Jaguar’s future hinges on a handsome and contemporary new styling theme for its mainstay luxury sedans, S-Type and XJ. The two cars will shed Jaguar’s variation on retro styling, which has stunted sales in recent years, for a new look intended to make Jaguars much more desirable—and profitable and secure within parent company Ford. Design chief Ian Callum and advanced design boss Julian Thompson are behind the new look, which centers on a new grille design that will be common to all Jaguar sedans. Sports cars, like the new XK, will continue with the “Spitfire wing” opening reminiscent of the 1960s E-Type.

First out of the gate is the 2008 S-Type, known internally as Project X250. Make-or-break Jags seem to arrive every decade or so, but the description really applies to the new S-Type. A ground-up new design, it sticks to fundamentals—a traditional sedan just under 16.5 feet long and powered by a range of V6 and V8 engines driving the rear wheels through an automatic gearbox. Eschewing aluminum construction for cost and timing reasons, the S-Type features a steel monocoque with a “couple of closures in aluminum,” meaning hood and trunk lid, according to a source.

S-Type’s secret weapon, though, is Callum’s dramatic styling that returns Jaguar to the “four-door coupe” look largely dismissed on today’s more practical designs. With its twin-nostril grille inspired by the 1968 XJ6, the styling is said to be “very aggressive for a Jaguar,” according to a source. Jaguar has avoided copying Audi’s single-frame grille design, and the S-Type will have separate upper and lower grilles split by a license plate box on the bumper bar. One-piece headlights, inspired by the new XK, will feature twin projector beams, giving the impression of a traditional twin-headlight Jaguar front end.

Other sporting and modern styling features will be a gently rising beltline creating a wedge, a subtle bulge over the rear haunch and a narrow greenhouse. Insiders report the package is somewhere between a
traditional sedan and a coupe, with some compromise for the rear passengers. Thanks to a high trunk lid, the new S-Type will have usable luggage space. A major target with the redesign is reduced noise and harshness, particularly from the rear suspension.

New S-Type engines will likely include the company’s first 5.0-liter V8, producing about 350 hp. A supercharged R version is rumored to punch out 460 hp. Smaller V6 gasoline engines based on current powerplants will be available at launch, but ultimately they will be replaced by a Jaguar version of the new Volvo inline-six. Also under consideration is a turbocharged 3.2-liter I6, which may get the green light thanks to better fuel economy than V8s.

Following hot on the S-Type’s heels is Project X351, the new XJ flagship sedan due for the 2010 model year. A major redesign is on the drawing board for Jaguar’s slow-selling flagship, which despite its high-tech aluminum body is selling about half what the company hoped for at launch in 2002.

The rivet-bonded aluminum platform and body construction will remain unchanged, but the upper body and its inner and outer panels will be new. The main aim is to bring the XJ’s styling and appeal into line
with the younger-looking new S-Type. The XJ will retain its own styling, although the grille appearance will be shared with the S-Type. With sporty and elegant character high on Jaguar’s wish list, the XJ will
return to the theme of the previous-generation XJ, a lower and sleeker design than today’s model. “Think of their inspiration as a better-developed Maserati Quattroporte,” says one insider. Jaguar is ready to crimp rear passenger space to get the sexiest, coupe-like roof-line possible vs. today’s XJ, which was designed around an interior capable of battling more conventional luxury sedans like the
Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

The new body architecture will allow Jaguar to use Volvo’s 3.2-liter I6 from launch because the engine compartment can be engineered around the taller engine design. That also opens up the possibility of a 300-hp turbocharged I6 to replace smaller-capacity V8s to meet demands for better fuel economy. Range-topping models will use the 5.0-liter V8 and its supercharged R version. Expect this range-topping model to feature quad tailpipes, a feature of the new XKR that is on Callum’s wish list for all future R models.