From LL
Tata Motors CEO Carl-Peter Forster has reportedly confirmed that the company?s Jaguar division has green lighted the automaker?s long-rumored F-Type model and a replacement for the X-Type.
Jaguar had been considering a mid-engine supercar along the lines of the company?s XJ220 to take on Audi?s R8, but the British automaker put that project on hold to explore the possibilities of a smaller sports car ? dubbed the F-Type ? to do battle with the likes of Porsche. The F-Type apparently caught the eye of Jaguar and Tata executives, with the car now headed toward production.
In addition to the new F-Type, Jaguar has also reportedly given the production nod to a new version of the company?s failed X-Type. Although the previous X-Type never gained traction among luxury buyers, Jaguar is designing the new version of the smaller sedan to compete with BMW?s 3-Series.
The latest report made no mention of platform for either car, but it is believed Jaguar could be readying a new architecture to underpin the F-Type, X-Type and the next generation of the XF. However, it remains possible that Jaguar could use existing platforms to reduce overall development costs.
Adding to the Jaguar stable, the firm is also planning a wagon variant of its XF as well as a long-wheelbase version of the sedan for the Chinese market.