Type Jaguar's new 3-Series

 Jaguar's new 3-Series Replacement for X-Type confirmed, with hi-tech aluminium platform scheduled for whole range.
 The baby Jaguar is back! Following our previous recent story, bosses at the British firm’s parent company, Tata, have confirmed that a BMW 3-Series rival – designed to sit below the XF and replace the X-Type – is already under development. And our exclusive pictures show how the compact newcomer could look

The announcement came from Tata chief executive, Carl-Peter Forster. He admitted that for Jaguar to take on its German competitors globally, a smaller, higher sales volume saloon was a necessity, and so work has begun on the new car. Although the Ford Mondeo-based first-generation X-Type was hardly a sales success, a replacement is on the cards – thanks in part to the positive reception the RD6 concept received at the Frankfurt Motor Show seven years ago. In keeping with the XF and XJ, the next car will feature a cutting-edge design, but to separate itself from the larger models, there will be plenty of smooth curves instead of sharp creases.

As our images show, an interpretation of the XF’s rectangular mesh grille and swept-back headlights would give the front end the new Jaguar family look. At the back, more rounded edges to the boot, boomerang tail-lamps and pronounced curves over the wheelarches create a distinctive and muscular stance. Under the skin, the plot thickens, though. Our sources have revealed that Jaguar is working on an all-new aluminium rear-wheel-drive platform for the X-Type replacement, with the aim of making it the lightest, best-handling car in its class.

Such a massive undertaking would absorb a large chunk of Tata’s £1billion per year research and development budget for Jaguar/Land Rover, so to spread the costs, the modular platform will also be used on the next-generation XF, XK and an all-new sports. Bearing in mind that the big XJ already uses an aluminium chassis, this would mean the range would eventually be all aluminium, with significant benefits for fuel economy.

Also boosting the newcomer’s green credentials will be a pair of downsized four-cylinder engines – diesel and petrol turbo units, with the former replacing the Ford-sourced 2.2-litre oil-burner that’s currently fitted to the Freelander in Jaguar/Land Rover’s portfolio.

A range-topping 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel could also be offered, as well as a hybrid version in 2015. This would pair the V6 diesel with a 35kW (47bhp) electric motor integrated into an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.

When it appears in 2012, the 3-Series rival will be earmarked as Jaguar’s big-seller – but even without it, things are going well for the British brand. Latest sales figures show that it shifted 6,776 cars in June – 59 per cent more than in the same month last year.

News Jaguar C-X75 uture of supercars

How about a birthday present to yourself and the world? Well Jaguar did just that at the 2010 Paris Motor Show with its C (for concept)- X(for experimental) 75 (for its 75th anniversary). Adil Jal Darukhanawala rushed in this report from Paris with designer Ian Callum's words ringing in his ears: "This is a statement of intent!"

Finally, here's solid proof of Jaguar getting back to basics! If making a Ferrari rival is thought to be getting to basics then I am sure the company is even better poised to deliver than at any time ever under Ford's tutelage! The thing which has got us all excited is the awesome C-X75 a turbine-powered diesel range extender supercar! Now this is something even Ferrari or Lamborghini haven't pursued and with this completely new take on propulsion engineering, the C-X75 marks not just Jaguar's 75th anniversary but was also the star of the Paris Motor Show. Forget the looks or the absolutely novel drivetrain for a moment and focus on the performance: zero to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds and a 205mph/328kmph top speed and the established set should be worried.

With its racing pedigree, five outright wins at Le Mans and countless others all over the world, Jaguar in the 1950s and early 1960s was a formidable rival to the likes of Ferrari, Maserati and Mercedes-Benz. Sports cars defined the brand and helped its regular road going machinery. Sadly the focus on sports cars was diluted from the early 1970s onwards and even though there was a sort of mini-renaissance with the XJ220, it was a half-hearted attempt.

What is important with the C-X75 is that it might be a concept at the moment but given Ratan Tata's diktat that his company would only show concepts destined for production is one that should appeal to many sportscar fans the world over. The car's lines are crisp, the svelte all-aluminium structure is of an all new design language but one which is typically Jaguar and with that unique turbine-electric drive propulsion the performance is also there to send a strong message, as much to rivals as to sportscar enthusiasts that this cat means business!