Agree with you. As a BMW owner the X6 is IMO an awful bit of design which is neither fish nor fowl. Some German design seems to have gone awry - the Audi/VW/Porsche Cayenne style slab sided 4WDs, the X6 and the Panamera (the Aston 4 door shows how it can be done gracefully). I do like the look of the Jaguar as it is distinctive and despite what looks like fairly high sides, sleek. Sitting in Oz at the moment and I would guess that this design would go down very well here - does anyone know how the Jags are for reliability these days?
Couple of things, firstly the Jag looked good in the flesh, a bit bigger than I anticipated and the grill was awful (IMO) but otherwise good presence and good Jag influences and touches.
Secondly, you state above that the Aston Martin Rapide shows how it should be done yet having spoken to two car collectors and Aston fans (and owners) at Geneva both saying that the Aston is not really a 4 seater (enough room, but access, egress and vista all severely compromised) and that the Panamera in particular is a far superior car in this instance.
I would deign to suggest that you perhaps cannot achieve the sleek fluid coupe looks with actual practicality of a 4 door car. I for one don't want a two door car for this purpose.
And subsequently back to my beloved X6
it thus performs a fantastic service in satiating my needs: four doors, roomy, high seating, 4WD, rakish aggresive looks (some say 'pumped up Nike' looking
but great IMO) modern reliable and practical.
It may not be the best in any one of those fields (the Infiniti Fx is far more Baseball boot looking!!
) but IMHO it is damn good in all of them and thus a very acceptable compromise.
And lastly, I personally also liked the new De Tomaso Deauville though its slightly less raised and not as pretty as the X6 it also looks like it might fulfil all of the above criteria.
It can't be a coincidence that the Cayenne/Panamera, X6, BMW GT (though incredibly ugly IMHO), Deauville, various less prestigious makes and even Rapide and FF being developed and produced means there are many people looking for comfortable reasonably practical high driving position 4x4's. I am obviously not alone
There are and of course will be many others who will not want or need the above criteria and that's what makes variety great.
