To be honest, the Jaguar XK has always been more of a GT than an out-and-out sports car - and now, with the advent of the altogether more sporty F-Type, the question arises: “Where to now for the XK?”
Autocar recently put that question to Jaguar design director Ian Callum who replied, with typical bluntness: “Jaguar is going through a lot of discussion about that.
“There's an opportunity here to allow the car to become a bit more special than a GT.
“It could grow into the luxury market, and grow in size,” he said. “Whether it stays the same as a two-plus-two or becomes a two-plus-more-than-two has not been committed to yet.”
LUXURY FLAGSHIP
But when Autocar asked Callum what would happen to the XJ sedan, he said it would remain as the firm's flagship in its next generation, despite the growing popularity of luxury beetlecrushers such as the Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover at the expensive of premium sedans.
Callum admitted that Jaguar “had to take notice” of the growing luxury SUV market but wouldn't confirm that there would be a big Jaguar crossover on the same platform as the next-generation XJ - which would any case compete directly with the aforementioned Range Rover, built by Jaguar's sister company in Solihull.