You can call the Jaguar F-TYPE a bloodthirsty jungle cat… Or a cannibal. It’s really eating into sales of the XK. The newest feline model probably smelled the weakness of the bigger kitty brought on by age. Jag has been selling the XK in its current form, more or less, since the 2007 model year.
After the F-Type came out, XK sales fell below the 4,000 mark, annually. In the final quarter of 2012, the British company was only able to move about 1,000 units. During the last three months of 2013, after the introduction of the sporty upstart F, that number dwindled “to only a handful of units.” Production of the XK will end this summer. Ouch. The two cars aren’t even in the same price class or market position.
The good news is that the XK might return in the future, although it might be in a form different from its current one. Design director Ian Callum said, “It could grow into the luxury market, and grow in size. Whether it stays the same as a two-plus-two or becomes a two-plus-more-than-two has not been committed to yet.”
Hmmm… Does that mean a shooting brake or a 4-door coupe? An English Panamera, perhaps?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
You must be logged in to post a comment.