Jaguar C-X17 SUV image revealed ahead of German auto show

Yes, you read that correctly. Jaguar has released the image below in advance of the unveiling of its new C-X17 design concept. Is Jaguar going to follow the Porsche survival guide?

The new Jaguar concept C-X17 look has been leaked ahead of the Frankfurt Auto show and it is – a crossover SUV. Are cats sleeping with dogs? Has Hates frozen over? Or could Jaguar be just kidding us? Given the tremendous success of the Porsche Cayenne, and its upcoming release of the Macan, as well as BMW’s newfound market in its X3 and X5 we think this new Jaguar is not just for real, but could possibly save the company.

Jaguar Land Rover has had a string of big hits with such groundbreaking vehicles as the Range Rover Evoque and new Jaguar F-Type gracing the covers of trade publications world-wide. The exciting new vehicles have brought owner Tata motors new hope that the brand can succeed long-term. However, that is far from certain. These models and makes have bounced around the industry looking for homes bleeding their owner’s cash and selling in limited numbers that cannot sustain a brand.

However, that was a statement that in some ways applied to Porsche at one point. Porsche fixed that by introducing a crossover that has now become one of the brand’s top sellers, and almost certainly the brand’s top cash cow. Apparently Jaguar has decided to explore that path to survival.

By releasing the new SUV image before the Frankfurt Auto show, Jaguar will spur interest, dialogue, and debate. All the better to make the most of an unveiling in the heart of Europe. The company says officially that the design concept C-X17 is simply a way for it to demonstrate the wide breadth of product it could build up using its new all-aluminum modular architecture. That might be true, but it might also be a way for the company to gently break the news that the company will soon be making a vehicle with more in common with the Mazda CX-9 than the classic XKE roadster.

The Jaguar C-X17 will be on display starting next week in Frankfurt. There has been no word on powertrains, but don’t be surprised if the next “design study” is a hybrid powerplant that would fit under the bonnet of this estate car.