Prices for the new Jaguar X-Type, forecast to account for 50% of the brand's sales when it goes on sale on June 1, start at £22,000.

The car (pictured below), championed by the company as transforming the brand and bringing it to a new audience, is the first entrant to the compact saloon segment and is pitched against the Audi A4, BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

At launch the X-Type range will consist of, the entry level 2.5 V6, the range-topping 2.5 and 3.0 V6 Special Equipment (SE) and the 2.5 and 3.0 V6 Sport. Each model has a five-speed manual transmission as standard, with fully electronic five-speed automatic transmission optional across the range.

Jonathan Browning, Jaguar managing director, said: "The X-Type connects Jaguar with a different type of customer. It challenges existing perceptions of Jaguar, broadening the appeal and the accessibility of the marque and it drives forward our ambitious growth strategy which began with the launch of the S-Type in 1998."

On-the-road prices are:
2.5 V6: £22,000
2.5 V6 Sport: £24,000
2.5 V6 SE: £24,750
3.0 V6 Sport: £25,500
3.0 V6 SE: £26,250

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