If you want a sedan with more space in most markets, you step up to the next bigger model in the lineup. But not in China. There they like small sedans with long wheelbases. And Jaguar is apparently only too happy to oblige.
Autocar reports that the British automaker is preparing a stretched version of its smallest sedan specifically for the Chinese market. The result would likely look something like the (admittedly crude) illustration above.
Expected to be called XE L, the long-wheelbase XE sedan is tipped to grow an extra five inches to the benefit of rear-seat legroom. Like the larger XF L, the stretched XE could also get extra luxury features for chauffeur-driven passengers like massage seats, window blinds, and an upgraded entertainment system with screens mounted to the back of the front seats.
Aside from stretching the wheelbase and ditching the less potent engine options, the XE L would otherwise be mechanically identical to the standard-wheelbase model we know. Jaguar wouldn’t be the only luxury automaker to give its compact sedan the long-wheelbase treatment. BMW, Audi, and Mercedes offer similarly stretched versions of their 3 Series, A4, and C-Class models, respectively.
We wouldn’t be surprised to see Jaguar lift the veil at the Shanghai Motor Show next month – and could, like the XF L, even be assembled locally in China. But we won’t expect the XE L to make its way to other markets like ours – where, like we said, customers would just as soon step up to a larger model.
Photo Gallery
