“We wanted people to notice that we were doing something,” Ian jumps in. “I think if we’d gone into a new architecture and shown it the world in the form of a compact car, I doubt it would have had the same impact. But also we wanted to demonstrate its flexibility, so part of that demonstration was to show how far we could take it. You’ve got to show people. We’re not qualifying that we will do it, but it can be done.”
The SUV then is just part of the company’s grand plan, and is not even the opening gambit. Whilst production plans for the C-X17 are far from confirmed, Jaguar has announced that a new mid-size saloon capable of rivalling the BMW 3 Series, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Audi A4 will be ready for rollout in 2015. The C-X17 may have tweaked petrolhead interest in the new architecture far more than ‘just another saloon’ ever could have done – even Ian admits that “[surprise]” – but the new premium saloon was always destined to be the guinea pig.
“I think the saloon will be special enough to hold its own,” Ian continues. “I really do. So no. If the crossover is still in the back of people’s minds in 2015 because they love it, then that is fine. But a saloon from us will be very special. I’m very confident.”
For now though, with lips still tight about the new saloon’s new design, speculation is rife and analysis of the new sports crossover is rampant. With any extreme example of anything for instance comes the immediate problem of where on earth to start: with no pedigree to fall back on, putting pen to paper and simply designing a Jaguar SUV is not as easy. There’s aggression and presence to consider, a certain sense of Britishness, bodylines and stance, as well as proportion. And, that all-important word, ‘Jaguar-ness’.
“If you look at the products we’ve done, they’re all very much Jaguars,” explains engineering guru Graham. “There’s a consistent DNA not just about the design but also the driving experience. With every decision, we have to make sure we’re not constraining ourselves in a way that would become unacceptable. We’re doing it, and it’s been – I don’t like to use the word ‘fun’, because it sounds a bit blasé – but as an engineer, these kind of things only come along once in a career.”
“Yes, you obviously want the car to look like a Jaguar,” designer Julian continues. “So the design philosophy is very much the same. It’s all around proportions, lines and stance, and Jags are traditionally designed to be very low to the ground. So we did a lot of experimenting with the basic format of the vehicle, y’know lifting it up high, etc., to get the right sort of poise. You can’t just get a Jaguar and jack it up because it would just look weird.”
For director of design Ian though, there’s something more fundamental than lines and poise…
“Jaguar has a set of values: any good company has a set of values by which they work and live. If we were to make a lawn mower for instance – I’m not suggesting we are – it would be the highest performance most beautiful lawn mower in the world, because the values would be the same. If we’re going to do a crossover, we’re going to make it the most elegant, most beautiful crossover we can. The soul must still be a Jaguar.”
With it’s J-shaped LED headlights, panoramic roof with contoured vanes (producing what Jaguar calls ‘an elliptical perspective), one-off five-spoke 23-inch Dark Atlas graphite alloys, ‘twin heartlines’ running down the flanks and Liquid Aluminium finish, the C-X17 is much more than a big saloon with a Jaguar badge on the front: exemplifies ‘the soul’. The XJ-inspired nose and newly crafted arse has been lifted straight off the F-Type exemplify that nicely, while stance and presence are ticked off accordingly too. Measuring 4718mm long and 1649mm wide, and boasting a low centre of gravity thanks to just 213mm of ground clearance, the C-X17 stays well off Range Rover’s off-road radar and establishes itself as a potential road weapon. On the inside, there are four individual bucket seats, a boot floor swing in lieu of a tail gate, a choice of Jet Saddle Connolly and Orchid Connolly leather across the upholstery, and something called ‘ruthenium, milled aluminium and black brushed anodised metal finishes’ to offer a dark contrast.
Story concludes on page 3
