Jaguar’s first ever sports crossover concept vehicle – the C-X17 – makes its debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show.
The C-X17 has been created as a design study to introduce Jaguar’s all-new advanced aluminium monocoque architecture, codenamed iQ[Al],on which an exciting range of future Jaguars will be built. This new philosophy underpins the entire innovative future of the Jaguar brand. A modular and scalable vehicle architecture, engineered and developed for Jaguar, the architecture is high-strength, lightweight, extremely stiff and incorporates innovative efficiency technologies. It enables flexible high-volume production while allowing creative design freedom and competitive interior packaging, without compromising the unique character, dynamics, performance and luxury that Jaguar is famous for. This will enable Jaguar to grow its product portfolio, targeting high-growth areas of the premium market.
As a sports crossover, the Jaguar C-X17 stretches the design possibilities of the segment by combining the character and driving experience of a sports car with increased presence, style and flexibility. The sports crossover concept represents the potential expansion of Jaguar’s portfolio of body styles, with the associated enhancement of the brand’s relevance and appeal to a wider global audience.
“The C-X17 sports crossover represents an exciting new direction for Jaguar. Its purpose is to highlight our all-new aluminium architecture. With this technical foundation, we will dramatically expand Jaguar’s product offering, market potential and customer appeal. This new philosophy will bring technology from our luxury products into an accessible price segment, and when combined with our new ultra-efficient engines, we will set a global standard. Add to these rational values, the class-leading dynamics, and the beauty and purity of form that Jaguar is renowned for, and we have the formula for a monumental leap forward.”
Jaguar’s first product from the new iQ[Al] architecture will be a new premium C/D segment sedan. Its global rollout will begin in 2015, and it will be the first aluminium monocoque product in the segment.
Power will be provided by engines with a wide range of capacities and output, all delivering inspirational performance and offering the latest innovations in fuel-efficient technologies without sacrificing drivability. These will include the high-output petrol and diesel engines to be built at Jaguar Land Rover’s new engine manufacturing facility in the UK, as well as the powerful V6 petrol engine in the F-TYPE, which will provide best-in-class specific power output thanks to the lightweight architecture. These attributes will enable Jaguar to offer a wider variety of vehicles, with exhilarating performance, top speeds of over 300km/h (186mph), as well as emissions below 100g of CO2 per kilometre.
The C-X17 concept illustrates the diversity of vehicles that could be produced using the architecture. A four-seater sports crossover concept built on the aluminium-intensive architecture, it blends sleek lines, sporting design and luxurious sophistication with enhanced flexibility and an assured driving position. In its exciting proportions, purity of form and its beautiful lines – overseen by Director of Design Ian Callum – the C-X17 is every inch a Jaguar.
The C-X17 could offer refined on-road dynamics and sedan car-like handling, thanks to its low height, optimised centre of gravity, and use of cutting-edge dynamic technologies such as Torque Vectoring by Braking, in which the car intelligently uses its brake system to balance the distribution of engine torque to the wheels during cornering, reducing understeer and maximising grip.
ALL-NEW ALUMINIUM ARCHITECTURE: UNDERPINNING THE FUTURE
iQ[Al] is not just a vehicle architecture, it is a completely new philosophy that underpins the innovative future of the Jaguar brand, enabling Jaguar to significantly grow its product portfolio, targeting high-growth areas of the premium market in global markets.
The first Jaguar to be delivered from the new architecture will be a new C/D segment premium sedan, which will be rolled-out globally from 2015. The first aluminium monocoque product in its segment, the new sedan will be produced at an all-new, ultra high-tech production facility in Solihull, creating new jobs and substantial opportunities for the supplier base.
The aluminium-intensive architecture will be modular and scalable, providing a high degree of flexibility and making it possible to produce a wider bandwidth of models and derivatives than ever before. It is lightweight, extremely stiff and incorporates innovative technologies that emphasises Jaguar’s commitment to sustainability, such as a new high-strength alloy made from almost 100% recycled raw material.
The architecture is being carefully developed to fully incorporate all the vehicle attributes established by Jaguar engineers. All products will perform like true Jaguars, the flexibility and scope of the architecture guaranteeing the individual character of each one. Jaguar design and engineering teams collaborated closely on its development from the outset to ensure versatility of design combined with fully competitive interior packaging.
The flexibility that this architecture will provide, means Jaguar designers and engineers can apply the philosophy “anything we can imagine, we can create,” to deliver a new portfolio of products less restricted by technical or manufacturing constraints. The new architecture will allow Jaguar to move into higher volume production, without compromising the unique character, breath-taking design, outstanding vehicle dynamics, performance and luxury that Jaguar is famous for. The flexibility of the new architecture will enable the manufacture of different products on the same production line at the same time. The highly efficient, state-of-the-art production process will allow rapid response to variations in market demand for individual models by balancing production volume accordingly.
