The X-Type has been the victim of a variety of set-backs, admittedly some beyond the company’s control, that meant it never matched the ambitious sales targets that the company had set in a bid to make Jaguar, a notorious under-achiever in the Ford family, a profitable prospect.
In the early days after its launch, company figures were talking of sales figures in excess of 72,000 each year for Halewood, the sole production site for the Baby Jag.
However, in the eight years since its launch, the X-Type only achieved around 350,000 sales in total across all its world markets.
Sales were hampered by the late arrival of a diesel version of X-Type which was seen as essential for any penetration of the European market.
Added to that, soaring fuel prices in the lucrative American sector pushed X-Type into the feared “gas-guzzler” bracket.
And, to cap it all, the onset of recession and disappearance of ready credit hit sales even more.
