No X-Type or SUV in Jag's future?

Jaguar Advanced Lightweight Coupe

As a result, Padilla said, the concept coupe that Jag showed at the recent Detroit auto show ''is going to be an XK, and it isn't that far out, and it's a gorgeous automobile. That's what we've got to get back to with Jag, and we're on a path to do that, and other products have to follow in that vein.''

Then Padilla went to say that ''Jaguar is a unique marque, a niche marque, and that's what we've got to get back to.'' The inference seemed clear to anyone who has wondered what will happen to the entry-level X-Type. The model was supposed to compete in the incredibly competitive (Audi A4, BMW 3-series, Cadillac CTS, etc.) sports sedan market, but hasn't earned either the sales numbers or the requisite street cred.

Given Padilla's straightforward remarks and general issue-avoidance by Fields in earlier interviews, we can probably expect that the X-Type will disappear in due course, likely when the replacement for the larger and more expensive S-Type comes out in a couple of years.

There also seems to be no chance of an SUV with a leaper cat on the hood.. ''Do you need to have a Jaguar SUV when you've got a strong brand like Land Rover,'' Padilla asked rhetorically, before adding ''I suspect you can draw your own conclusions.''