I suppose now that Land Rover and Jaguar are joined at the hip it was only a matter of time before a Jaguar SUV or Crossover appeared. But to be fair, they have played on the strengths of both brands, and may have developed something quite special with the C-X17.
Jag has always been about sophisticated poshness, with a large dash of practiced insouciance poured on top. I think Jeremy Clarkson summed it up fairly succinctly here:
So the new C-X17 crossover concept (yes, it’s just a concept for now, but expect it on the roads in Europe in 2015 and in North America in 2016) carries this brand ethos in its bones.
According to Ian Callum, the Design Director at Jaguar, “We designed the C-X17 from the ground up from a distinct set of principles, a deep sense of what makes a Jaguar: exciting proportions, clean lines, balance of form. Assertive and powerful, yet with a beautiful sensuality about it, the C-X17 is boldly, distinctively Jaguar.”
Assertive sensuality? Hmm, I had a french teacher in high-school that could fit that description. If the new Jag is able to project her je ne sais quoi, then I imaging sales will be very strong indeed.
Sleek lines aside, Jaguar also benefits from direct access to Land Rover’s deep pool of technical knowledge. We already know that the Range Rover has arguably the best 4WD systems in the world, imagine wrapping that level of sophistication in a Jag body. It would be a little like transplanting Einstein’s brain into Kate Upton’s body.
And speaking of bodies, the other thing Land Rover are really good at is building things out of aluminum (or aluminium if you are on the other side of the pond). They started building trucks out of it in 1948 due to the post-war steel shortage, and never looked back. The modern Range Rovers are actually built like an Airbus, with sophisticated aluminum-composite unibodies held together by aerospace adhesives. Stronger than steel at a fraction of the weight.
With class-teading technology, good looks, a top speed of over 180mph, and over 8 inches of ground clearance, saying that I can’t wait to test it on a rally track is the understatement of the year.
