Jaguar has a bit of a problem with its image at the moment. The remit is for 'fast, beautiful cars' yet buyers tend to be 40 and over, rather than thirty-something. The Jaguar style has all but stagnated. Take the superb new XJ saloon for example - the latest all-new car to be launched. It is bristling with innovative, and useful technology. The lightweight aluminium body uses a unique construction method and endows the car with lively performance and good fuel economy. I have driven the 3.5-litre V8 version and was impressed by its completeness. However, it has not moved the game on in the styling stakes, despite a talented team of designers.

You must remember though that the designers themselves do not make the decisions. Management believed that to play the XJ styling in a conservative manner was the correct approach. This is not too difficult to understand when you take into consideration the lack of flattery given to the controversial 7-series BMW. It could also be argued that the XJ is targeted at a conservative market. What about the X-type though? That car should have been a shot straight across the bow of BMW's 3-series. It is nowhere near unfortunately. Aside from the limitations forced on the Jaguar development team by Ford, the car should have looked modern and cutting edge, not old-school Jaguar.

Enter the R-D6 concept car at the Frankfurt Motorshow. Ian Callum, Director of Design at Jaguar tried to sum it up for us:

"R-D6 represents the pure, sensuous and sporting design that will feature in all new Jaguars, but more than this it is a vision of a future of premium motoring: beautiful, fast, agile, efficient and fun. The fact that it is the most compact four-seater Jaguar ever and defies categorisation makes it even more intriguing and desirable."

While it is important to have continuity between a brand's models, it is also important to move forward, and I think that Jaguar are now preparing us for the next generation of cars under development, which we have been told by insiders are more along the lines of the R-Coupe and R-D6 than the new XJ. It makes sense to keep cues such as the grille and the R-D6 shows just how different a car can be and still retain its Jaguar looks. The front three quarter view in particular shows the same E-type inspired rear wheelarch flaring. Though it does not look like it from most angles, the R-D6 concept is actually a proper four-seater with rear opening doors, despite the fact that the car is 342 mm shorter than the X-type!

Those doors are not all this car shares with Mazda though. The rear view is incredibly reminiscent of Mazda concept cars of late. I admire the designers’ daring to go for something so different to current Jaguars but I do not like the treatment of the exhaust and number plate surround. The glasshouse is very pleasing to the eye though, managing to be contemporary while reminding us of past Jaguar saloons.

A very significant part of this car will not be found in any old Jaguar though - the engine is a diesel. You will already have heard that the X-type can now be bought with a 2.0-litre diesel (reports are that it's good). In 2004, the facelifted S-type debuts Jaguar's new 2.7-litre V6 diesel. This engine is badly needed in Europe where diesel sales are soaring and the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz are well established. Performance for the R-D6 is suitably Jaguar-like with 0-60 mph in less than six seconds and a top speed (electronically limited) of 155 mph. These figures are obtained with a 230 bhp version of the engine (it has 500 Nm of torque!) and bear in mind that the concept car is made in the same way as the new XJ so it weighs only 1500 kg.

It is intended to use the aluminium strategy for all future Jaguars, with platform sharing between different models rather than with the Ford Motor Company. This strategy should see the development of some exciting Jaguars in the near future, such as the XK replacement. There is not really any chance of an F-type in today's economic climate, but without that halo-effect car it will be necessary for the management to be bold and move the Jaguar brand forward.

The interior of the R-D6 concept is a major departure too from the current production cars, which are mostly fitted with cream leather and wood. The show car featured sporty yet classy black and silver, with interior lighting being provided by a deep red glow. There is leather and wood, but it is used in a very different way to today's Jaguars. Aluminium also features heavily. Callum is obviously very proud of the cockpit:

"To my mind, what you're looking at is the ultimate luxury sports interior. Don't just note the fact that there is leather and wood; really study how we've used it. Trust me, this is beyond contemporary."

There are loads of 'surprise and delight' touches too, such as the engine start button housed within the gearknob, and the materials used on the switchgear. Though these features are not cause for celebration taken on their own, they add together and result in a very well thought out and desirable concept car. I doubt very much that Jaguar will make the R-D6 in its current guise, which is in effect a more up market Mazda RX-8 type sports coupe, but it is comforting to know that something is being done about the Jaguar image.

Shane O' Donoghue - 13 Sep 2003