The F-Type, which made its U.S. debut at the LA Motor Show last week and is scheduled to go on sale in May 2013, is much more than just the high-profile sports car that’s been missing from Jaguar’s range for a long time.
True, the F-Type has been well-received and is expected to boost Jaguar’s image considerably. It is equally true, though, that the two-seater roadster will be a low-volume model – even if we add the coupe, which is expected at the 2013 Geneva Auto Show, in the mix.
What the company bosses are focusing on now is on how to best capitalize the effect this “halo” car will create. This will happen through a series of new models that the British carmaker has in the pipeline in order to become a serious competitor in the premium segment.
“We’re in the eye of a positive storm right now”, Jaguar global brand director Adrian Hallmark told British publication Autocar adding, “and lower segments is where we want to go”.
That’s why even though the brand’s first-ever SUV is at a quite advanced stage in its development, an entry level compact saloon model, has become a bigger priority.
“Even though the SUV market is growing, the saloon market is still twice the size, especially in the U.S.”, Hallmark told the British publication. “A crossover would make more noise for us than a saloon, but we already have SUVs in the company (ed’s note: Land Rover) and we’re not in a rush to do that.”
He added that, while a full-size SUV is more profitable than a compact saloon, “you don’t expect the likes of Audi stop making the A4” and that being in that segment gives you the flexibility to build a number of variants.
Sources claim that the “compact car”, as it is internally known, will be based on the new JLR steel platform that will also underpin the next Freelander, but will feature aluminum panels.
It will measure around 4.3 m long and, according to said sources, its styling has been finalized. And no, it won’t look like Bertone’s B99 concept that was unveiled at Geneva in 2011 as a proposal for a compact, 4.5-m-long Jag, and which is shown in the opening picture above.
The report says is that the car will be front-wheel drive and offer an all-wheel drive option, though, Autocar notes that Jaguar bosses are not entirely convinced about the idea, and are even considering not placing a Jaguar badge on it. In this case, it we assume Jaguar may offer it exclusively in China through a new brand it plans to create with Chery (read more about the partnership here).
The full-size SUV will be based on the aluminum platform of the XJ saloon. Clinics of a full-size model next to rivals have yielded more than positive remarks, with one source that has seen it describing it as “spectacular”.
In 2011, Jaguar shifted around 50,000 units and its range covered just a quarter of the premium segment. According to Hallmark, the addition of new petrol and diesel engines, the XF Sportbrake and all-wheel drive versions for the XF and XJ and the F-Type have nearly doubled that number, forcing the company to add a second shift to its Castle Bromwich plant to cope with increased demand.
“It takes five years minimum for a ground-up new product, so we’ve looked at filling the massive gaps in our existing line up. This won’t quite double sales”, admitted Hallmark, “but it shows the scale of potential”.
By Andrew Tsaousis
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