Around this time last year, just as anticipation was building for the Jaguar XE, Jaguar F-TYPE and Jaguar F-PACE, rumors began to circulate about two other additions to the Jaguar lineup. One of these rumors, a compact SUV that would slot into the lineup below the forthcoming 2017 Jaguar F-PACE, would eventually be confirmed as the Jaguar E-PACE. The other rumor would receive confirmation of a different sort. 

That rumor concerned a vehicle rumored to be called the Jaguar XD, which consisted of a few artist’s renderings, a dash of hope, and a bit of hype. The Jaguar XD was envisioned by renderer Theophilus Chin as a compact luxury sedan that shared some of its design cues and underlying architecture with the Jaguar XE. There was just one problem: while Chin’s concept was attractive enough, and even looks vaguely credible from the outside, he has no affiliation with Jaguar.

There are other issues as well, not least of which that the XD badge is already in use by another manufacturer. There’s another, larger concern: the company’s Australian Managing Director, Matthew Wiesner, acknowledges that there’s competition in the segment among other luxury and near-luxury marques, but that Jaguar wouldn’t be entering the fray ’til at least 2020, if ever; after all, he points out, there’s no point in building a car of that type or any other with the Jaguar name if it isn’t going to live up to the very high standards the company has set for itself.

That isn’t a bad thing, and if anything it indicates that even the rumors of a new model from Jaguar are going to create a buzz. Since you can’t very well drive a rumor, however, why not do something better? Come to Jaguar of Peabody and test drive a car that already exists, like the 2016 Jaguar XF, or find out more about the upcoming 2017 Jaguar XE. We’re located at 247 Newbury Street in Peabody, Massachusetts.