ZOSicK
April 29th, 2004, 11:41 AM
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In Europe, Jaguar has recently introduced a station wagon version of its X-Type sedan. The new "X-Type Estate" should face a warm welcome in Europe, where station wagons and hatchbacks are favored for their extra space and utility, and the X-Type's standard all-wheel-drive will add the security of better traction in bad weather.
Jaguar has stated, however, that they do not currently plan to bring the X-Type Estate to the U.S. market. This is not too surprising, since U.S. buyers typically shun station wagons and hatchbacks. On the other hand, it must be agonizing for Jaguar to withhold new product from the lucrative U.S. market. The likely solution to this quandary is to modify the Estate slightly, and market it in the U.S. not as a station wagon, but as a crossover SUV. This is nothing new, considering similar all-wheel-drive station wagon-based crossover vehicles such as the Volvo Cross Country, and the Audi allroad.
This computer-generated sketch gives an artist's view of how Jaguar could modify the Estate for the U.S. market. The most noticeable difference is the added height of the vehicle, and a chrome strip below the doors emphasizes the vehicle's greater ground clearance.
thecarconnection
In Europe, Jaguar has recently introduced a station wagon version of its X-Type sedan. The new "X-Type Estate" should face a warm welcome in Europe, where station wagons and hatchbacks are favored for their extra space and utility, and the X-Type's standard all-wheel-drive will add the security of better traction in bad weather.
Jaguar has stated, however, that they do not currently plan to bring the X-Type Estate to the U.S. market. This is not too surprising, since U.S. buyers typically shun station wagons and hatchbacks. On the other hand, it must be agonizing for Jaguar to withhold new product from the lucrative U.S. market. The likely solution to this quandary is to modify the Estate slightly, and market it in the U.S. not as a station wagon, but as a crossover SUV. This is nothing new, considering similar all-wheel-drive station wagon-based crossover vehicles such as the Volvo Cross Country, and the Audi allroad.
This computer-generated sketch gives an artist's view of how Jaguar could modify the Estate for the U.S. market. The most noticeable difference is the added height of the vehicle, and a chrome strip below the doors emphasizes the vehicle's greater ground clearance.
thecarconnection