It’s over for X-Type

Jaguar to pull plug on smallest model by the end of 2009, causing 300 job losses

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Conor Mills

17th July 2009

It's the end of the road for the X-Type. Jaguar has confirmed that production of its BMW 3-Series rival will be stopped by the end of the year – and along with it, 300 jobs will also be lost at the Halewood plant on Merseyside. All redundancies will be voluntary.

The car made its debut in 2001, and well over 350,000 models have been sold since then – more than any other Jag. But the smallest saloon on the company’s fleet has always divided opinion among the critics.

It was scheduled to be built until at least the middle of next year, but the economic crisis meant production had to be ended earlier than expected.

The Tata-owned company has also announced that the Halewood plant will be shutting down for three weeks from the start of September, in a bid to help offset the poor sales recorded so far this year.

But it’s not all bad news for the company. The recent London launch of the new XJ – and promise of a Coupé version – has been met with great excitement, and promises to provide a healthy boost to the British brand when the saloon goes on sale next year.

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