Is The End Near For Jaguar X-Type?

Is The End Near For Jaguar X-Type? by Mike Bartley

Earlier this year, Ford announced that they have sold majority of the luxury brand Aston Martin. Following the sale of the famous car brand, rumor has it that the Jaguar brand will be the next on the auction block as the Dearborn-based car manufacturer continues to battle losses in the market.

Although Ford has remained silent about the possibility of selling Jaguar off, a new rumor is milling around the auto industry which concerns the British luxury car brand. It seems that the restructuring plan taken by Jaguar will see the demise of the brand's flagship - the Jaguar X Type. The decision to cut the brand's best selling model may be a part of the new plan which focuses on lesser production but more profits. This strategy has already been seen by the auto industry being implemented by German car manufacturer Porsche.

For the past years, the Jaguar X Type may have earned the praise of automotive experts but has apparently not attracted the attention of car buyers. It can be remembered that Aston Martin was sold by the struggling Ford Motor Company since the company is undergoing restructuring plans which involves increasing their funds. After Aston Martin's departure, Jaguar is pushed as Ford's ultra luxury brand. This was seen by experts in the auto industry as a good sign for the British Jaguar.

This development though has not helped Jaguar as evident in its sales for the past months. Furthermore, the X-Type failed to generate interest among car buyers as much as the company hoped it would. Since its introduction in 2001, the X-Type has only managed to take away a small portion of the market away from the BMW 3 Series. In fact, the X-Type's ineffectiveness at generating interest in the brand is shown by the fact that it has failed to reach the goals set for it by Jaguar.

In its debut year, Jaguar expected to sell 170,000 units of the X-Type per year. Sadly for Jaguar though, the X-Type has even failed to reach its 100,000th sale.

The entry-level luxury car X-Type is derived from the Ford Mondeo vehicle and shares the same platform with it. The X-type is currently Jaguar's smallest sedan. The sedan is being produced at Jaguar's assembly facility in Halewood, England. According to the car company, the parts used on the assembly of the X-Type come from different sources. It was reported that ten percent of the parts used on the X-type are manufactured by Jaguar while twenty percent are from Ford. The rest are manufactured by different parts manufacturers. These parts can be replaced by aftermarket parts such as Accel plugs to enhance the sedan's performance.

Although the X-Type achieved a respectable success in the auto market, the model has not succeeded in turning a profit for Jaguar which Ford badly needs at this point in time. In response to talks that the X-Type may be taken out of Jaguar's lineup, Jaguar Australia's Managing Director David Blackhall has this to say: "The plan in relation to the X-Type is not resolved. There are a number of studies underway in the UK, and a number of alternatives are being considered - including doing nothing at all."

If indeed the X-Type is cut from Jaguar's lineup, Jaguar Australia will be affected negatively. Last year, the company sold 1,071 units of Jaguar X-Types in the said country.

While the X-Type may be cut from Jaguar's lineup, there is good news for the company in the form of the Jaguar XF. This particular model may be what could save Jaguar from further losses. Talking about the XF, Blackhall has this to say: "Without talking too much about our future product plans, there are a lot of variations on this (XF) theme. There's also a much more robust engine strategy with (the XF) than in the past." Blackhall also pointed out the company's expectation for the XF by saying that: "We see this car multiplying itself in a way that the previous S-Type was unable to, and therefore accessing different niches in the market and adding to our volume base, which we see substituting somewhat for the X-Type. I'm not saying the two cars appeal to the same customer, but perhaps as we de-emphasize X-Type a bit, (XF) fills the gap to some degree."

Volvo Delivers Improved V8-Equipped XC90

Volvo Delivers Improved V8-Equipped XC90

by Glady Reign

In the past, Volvo has been known to use five or four cylinder engines and not much with the use of huge V8 engines. The company's preference of smaller engines is, of course, the safety of its consumers. The Swedish car company is also known for the boxy design of their cars, the reason for which is of course safety.

But as time changes, Volvo see it fit that they must attract the younger car buyers and thus they should be able to match what their competitors offer. That is why Volvo has moved away from boxy designs and has started using V8 engines on their vehicles.

The first ever Volvo to be equipped with a V8 is the award winning XC90 which is incidentally is the prize to be given away by Volvo in this year's partnership with Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean film. The XC90 is also the living proof that Volvo has done well in using a V8 engine for their vehicle.

The company has made the XC90 a success because they have taken their time in producing a V8 powered vehicle. By learning what to do and what not to do in the use of V8 engines has made the XC90 an instant hit in the auto market. For the coming years, Volvo XC90's competitors will surely undergo improvements and Volvo appears to be ready to improve the XC90 for it to remain as one of the leaders in its segment.

For the new model year, the XC90 will be still equipped with the V8 developed by Yamaha for the Ford Motor Company. Partnering with the Japanese company, Volvo has developed an engine capable of producing 311 horsepower at 3900 revolutions per minute. This power is enough to give the XC90 good amount of power for normal uses. The engine is 754 mm in length and 635 mm across. The relatively smaller engine tips the scale at 190 kilograms and is considered as one of the cleanest gasoline engines today.

The engine is transversely mounted onto the engine compartment of the Volvo XC90. Initially, one of the problems faced by Volvo in the use of V8 engines on the XC90 is the space on its engine bay. The XC90's predecessors are equipped with in-line engines and therefore occupy less space than the V8. While Volvo may have increased the engine bay of the XC90, it opts to use the V8 engine developed by Yamaha for Ford. The smaller V8 engine uses the same angle commonly found on V6 engines. This configuration allowed Volvo to fit a V8 engine on the XC90's engine compartment.

In terms of safety, the placement of the engine is thought about thoroughly. While other car manufacturers use a 50-50 weight distribution of the two banks of V8 engines, Volvo compromised the balance to give the XC90 a better crash protection. The reasoning behind the compromise is that the slightly out of balance placement of the engine will affect the vehicle's ride comfort in a very small way that it is almost negligible.

Another step taken by Volvo in fitting the V8 engine onto the XC90's engine bay is the elimination of brackets. For example, the vehicle's starter motor is mounted on top of the transmission thus giving space around the engine. The transmission used by Volvo in the XC90 to be mated with the V8 engine is a six-speed Geartronic automatic gear box. One of the most notable features of this gear box is its overdrive gear. This means that the vehicle can have a quieter cruising operation while providing a good fuel efficiency. Shifting the gears can be done manually as Volvo integrated a feature into the transmission which allows driver to do so.

With the high power output offered by the engine and the Volvo XC90's respectable off-road driving capabilities, it is set to once again dominate its segment. Not only does the XC90 posses a highly efficient engine, the exemplary vehicle also exhibits what Volvo calls Scandinavian luxury. The interior of the XC90 offers good comfort to its occupants with a highly efficient cooling system for hot weathers and an equally efficient Volvo heater core for those cold winter driving. Being a Volvo of course means that the XC90 will be loaded with the most advanced safety features developed.