AutoWeek is reporting that Jaguar will not sell its entry-level X-type sedan and wagon in the U.S. after March, when the more anticipated — and more expensive — XF goes on sale. The X-Type’s glaring failure to compete in an ultra-competitive segment — think BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, Saab 9-3, Cadillac CTS — directly impacted Jaguar’s sales and bottom line.
New Jaguar X-Types will be built through December and sold until inventories are depleted. Last month, Jaguar X-Type sales were down more than 50% from September 2006. In 2006, Jaguar sold 5,214 X-Types, which was another 50%-plus drop from the year before’s total of 10,941 sales. Guess what? That was an almost-50% drop from 2004’s numbers of 21,542. The X-Type’s best year was 2002, when it was first introduced, with sales of 33,018. If there are any X-Type fans out there weeping from the news, feel free to lament in the comments below.