What do the Audi A4, Mercedes C-Class, and BMW 3 Series all have in common? They are all direct competitors to the Jaguar X-Type Sport Premium and in subtle ways better cars.
Not that there was anything inherently bad about the Jag X-Type Sport; it was just knee-deep in some very tough competition and that European import car had no one quality that would separate it from the pack.
The Jaguar X-Type Sport was the first real combined effort between Jaguar and Ford and to the discerning eye of an experienced car shopper it became quickly apparent. What does that mean you ask? Well, on the one hand you had the distinct styling of a classic car with the rather pedestrian interior of the Ford brand. Really, though, the toughest thing going against the X-Type Sport was that it entered a big pond that was already inhabited by some rather big fish.
The Sport was powered by a 3.0-liter V6 that could do 0-60 in a respectable 6.6 seconds and had a top speed of 146 mph, but what really set this model apart at the time was its standard four-wheel drive capabilities, something none of the competitors could boast. It was produced from 2002-2008 and during that time the competition caught up to the four-wheel drive bragging rights of the X-Type, so that by 2008 what you had was a sleek, elegant looking vehicle that cost too much money and couldn’t offer anything new or distinctive.
If that sounds like a recurring theme with the British-made Jaguar that’s because it is a recurring theme. There seems to be at Jaguar headquarters a proclivity to become mired in tradition at the expense of sales. Those looking for tradition and a really cool hood ornament will find everything they want in the Jaguar X-Type Sport. Those looking for something extra or for that matter just looking for new technology and a step into the future will be sorely disappointed.
There is nothing wrong with tradition. There is nothing wrong with building your reputation upon years of classic styling and regal bearing. Those attributes have served Jaguar well in the past and because of their loyal following it will serve them well in the future. Considering, however, that the world market is composed mainly of people who would consider tradition to be the latest offerings at Costco, it is no wonder that the Jaguar X-Type Sport came to an end in 2008. It was a nice car for its time but its time had run out. Or put another way, it was a pretty big fish swimming with bigger fish and it never grew.