Powertrains
Future Jaguars will be powered by engines with a wide range of capacities and output, all delivering inspirational performance and offering the latest innovations in fuel-efficient technologies, without sacrificing drivability or feel. The new sedan will be the first vehicle to be equipped with all-new four-cylinder diesel and petrol engines, allowing Jaguar to break the 100g CO2/km barrier for the first time. These advanced, high-output engines will be built at Jaguar Land Rover’s new engine production facility, currently under construction in Wolverhampton in the UK as part of a £500 million investment, which will be operational from 2015.
These vehicles are also designed to be powered by the powerful V6 petrol engine seen in the Jaguar F-TYPE sports car, which, combined with the lightweight architecture, will bestow them with best-in-class specific power output as in the F-TYPE. Together, the family of engines will offer the best of both worlds and deliver all-encompassing capabilities: sporting performance and class-leading fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions.
C-X17 DYNAMICS: FLEET-FOOTED AND SURE-FOOTED
As a sports crossover, the C-X17 concept is positioned as a driver’s car. It has an on-road bias, and its low height, optimised centre of gravity and lightweight all-aluminium body endow it with superior, car-like driving dynamics and a level of agility that would make it quite at home on the fastest roads. The C-X17 also features cutting-edge dynamic technologies such as Torque Vectoring by Braking, a system which constantly monitors the vehicle’s cornering dynamics and, when required, intelligently uses the brake system to rebalance the distribution of engine torque to the wheels, in order to reduce understeer and maximise grip.
With its 213mm ground clearance and intelligent All-Wheel Drive, the C-X17 could also offer reassuring capability and enhanced grip on poor roads and in varying weather conditions. Jaguar’s intelligent All-Wheel Drive system continuously monitors grip levels and driver inputs and uses feed-forward torque distribution to both pre-empt and react to wheel-slip, providing greater driver confidence and vehicle stability in low-grip conditions. In normal grip conditions, the system predominantly delivers drive to the rear wheels, providing the dynamic driving experience all Jaguars are renowned for.
EXTERIOR DESIGN: BEAUTY OF PROPORTION
With a crossover being a new journey for Jaguar, Director of Design Ian Callum and his team were clear that the C-X17 would not compromise on the time-honoured values of Jaguar car design: purity of form, beauty of line and balance of proportion. Even as it subscribed to the practicalities expected of the crossover category, the C-X17 had to be stylish, sporty and exciting. It had to instantly stand out from the crowd, yet retain the sense of timeless sophistication that is typically Jaguar.
The C-X17 has dynamic yet perfectly balanced proportions, with the low profile and large wheels giving it a powerful, planted stance. In terms of form, it is sleek and fast, relying on pure lines rather than exaggeration or showmanship. The long bonnet’s twin ‘power bulges’ and prominent grille impart a muscular look. The headlamps hint at the C-X17’s sedan siblings while the grille is inspired by the XJ, resulting in a distinctive family look that is reassuringly familiar yet uniquely appealing. The grille features a hexagonal pattern, with small aluminium panels within its structure that can close to enhance the vehicle’s aerodynamic properties.
The C-X17’s twin ‘heartlines’ are clearly visible when viewed in profile. Two clean and simple design lines, with a subtle crease in the metal to catch the light, visually tie together the C-X17’s shoulder and haunch. The accentuated length of the windows adds to the vehicle’s overall sense of sleekness.
The rear of the vehicle has a distinctive touch of sports car about it, with the haunch, taillights and detailing all bringing to mind the seductive Jaguar
F-TYPE. The C-X17’s roofline swoops quickly rearwards, culminating in a distinctive cantilevered spoiler over a steeply raked rear window that enhances the crossover’s sporting, ‘fast-even-at-standstill’ appearance.
The exterior paint finish is a lustrous Caesium Blue, and the window liners are gloss black, with the only brightwork on the vehicle being the badging at each end, lending the car a darker, sportier look. The large 23-inch wheels, which enhance the C-X17’s solid stance, are a one-off design with five split spokes. They have a Dark Atlas graphite grey finish with gloss black finishers on the spokes.
INTERIOR DESIGN: CRAFTSMANSHIP AND TECHNOLOGY
“The C-X17’s design is timeless, yet absolutely up-to-the-minute. Artisan treatment meets modern techniques in an innovative cabin full of luxurious touches and cutting-edge technical ideas.”
