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New baby Jaguar saloon?

Bertone, the Italian design house, has reinvented the small Jaguar saloon. It's coming to the Geneva Motor Show.

Bertone has presented its B99 concept as a possible future Jaguar, as the British car maker's centenary is celebrated next year. The B99 is to be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show. Mike Robinson, Bertone design director, insisted on a small saloon layout "with a very light glasshouse and the visual weight concentrated on the wheels".

Its 'suicide' four-door enabled the deletion of the B-pillar, which results in sleeker visuals and comfortable passenger entry and exit. The design team deliberately avoided the currently fashionable fastback and coupé profiles. The B99 is a traditional-looking Jaguar model, but not retro. It retains the basic elements of earlier models such as the XJC coupé, the XF or the XJ.

The 'pure' theme continues inside as well, which shouldn't mean that the B99 is bare. Most notable are the wooden inserts on the dashboard. Behind sliding panels can one find such controls and displays as the satnav screen and other buttons and switches. With the panels closed, the 'cockpit' is fairly traditional with wood and leather elements along with the analogue dials.

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Published on February 21, 2011