Mondeo man, Jaguar ownership is about to come within your grasp. The X-Type is intended to be the most compact and affordable model that Jaguar has ever produced. Gunning straight for such aspirational competition as the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes C-class, Lexus IS200 and the new Audi A4, alongside top-spec versions of all the mass-market rep cars, the X-Type is set to come under the scrutiny of every upwardly-mobile executive when it comes to the UK next summer.

Jaguar has given us a sneaky peek at the most essential details, despite the full specification being kept under lock and key until the X-Type's launch. While the new Jaguar looks a deceptively large car in these pictures, its dimensions actually closely match those of the current BMW 3-Series. Significantly, it sits on a platform similar to that of the freshly-launched all-new Ford Mondeo, the car from which the X-Type's underpinnings have been developed. Jaguar's nod towards its heritage continues with a bonnet, grille and headlamps clearly derived from the large XJ-series saloon's, with a side profile and rear displaying obvious links to the mid-sized S-Type's.

Another departure for Jaguar is that where all the Coventry company's previous models have been rear-wheel drive, the X-Type will initially come with four-wheel drive as standard. This will split engine torque more to the rear than to the front. Rumour has it that lower-spec front-wheel-drive variants are set to follow.

The line-up will kick off with a pair of V6-powered variants. The first will have a 2.5-litre unit developed from the one in the Mondeo and is expected to generate close to 200bhp. The second, even swisher alternative will have the three-litre V6 from the larger S-Type, serving up a healthy 240bhp. Jaguar has also confirmed that a supercharged X-Type R will follow, predicted to pack in excess of 300bhp.

The X-Type isn't simply a new direction in downsizing for Jaguar, it is also hoped the new model will bring a completely new generation of customers to the marque. Hence the needs of young families have been taken into consideration alongside those of Jaguar's traditionally more mature clientele, with rear-seat space to match the best of its rivals and a boot with a larger capacity than the S-Type's.

Similarly, varied tastes are aimed to have been accounted for inside. Luxury versions will be trimmed with the requisite doses of leather and walnut veneer, while a sports model will instead boast dark-stained maple wood and heavily contoured, cloth-trimmed seats, with leather as an option. Chrome-ringed dials and room for a satellite navigation monitor otherwise mark out an interior that aims to match the upmarket ambience of an XJ8's. Air-conditioning and at least six airbags will be standard on all versions.

The choices, meanwhile, continue with an option of five-speed manual or automatic gearboxes. Sixteen-inch alloy wheels are expected to be standard with 17-inch wheels optional, as will a stiffened sports suspension package.

The price tag? Unsurprisingly, the X-Type will be priced to take on equivalent versions of the BMW 3-Series, its top-selling competitor. Hence start saving approximately £23,000 for the 2.5-litre and £26,000 for the three-litre.

Jaguar's plans for its compact offspring are ambitious. Due to be built at the Halewood plant on Merseyside - formerly the home of the Ford Escort - the X-Type is anticipated to double the company's sales, with up to 20,000 planned to be prowling around British roads within one year of its mid-2001 on-sale date.

Peter Grunert

Back to Jaguar X-Type Overview