New Jaguar C-X16 Concept unveiled

Compact sports car looks business focused with over 41mpg and hybrid powertrain

FANCY one of these outside your office? Thought so.

If the Jaguar XF sports saloon – so appealing to so many business owners and business car drivers alike – is too sedate an image, perhaps this is what will be better for your company: Jaguar’s new C-X16 Concept.

The Jaguar C-X16 Concept is due to be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show on Tuesday September 13, and while it’s a ‘concept’, the C-X16 looks pretty much the finished article. Expect a production version in the not too distant future.

So what is it? The C-X16 is a compact sports coupe two-seater – smaller than any current Jaguar. It’s also a hybrid. Main power comes from a supercharged V6 petrol engine producing 380PS and 450Nm of torque, but there’s additional overtaking power via a Formula 1-inspired hybrid boost system with a steering-wheel mounted button for on-demand acceleration – or, as Jaguar puts it, ‘push to pass’. Top speed is 186mph, 0-62mph is covered in 4.4 seconds while 50-75mph acceleration takes just 2.1 seconds.

But the hybrid system does more than just provide additional performance: like all hybrid systems, it helps to reduce fuel consumption; and also allows the C-X16 to perform as a zero tailpipe-emissions electric vehicle at speeds of up to 50mph.

Which means it will be perfect for business use. CO2 emissions are 165g/km – currently just the wrong side of the key writing down tax break, but we suspect that will be tweaked for the production version – and 41mpg fuel economy.

In addition to the V6 with hybrid power train, there’s fuel-saving Intelligent Stop/Start which is allied to Jaguar’s eight-speed auto transmission recently debuted in the XF.