Page 13 - Beep Beep DECEMBER 2021

the X400. The X Type was therefore the youngest member of the expanding Jaguar family. It had the smallest engine of any Jaguar since the classic 2.4L MK 2 of the 1950s and 1960s.
The X Type featured an advanced technical specification. At the launch the car was fitted with a choice of two AJ-V6 engines developed from the engine already in use in the S Type (X200). Power was 145Kw for the 2.5 L and 172 Kw for the 3L.
These cars featured an AWD system with a small transfer case taking the power to the rear axle. This transfer case was the weak spot in the driveline and only held 500 ml of oil. Later in the life of the X type a 2.1 L engine was introduced and this car was Front Wheel Drive only.
When the X400 was released it was the least costly but most advanced of any Jaguar to date. It had an OBD2 on-board diagnostic system, advanced but user friendly multimedia interface with a large touch screen and a few short-cut buttons allowing the use of Satnav, climate control, audio and a 6-stack CD player mounted in the boot.
As Jaguar was now owned by the Ford Motor Company, Ford wanted to retain the traditions of previous Jaguar’s good performance, excellent road holding, leather upholstery and real wood-grain dash paneling.
With the release of the new car Jaguar hoped to attract a younger generation of drivers to the brand, especially in America.
During the life span 2001 to 2009 some 355,227 cars and estates were built – some with Diesel engines.
While some detractors of the X Type were saying it was a ‘rebadged Ford’ in fact only 19% of the car was Ford and no visible parts had any Ford branding.
We are enjoying taking our X Type on Roadrunner drive events.
David Bruce.
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