www.autoblog.com/bmw/3+series/), called the X-Type (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/jaguar+x-type/). Based on the bones of a Ford Mondeo (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/fusion/), it aped the styling of Jaguar's flagship model, the XJ (http://www.autoblog.com/jaguar/xj/), while borrowing liberally from the Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/) parts bin. That was 2001.
Now, in 2013, Jaguar is planning a new 3 Series challenger based on the platform previewed by the C-X17 Concept (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/09/jaguar-c-x17-crossover-concept-revealed/), while Ford is attempting to take the latest Mondeo upmarket (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/03/ford-reveal-vignale-sub-brand-special-mondeo-frankfurt/). The moves have both brands recognizing where, why, and how the X-Type failed. "It didn't look mature or powerful or anything. It was just a car," Jaguar's current head of advanced design, Julian Thomson, told PistonHeads (http://www.pistonheads.com/news/28479.htm). Basing the X-Type on a front-drive car while giving it styling that was meant for a rear-driver lead to proportions that "were plainly wrong," Thomson told PH. Ford's European head of quality, Gunnar Herrmann, added that the X-Type was "a fake Jaguar, because every piece I touch is Ford."
For what it's worth, the X-Type's successor in the segment will sport rear-drive, with plenty of input from Ian Callum (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/ian+callum/). Thomson described the new model, which would challenge the 3 Series as having, "Big wheels right to the ends of the car, low bonnet, short overhangs, very low cabins." Sounds good to us.Jaguar design boss admits X-Type was a mistake (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/19/jaguar-design-boss-admits-x-type-was-a-mistake/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Thu, 19 Sep 2013 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.mnfords.com/rss-term-of-use/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/19/jaguar-design-boss-admits-x-type-was-a-mistake/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20723923/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/19/jaguar-design-boss-admits-x-type-was-a-mistake/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/19/jaguar-design-boss-admits-x-type-was-a-mistake/)