It was reported recently that Jaguar had started working on a replacement for its unpopular X-Type saloon. Now it has emerged that a proposed future X-Type model has been penned by Italian design house, Bertone. Although the B99 design concept looks like a sizeable saloon it’s only 4,5 metres long, 1,95 metres wide and 1,35 metres tall, dimensions that pit it against the leaders in the market, cars such as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series. The overall design has some strong XJ cues, especially the front and the rear, but it manages to be refreshing at the same time with the designers opting not to go for the saloon-coupé design that seems to be the flavour of many luxury offerings of late, including Jaguar.
Among the most noteworthy features are the low roofline and a clamshell door arrangement that nixes the B-pillar in favour of a capacious entrance to the cabin. Bertone design director Mike Robinson has pointed out that the design moves away from the current luxury car trend which sees surfaces adorned with several creases, instead favouring a clean and subtle design. According to Robinson, the interior will follow the exterior’s smooth lines. Robinson also drew a comparison with the iPad, hinting that the interior treatment will favour smooth surfaces and touch interfaces over buttons. More next month.
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