Jaguar to launch 3 Series rival in 2015

Jaguar has announced it will put a BMW 3 Series rivalling saloon on the market in 2015.

The car will be the first to be built on an all-new aluminium architecture called iQ(Al), which will underpin other Jaguar models including a replacement for the XF and XJ saloon. 

Jaguar's 3 Series rival, possibly called the Q-type, will be available in both rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive variants. Power will come from a new family of four-cylinder diesel and petrol engines, plus the new six-cylinder petrol engine that powers the F-type. According to engineers, the most efficient engine will produce less than 100g/km of CO2.

A final production version will be shown closer to the on-sale date but it’s expected to share some styling characteristics with the C-X17 concept, including the front lights and grille.

Senior sources at Jaguar also expect the saloon to be joined by other variants, including a coupe and an estate.