I'm late here but know all about X types..
Basically Jaguar (Ford owned at the time) didnt have a car to build at Halewood and the place was for the chop.. Ford came up with a program to save the plant and the jobs.. they made the X type from the then 3 year old Mondeo..
They re-engineered the Genk made Mondeo into the X type so they could save the factory..
So, the floorpan, suspension and trans all Mondeo, the electrics and control systems plus the 4x4 X type has the 4x4 system from the 4x4 Mondeo and if you can remember the swift introduction of the very first diesel Jaguar it was because the engine was already type approved from the Mondeo.
Once ford had stopped production of the Mk2 Mondeo in Genk the X type quickly followed and the plant was taken over to build LandRovers.
If Halewood had not needed a new model the X Type Jag would never have happened, which in my opinion would have been a good thing.
Compared to a similar spec Mondeo the X Type is rubbish..
As a supplier engineer for both cars (cause the parts were the same) Jag stopped engineering changes at level JJ, Ford carried on right to end with level YY.
Now the same parts I supplied to Ford and Jaguar are STILL being made and go on the Aston Martin DB9 (Ford owned Aston at the time as well)
Ford have just announced the closure of the Genk plant in Belgium with the loss of 4300 jobs...
Steve
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