Jaguar introduced the modern XK for the 2006 model year as a successor to the XK8, giving the brand a new grand touring coupe and convertible built around lightweight aluminum construction and a distinctly long-hood, short-deck silhouette. It was the first Jaguar designed under Ian Callum’s direction, and its styling deliberately blended contemporary surfacing with classic Jaguar proportions. The XK line sat near the top of Jaguar’s sports-car range and was offered in coupe and convertible form, with later high-performance XKR and XKR-S derivatives broadening the model’s appeal to enthusiasts who wanted more aggressive performance without losing grand touring comfort.
The car received a significant update for the 2012 model year, which sharpened its appearance and refreshed its equipment and trim offerings while keeping the same basic X150-era architecture. Jaguar continued to evolve the XK through the 2014 and 2015 model years, and the company announced that 2015 would be the final production year, commemorated by special final-edition cars. The XK is remembered as an important modern-era Jaguar grand tourer: a stylish, aluminum-bodied two-door that bridged the brand’s traditional design language with the company’s more contemporary engineering direction.