Jaguar’s XK is expected to be discontinued this year, as the aging grand tourer continues to lose sales to its younger and more dynamic F-Type sibling (only 4,000 XKs are said to have been sold last year). A successor is planned, although the new car is likely to evolve into a larger, more luxurious model to rival the likes of the Bentley Continental GT, Maserati GranTurismo and Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe.

According to AutoExpress, the new car will be positioned more of an XJ Coupe rather than a direct XK replacement, something that has been hinted at by Jaguar design boss Ian Callum in the past. However, it won’t share a platform with the XJ. Instead, the new car is expected to ride on a stretched version of the F-Type’s platform, which itself is a modified version of the bonded and riveted aluminum structure underpinning the XK.

The repositioning means prices will rise, and this in turn will help widen the gap between the new car and the F-Type so that the two don’t cannibalize each other’s sales; a pricetag well above $100k is likely. Buyers are said to have the choice of V-6 and V-8 engines, and there could even be a diesel option on offer, although the latter is unlikely to be available in the U.S. market.

Sadly, the successor to the XK isn’t expected to arrive until 2017 at the earliest. Jaguar has a busy schedule ahead of it with an updated XJ, new XE, new crossover and next-generation XF all due before then.

_______________________________________

Follow Motor Authority on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.