Trademarks filed globally could signal a rash of new models.

Jaguar has quietly submitted a handful of trademark applications to the European Union Intellectual Property Office over the past few months. Since May, the British brand has filed applications for the names C-Pace, J-Pace, J-type, and X-type. The X-type name, of course, was applied previously, to Jaguar’s entry-level luxury sedan in the beginning of the century. However, the brand has since reserved the “type” suffix for its sports cars and the “Pace” suffix for its crossover SUVs.

While Jaguar still holds the trademark for X-type in the United States, it abandoned the J-type moniker in 2002, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The C-Pace and J-Pace names have never been registered in the United States. Still, that doesn’t mean these names will never see the light of day on Jaguar vehicles sold here, and it’s possible the brand will register these names with the USPTO at a later date.

Given the C-Pace’s low place in the alphabet, it seems possible the name could be applied to a crossover model smaller than the E-Pace. Such a vehicle is unlikely to be sold in the U.S. market. Alternatively, the C-Pace name could be used on a swoopier “coupe” variant of the E-Pace or F-Pace crossover SUVs.

Jaguar generally reserves the letter J for its flagship models, and it’s likely that future vehicles bearing the J-type and J-Pace names will be used on the brand’s upper-echelon sports car and crossover SUV. We envision a J-type serving as a formal replacement for the deceased XK and providing Jaguar with a proper competitor to vehicles such as the BMW 8-series, the next-gen Mercedes-Benz SL, and the Lexus LC. Likewise, we can see a three-row Jaguar J-Pace battling it out with crossover SUVs such as the Audi Q7 and the Volvo XC90.

While we’re surprised to see Jaguar dabble with the X-type name, we can only imagine the brand is considering using the nomenclature on a flagship sports car, given the letter’s place near the top of the alphabetical hierarchy. Such a vehicle wouldn’t be without precedent, as the brand previously created and sold the XJ220 supercar in the early 1990s. Jaguar also teased us with the gasoline-electric hybrid C-X75 supercar concept in the early part of this decade.

Whether Jaguar is working on vehicles for these names, or whether the brand is simply exploring the possibility of adding to its crossover SUV and sports-car lineups, remains to be seen. Regardless, it’s clear Jaguar will continue to explore new vehicle-segment and powertrain opportunities.

The Jaguar XE sedan will no longer be offered in the U.S. market starting with the 2021 model year, the company announced Tuesday, shifting the balance of its lineup in favor of ever-more-popular crossover models. With the discontinuation of Jaguar's compact sedan, the E Pace crossover becomes the brand's entry-level model.

"The 2021 model year lineup, with three SUVs, a sports car and a competitively priced luxury sedan, continues the evolution of Jaguar to specifically meet the U.S. market requirements, which today is made up of 66 percent SUV buyers in the luxury segment,” Jaguar North America boss Joe Eberhardt said in the announcement.

“But the biggest impact on the product portfolio are the technology and interior design changes made across the lineup. These updates, and the repositioning of the Jaguar XF, will help our retailers grow our business in all segments.”

And reposition it they did. For 2021, the midsize XF sedan will start at $45,145 (including $1,150 for destination) — $7,100 less than the 2020 model, corresponding to its rather significant overhaul. While the 2021 XF's interior got some much-needed upgrades, Jaguar made some fundamental changes to the XF formula.

The midsizer is now only available with four-cylinder engines, as the supercharged V6 has been axed. The base engine is the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 246 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. It's available with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. A version of this engine making 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque is optional, and it comes only with all-wheel drive.

And not only is the XF now Jaguar's entry-level sedan, it's also the company's halo sedan. Yes, that's the long way 'round to saying that the XF sits alone in Jaguar's four-door lineup for the 2021 model year — and perhaps for longer — while we await the unveiling of the next-generation XJ, which is expected to debut as an EV.