Published: Mar 19, 2013

Jaguar Preparing 3 Series Fighter

Jaguar plans to take on the BMW 3 Series by turning the F-Type into a sports sedan.

It’s no secret that Jaguar wants to build a proper competitor to the BMW 3 Series in order to expand its reach in the luxury car market. The old and uninspiring Ford Mondeo-based X-Type wasn't the answer, but these spy shots give us a first look at what could be. Using an extended version of the same platform that underpins the new F-Type roadster, the upcoming XS (as it’s tipped to be called) has just been spotted undergoing testing wearing XF sheet-metal for disguise.

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Set to debut for 2015, the new Jaguar will be smaller than the XF and, along with the 3 Series, face off against rivals such as the Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class. Sources claim that base XS will come with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine along with an optional supercharged V6. Our spy photographers tell us this particular test mule is equipped with a diesel engine but it’s unclear whether that’ll be a Europe-only option. In addition to the base models, expect for Jaguar to also do a high-performance R version to take on the M3. Also expect for the XS to eventually spawn wagon and crossover variants.