Jaguar Now Focused On Developing Smaller Model

Rumours and reports of new Jaguar models have been circulating for more than two years. New comments this week from the company's brand director, Adrian Hallmark, reveal that Jaguar is looking at a new small platform.

According to Hallmark, the new platform would allow Jaguar to offer a more affordable entry point for buyers, with the potential for coupe, sedan, convertible and wagon bodystyles.

Among the options, Hallmark says a smaller sedan and coupe, to compete with the likes of the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4, are the most important.

"We have to do both. Whether we do one, two or three body styles, we can still decide. But we have to be in the lower price," Hallmark told US industry paper Automotive News.

Despite reports as far back as 2009 that Jaguar is exploring smaller models, Hallmark said that the company is only in the early stages of investigating new models. He added that a debut for any all-new Jaguar would be more than four years away.

Jaguar's last foray into the small car segment was the X-Type, a model that never proved to be a sales success.

"We don't want to be fighting it out in the fleet business with little engines and small wheels and discounted 25 percent," he said.

"If we go into the smaller car market," he said, "we want to build elegant cars with great technology that give a sense of occasion and position us above that competition -- where Jaguar should be."