Jaguar has already revealed its plans to launch four new models by 2018. A new compact saloon, estate, SUV and coupe will be revealed within the next five years, completing a strong model offensive which will also see a new version of the Range Rover Evoque go on sale, dubbed the Evoque XL.
Here, brand chief Adrian Hallmark tells Autocar about his plans for the future.
On rebuilding the brand
“If you’re a Jaguar aficionado, the brand has very strong values. If you’re not, it doesn’t. We can fill that void. If you compared it with Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz, the brand Jaguar is absolutely seen as a prestige brand globally, wherever you go. But below that, it starts to get a bit ‘not sure what’s next’. We’re trying to fill the ‘what’s next’ with technology stories like the new iQ[Al] platform and the C-X17.
“Jaguar is very strong in two dimensions: design and prestige. Chinese customers don’t know the history of Jaguar, they don’t know our technology and they don’t understand everything that we understand in the UK because they’ve not been exposed to it, so that’s an open book. And to present this architecture, the saloon and this SUV concept as a vision of what else we can do starts to build a much more rounded, high-tech, modern, progressive picture.”
On a product-led revival
“It’s a three-phase approach. There was fixing the basics, which we did with XK, Jaguar XF and Jaguar XJ. Then we saw new engines, all-wheel drive, the Sportbrakes, R versions — you name it. That has already yielded 40 per cent growth.
“But the real change for Jaguar comes when we launch new products into new segments. Jaguar F-Type was a little boost to that because the sports car segment is tiny, but from an image perspective, it is a quantum leap. It absolutely gets Jaguar back on to the screensavers and bedroom walls of the young.
“We do have mules [for the compact Jaguar] being tested. The new engine factory that we’ve already communicated and that new engine family, they are being prototyped like crazy and the durability testing; refinement and efficiency are being optimised as we speak. It’s all guns blazing in the development process and we’re ready for launch in 2015.
“The volume potential for that one car is greater than the entire Jaguar range last year. So by 2015, that one car, in terms of transformational effect, should be worth more in volume terms than the entire Jaguar sales globally last year. F-type does it from an image point of view, but the saloon car is really the lever to transform the size of the company.”
On Jaguar’s all-new aluminium architecture
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At the end of the day, Jaguar
At the end of the day, Jaguar needs to hit the ground running with the next 3-Series rival if it's to succeed. It needs to have a large engine line-up and a variety of bodstyles more or less from the start. Having a half-hearted line-up simply won't be enough, which was the case with the XF. The A4, 3-Series and C-Class suceed not only because of their premium status and their badges, but also because of the varying engine, trim and bodstyle options. You only have to ply the streets of Britian to see the varying A4s, for example, that are around. Buyers want choice, not be constricted to a limited line-up. Jaguar may say that it can't afford to do this, but it needs to take the risk while I have no doubt in Britian at least, the small Jag will suceed if it can offer choices.
"...We rely on social media feedback..."
Oh God.
Perhaps Adrian will let us know when he's finally realised that the accumulated stupidity of bored trolls might not be as valuable to him as feedback from his own engineers.
*sigh*
Land Rover will save Jaguar,
Land Rover will save Jaguar, sooner or later. The profits from Range Rovers mean that Jaguar can continue, and money can be pumped into Jaguar developing decent cars. Personally, I think they need to ditch Ian Callum for a designer who can come up with truly desirable cars - ones which look beautiful but also have the contemporary luxury touches people want today. Jaguars should be fast and beautiful - sleek, like the animals they're named after. The engineers seem to be doing a good job. To catch up with the Germans, which I'm confident they can do, will take a decade of continual investment and commitment. JLR don't seem to lack ambition, they have good long-termist owners in the Indians, and good engineers and managers in the Germans. And the Brits are good at marketing.