Jaguar committed to the coupe segment

Coupes boost a company's image, the company argues.

From a business standpoint, the Jaguar F-Type doesn't have a lot going for it. It competes in a segment of the market that's shrinking all over the world, and it's made by a brand whose recent financial problems are well documented. And yet, its future looks bright. One of Jaguar's top executives has revealed the firm will always sell a two-door model.

"There will always be a Jag two-door coupe in the line-up because that's the story of what we're about, and you can't build a brand without a story," Ian Callum, Jaguar's design boss, told Top Gear. "So yes, a two-door coupe is essential to the brand. The volumes may not be high but we will build two-door sports cars and the rest will grow from that," he added.

Jaguar revealed the F-Type (pictured) in 2014, so Callum's statement suggests the company is already looking at how to replace the model. It might be an evolution of the current car with a sexy design, and a wide palette of gasoline-powered engines. Or, it might arrive as something else entirely; unverified rumors claim Jaguar may have a battery-powered sports car up its sleeve as part of a broader shift towards an electric-only line-up. "You'll have to wait and see," Callum said.

He noted Jaguar needs a coupe, not two, three, or four. While its German competitors sell two-door variants of their compact sedans, Callum ruled out turning the XE into a coupe to take on the Audi A5, the BMW 4 Series, and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe.

"The coupe market is more difficult, it's more niche. I think for a specialist like us the coupe becomes more of a challenge because the volume of sales isn't big enough - otherwise I'd love to have done a two-door version of this car," he explained.

Photo by Ronan Glon.