The current Jaguar XJ and Volvo S60 have plenty in common. They were both launched under Ford ’s now-defunct Premier Auto Group. They were both controversial at the time they were introduced — the S60 gave Volvo a brand new design language, while the retro XJ took Jag into a time warp. They’re both more than a little stale these days. They’re both about to be replaced by sleek new sucessors. And now they’ve both been officially discontinued to make way for the new models.
The last S60 rolled off the assembly line at Volvo Cars Ghent on March 31st. The final car, painted in Sapphire Black, was destined for a customer in Taiwan. Between 2000 and 2009, the plant built of 578,292 examples of the S60. The plant is now preparing to build the 2011 Volvo S60, which will enter production early next year.
“The Volvo S60 was an important model for Volvo Cars Gent,” said Derek Jessiman, managing director of Volvo Cars Ghent. “Now we will focus on a flawless launch of the new S60.”
Meanwhile, the production has ended of the current-generation Jaguar XJ , codenamed X350. Assembly of the car at the company’s Castle Vale plant has been halted ahead of the launch of the new model. The 2011 Jaguar XJ is expected to be introduced this summer, with availability beginning in early 2010.
