Tata: Jaguar to get new XF coupe/roadster, still no SUVs

For years, SUVs were seen as a sure-fire way for carmakers to boost sales in the North American market but lately there has been a movement away from such vehicles to smaller and more fuel-efficient models. Despite this, many carmakers still consider the SUV a crucial addition to their lineups, but the CEO of Jaguar’s parent company, Tata Motors, has ruled out adding a luxury off-roader to the British carmaker’s portfolio. In addition, a new coupe/roadster based on the XF sedan and a lightweight sports car are receiving "very serious consideration."

Tata boss Ratan Tata has revealed that Jaguar’s future lineup will feature more sports cars and saloons but definitely no SUV, reports Automotive News. His reasoning is that a Jaguar SUV would steal sales from its sister company Land Rover, which solely produces off-road models.

Instead, Jaguar’s immediate future will see the plans of former parent Ford carried out. These include the launch of the facelifted XK range next year, a new range topping XKR-R model, and the next-generation XJ saloon in late 2010.

Beyond that, Tata has revealed plans for a new lightweight sports car to rival the likes of the Porsche 911, and late last month registration details for several Jaguar trademarks revealed the names C-XE and XE, which suggest the new sports car will be called the XE and a concept version the C-XE. All of these newer models will be targeted at taking the Jaguar brand further up-market.

Both coupe and roadster versions of the XF are believed to be in the works as well, meaning Jaguar could soon have an essentially all-new lineup to offer buyers.

Despite Tata’s reluctance to develop a Jaguar SUV, a number of rival carmakers are keen to expand their respective lineups with bigger and more powerful off-road models. Alfa Romeo’s boss Luca de Meo has pointed out on a number of occasions that the company needs an SUV model to be successful in the United States, and BMW is currently preparing two new performance M models based on its X5 and X6 SUVs.