Design boss calls for baby Jag

JAGUAR design boss Ian Callum wants the company to build a luxurious, high-performance small car as its sixth model line.

Mr Callum, who stressed he was expressing a personal opinion rather than company policy, was speaking at the international launch of Jaguar's fourth model line, the X-Type compact saloon, in France last week.

Mr Callum admitted the small car would have to trample on traditional perceptions that a Jaguar must be big to attach a price premium.

"To me luxury and performance do not have size boundaries. You've got to get over this mentality that size and price are related - that's the whole point," he said.

The fifth model line - and the first true "Callum Jaguar" since the Scottish former HSV designer succeeded the late Geoff Lawson in 1999 - will be the F-Type two-seat sports car which will appear in 2004.

That would put a "baby Jag" out into the second half of the decade - if it ever saw the light of day.

"I would personally like us to be looking toward something which is a luxury car product uncompromised performance, uncompromised in luxury, in materials and all the other things you expect of that product and the only difference being size," said Mr Callum.

"I would love to see that, it's something I've got a real passion for because I love small cars, I grew up with Minis." But Mr Callum's vision is of a larger vehicle than the Mini, more akin to the Mercedes-Benz A-class in size, although he backs away from any other similarities with the controversial baby Benz.

"I want Jaguar to do it in a different way, I want Jaguar to do it in an uncompromising way," he said.

"You look at the A-class, it is absolutely compromised on quality and dynamics, I don't see that being part of us. Dynamics should not be compromised. I love the idea of this really hot little black capsule with 17, 18 or 19-inch wheels at each corner and blacked-out windows. It would be fantastic.

"I'm talking about a capsule with four luxury seats, carrying four people in comfort and it goes like a rocketship and it feels wonderful." Mr Callum said the possibility of such a car was aided by the far-ranging development of electronic aids which was now under way.

Mr Callum said he had yet to broach the small car project with Jaguar managing director Jonathan Browning or the boss of the Premier Automotive Group (PAG), which encompasses Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover, Aston Martin and Lincoln.

Roll out the Jaguars

WITH the launch of the X-Type, which went on sale in the UK on May 23, Jaguar has entered the most concentrated product roll-out of its chequered career.

By 2004 it will have launched 16 new or significantly revised products and powertrains.

Some of them are not of all that much interest to Australia - like a diesel X-type to contest this burgeoning European oil-burner market - but there are several vital new vehicles coming.

Here's a rundown with comments by Ian Callum.

Mid 2002: S-Type R and range refresher including substantial interior changes.

"It will be good. It will be a formidable car. The whole "R" branding will become quite clear over the next few years, as prevalent as "M" branding, but done in a different way, in a Jaguar way." Late 20002/early 2003: XJ8 replacement codenamed X350.

"That was pretty much done when I arrived ... it's a very handsome car, well proportioned and more package efficient. The car will be a pretty formidable product quite frankly. I think it will frighten BMW - in terms of performance it certainly will." Mid to late 2003: X-Type R (confirmed), other variants (unconfirmed).

"My personal view is I'd very much like to do an X-Type estate and we're investigating it. In Europe estates are seen as sexy options to sedans, although when you go and talk to the American markets it's a slightly different story. If we do one, it would be very much focussed as a sports wagon ... I'm optimistic we'll do it." 2004: F-Type "We're getting there, we've got four clay models running at the moment. The board has seen the models and their opinion coincides with mine. I think we are weeks from a decision. It's a bit different from the original."