It was bound to happen soon. With the
F-Type
barging in on the XK’s price territory and performance, plus the
coupe
now launched, both were unlikely to remain in the Jaguar range for long. So the XK will be discontinued from this summer with no direct replacement.
ALC previewed the second-gen XK...
Instead, a third generation XK will grow into a larger 2+2, a GT rival for Bentley Continental. But with nothing confirmed on that yet, and the
XE
small saloon probably taking priority, it’s time to reflect on the XK. And having been around since 2006 there’s plenty to reflect on...
The original 4.2 was driven very nearly eight years ago now (April 5 2006) with a bizarrely prescient PH verdict: ‘The new XK may not be quite the F-Type that we’d all really like to see, but it comes pretty close.’. The handling came in for praise and the styling was seen as better in the flesh than the early press pics.
In a world of 360hp hot hatches, the XK’s 300hp V8 probably sounds a little puny now. If you can live with a GT that’s quick rather than properly fast, an early (and leggy) 4.2 XK is now available for under £14K. For just a little more though, this 70,000 mile car looks preferable if you can stand the wood.
... rather closely as it turned out!
The supercharged 420hp XKR answered the calls of those crying for more speed, and the first cars are now available for
under £20K
. Both were offered as a convertible too, if you fancy.
In 2009, a facelift swapped the 4.2 V8 for Jag’s new 5.0-litre with another 85hp for the XK and 90hp for the XKR. What was that about performance? Anyway, it also introduced some minor styling tweaks and the rotary gear selector from the XF. Used versions of the revised car start at around £22K for the XK and under £30K for the XKR.
Still not enough power? The XKR-S was introduced in 2011 and, despite 550hp and further improved dynamics, has suffered horrendous depreciation. A car that costs £97,000 new can be had for just over £60K after just 4,500 miles of use.
GT a pretty special swansong
a cabrio
launched too, one of which we found
for £64,995
. Good luck finding one of the 10 UK
XKR-S GT
With a couple of months of production remaining, new XKs are still available in the run-out Dynamic and Signature models. As and when any news is confirmed on another XK, we’ll keep you updated. Tally-ho old chum!
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