The Jaguar XF that should have been??
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 11:58PM 
I have spent a fair amount of time soul searching over precisely why the new range of Jaguars just don't have that "IT" factor that a true Jag should have. Obviously the E-type was an incomparable paragon of beauty and line that Coventry never again equalled. But despite many attempts to recapture that swagger, I think even the latest family of Jags have a brutal look that isn't right for the brand. The new XF and especially the XJ look sort of thuggish rather than lithe; more bulldog than jungle cat. They're not bad designs per se. They just don't express the Jaguar ethos, in my opinion.
I was perusing the Tesla Motors website the other day and it hit me like a ton of bricks: The new Tesla Model S is EXACTLY what the new Jaguar XF should have looked like. It's aggressive, yet refined. It's sleek and athletic, and is just straddling the line between a GT and a sports saloon. The grill opening recalls the E-type, but in a modern, abstracted way that feels totally fresh. The gorgeous headlight clusters also capture the right "Jaguar gaze" utterly missing from the XF. I think the car's design is a stellar effort, worthy of a major automaker like Jaguar. I photoshopped a jag badge bar in the photo above to help your imagination, but I think you'll agree there is just something about the Model S that hits the spot Jaguar's designers have consistently missed for all these years.
Or maybe I'm crazy...
Reader Comments (7)
In response to the first paragraph - the new XJ looks awful at the C pillars and the whole body feels disjointed. It's as if the front and rear were designed completely apart and then forced together. Had they stuck to the concept XJ I think they'd have a very successful model. As it is, I've not seen a single XJ on the road near me so I wonder if sales are less than expected.
As for the XF vs. Model S, I think the Model S will age more gracefully than the XF. Ironically, we may never see more than a handful of the Model S' on the road given the precarious financial state of Tesla. Jaguar used to be a trendsetter in how a car should look but instead of being proactive to what the market will be like in 7 to 10 years they've been mostly reactive and attempting to punch out cars that are stylish and hit trends - which ultimately leads to a forgettable car. I'll be curious to see what they do with the X-Type successor.
The XJ is definitely a more resolved design than the XF. But I think in both cases, the front end design leaves much to be desired. For too long Jaguar rested on its laurels, then resorted to direct mimicry of the E-type and Mark II without understanding "E-type-ness." Now they have at last staked a claim on a new direction, which I give them a lot of credit for. I just think it's the wrong direction.
You made a good point - it's important that Jaguar moves to redefine it's styling rather than continue to rely on designs from 50 or 60 years ago to carry them through another 7 year production cycle.
I'm guilty of really enjoying the lines of the XKR myself - however, the rest of the model line seems to suffer the same question that Jaguar can't resolve: Are we sporty or are we luxury? I think that's where the XF doesn't quite know how to act/look. Gone are the days when you can keep the same basic design of the car the same for 20+ years and it'll continue to ooze class - like the older XJ's.
Jaguar's other issue has been it's change of owners and financial difficulties over the years that probably stiffled a lot of progress they should have made. Tesla has the benefit of someone who's willing to dump hundreds of millions of dollars into it with wreckless abandon.
that first photograph: yes. spot on. hit the nail on the head.
i don't see it in the second photograph, however (the car seen in profile). something about the very deliberate fastback- the rear ends far too abruptly it for me, almost to the point of being jarring. i have a hard time imagining that as a jaguar.
by the way, i have read that the model s is (was?) intended to have seating for 7 (albeit for very small people - children - in the very last seats). how is that possible?
Anything is possible according to Elon Musk. :-)
Maybe he meant two bodies in the trunk?
I agree with you. I think one of the strongest aspects of the Tesla design is the lack of slab-sidedness which is part-and-parcel of seemingly every sedan these days. The new XJ and other big sedans are so ludicrously heavy, especially over the rear axle on many, and the waist height is so high. I feel the new Bentley and Rolls cars are the pinacle of this (wrong) direction.
I'm not sure any Jag sedan has looked this light on its feet, though maybe the Mk. II came close. The original XJ wasn't as pared down as this but its greenhouse was light and the main body didn't feel like it was five feet high.