http://m.autoblog.com/2014/12/09/jag..._river_article

I wonder if the XK will ever make a reappearance!

 

I saw that one this morning as well. Makes sense and I think was the plan the whole time. At one point a little while ago, the XK was moving up market as larger GT.

 

It's just nice to see the XK get mentioned, because I think it has largely been forgotten already, especially with the F-Type stealing the show!

 

XK was forgotten while it was sold IMO. They started off with bang (sex ad campaign) and then a little rumble until the XKRS. Jag did not keep sales campaign active through the life cycle. They had their sights on the F-type from inception the XK was an after thought.

 

It's such a beautiful car, it would be a shame to "retire" it. I get comments and complements on it almost everywhere I go.

Sometimes car companies do this sort of thing to engender mystery...as a set up for a big splash a couple years down the line.

It would make logical sense to build more of a 2 door smaller variant to complement the new XJ.

 

Funny that they mention the Bentley Continental GT in that article. In my mind a 2-door XJ Coupe or Drophead would be more along the lines of a GT in the Bentley sense.

The XK was always more a sportscar-ish GT (aka Aston) than a big luxo GT like the Bentley.

 

Totally agree and I bet so does Jaguar.

 

The problem with the XK is its rather cheap looking interior compared to the other cars in its price range and the new F-Type. To some extent this is also true of the XF. Rather cold spartan feel with cheap plastic bits and a laughable Tigger-like emblem on the wheel...in a $80-90K car!!! Such a shame, given the divine body shape.

Hope they do better with the future new XK.

 

Wolfy,

I disagree. What "cheap plastic bits" are you talking about? The Ivory and Slate interior of my 2009 XKR Portfolio convertible is far from "cheap looking"; in fact, it is all leather - perforated seats, door panels, dash pad, glove box door, armrest,steering wheel - no vinyl anywhere. And real walnut veneer trim. It is absolutely gorgeous. Click on the below thumbnails to open full size.

And the Growler emblem is a Jaguar XK tradition - this is one from 1948.


Stuart

 

It is a pretty nice interior. The cheap plastic bits I notice are around the cruise control/volume buttons on the steering wheel, and the chrome around the shifter gates. Maybe on the earlier cars the material on the A pillars could have been better.

I think compared to the Germans or the Japanese, Jag interiors are a little more quirky, but so much more classy. Worth it!

 

Wolfy, I do not know which Jaguar you may have but my 2011 XK, Port-Vert does NOT have any cheap interior. People who have looked at my vehicle always comment about the outside and inside. I have wood, leather,velour and chrome and very well put together inside. Sorry your not satisfied with that.

 

I had sat inside a 2007 XK when it first came out and could not help comparing it with the posh wood-and-leather interior of the XJ8 or the old XK8 that I had. Sounds like the 2010 refresh has a much upgraded interior. I actually plan to get one regardless, just wanted to vent, that's all <G>

Peace out.

 

That's the same interior that I have on my '07 except I have burled walnut. The slate/ivory combination is a nice one. There was a base-level version that didn't have as much leather, maybe he sat in one of those.

These XK's have far fewer buttons than many other cars because so much was integrated into the control center. One of the things I like about my XJ though, is that the temp buttons and displays are both in the control center and in a separate LED bar below the control center. The benefit is that if you're running the GPS system, the temperature settings inside and the outside temperature are still visible in the LED bar. I wish they'd kept a temperature control display separate in the XK too, I always like to see the outside temp with the hope that it will increase to the level comfortable enough to drop the top.

 

The leather could be nicer in some areas of the early XK's, but the fit and finish are great. Stitching is perfect. Running gear is on par with any other competing car.

Heck, at least it's all leather, Maserati, BMW, MB, and Porsche can't claim that at a similar price point. The one's that are all leather, it may be a little nicer, but they are like 30K+ more than the XK/XKR!!!

 

Wolfy, I had 2 XFs, a prem lux and a portfolio, and I thought that the XKR interior was more luxurious (more leather) though the centre console looked tired against the XF. But I recently sat in a F-type and was disappointed (maybe shattered better describes it) because I thought the interior was more hyundai than Jag. But it might have been the base model.

 

BruceTheQuail,
I recently had an F-type V-8S fully loaded car for 4 days, and while I loved driving the car and that exhaust sound, I too, was underwhelmed by the interior, especially the flat slab of plastic that covers the cup holders. It would have been better to just leave them open. But, I also think the XK/XKR while very nice and of good quality (once you get over the dash shrinkage/unglueing problem), is not particularly "awe-inspiring." It doesn't "wow" you with luxury the way I think a $100,000 car should. And some things, are downright stupid, like the inability to press a button to get a radio station without using the nav screen, ditto the HVAC system, and the lack of any instrument gauges (let alone a dipstick), is just plain nutty!

So, I think on any new version of the XK Series, the interior would need to be better (like on the XJ, which I think is terrific), the back seat would need to be usable and not just an ornament, a full complement of gauges would need to be added, a better nav/info/ center and a push button radio/entertainment center that is separate from the nav screen, and a sense of "WOW" when you enter. The hard parts like suspension, engine, handling are already world class, it's the easy stuff on which Jaguar needs to work.

 

Agreed that it should be more XJ. I can live with the tiny back seat though. It is super convenient for me - I put stuff back there all the time, including my dogs on occasion, or files from work, or my suit jacket etc. Then it is a seat if I really had to get someone in there, behind the passenger (only happened once). But with Jag having a strict 2 seater, a "2 plus some crap in the back" probably isnt enough differentiation.

 

You know that you can use the steering wheel controls to go to the next preset radio station as well as seek for the next available radio station station on that band?

 

May have been the base model. I was shocked when I sat in one and it had manual seats!! Bleh!