Jaguar XK to be axed

Production of the Jaguar XK is to end in the summer, the company has announced.

Sales of the coupé and cabriolet models have dropped to less than 4000 units per year, following the launch of the F-type models.

Jaguar says that it wants to focus on other upcoming models, including the new Jaguar XE saloon and F-type coupé that will steal even more sales from the XK range, as it enters a busy 18-24 months.

Sales of the Jaguar XK stood at around 1000 units in the last three months of 2012, but in the last three months of 2013 – following the launch of the F-type – sales were down to only a handful of units, the Jaguar F-Type effectively killing off the XK model on which it is loosely based, despite the two models’ substantially different price point and positioning.

Jaguar insiders have not ruled out a replacement for the XK in the future, but it’s likely to be a vastly different model to the 2+2 GT it will replace.

At the end of 2012, design director Ian Callum said Jaguar was “going through a lot of discussion” about how the XK should evolve in the future.

No final decision has yet been taken, but Callum said there was an opportunity to “allow the car to become a bit more special than a GT”.

“It could grow into the luxury market, and grow in size,” he said. “Whether it stays the same as a two-plus-two or becomes a two-plus-more-than-two has not been committed to yet.”

The F-type’s launch removes the need for the XK to act as out-and-out sports coupé and luxury GT. With the F-type becoming Jaguar’s dedicated sports car, there’s scope for the XK to focus on its luxury GT credentials.

Back in January, Jaguar announced a reduced XK line-up with a substantial price-cut, which will now act as a run-out range.

Dubbed Signature and Dynamic R, the new models are priced from £54,950 and £69,950 respectively. As part of the 2014 model changes Portfolio specification had been axed, with the range taking a price cut of around £10,000.

The XK Signature model is focused on luxury, while the more sporting Dynamic R model is based on the XKR.

XKR, XKR-S and XKR-S GT versions of the XK are also offered.