Back in July 2019, Jaguar Land Rover outlined a transformation at its Castle Bromwich factory that was to be “the most significant in the plant’s history”.
A huge investment converting it to build electric cars was backed up by a £500 million government loan guarantee.
First up from the new-look Castle Bromwich was to be the all-new Jaguar XJ in 2020. Then Covid hit, causing a pause on all non-essential spending. The XJ was one of the models affected.
Jaguar has said nothing officially since it released a preview image of the XJ in September 2019. The longer the silence on the XJ and Castle Bromwich goes on, the more deafening it becomes.
We understand the project remains ongoing, but the number of test mules of the next Range Rover running around the Midlands versus anything else shows you JLR’s priorities and how close (or not) an XJ launch is.
Until that happens, speculation about Castle Bromwich’s future won’t go away. It was the last JLR plant to get up and running after the Covid shutdown and the XE, one of only three models made there (alongside the Jaguar XF and Jaguar F-Type), has been taken off sale in the US.
Amid the delays, perhaps there is soul searching as to whether Jaguar needs a lower-volume large electric luxury saloon when there remain problems – but also opportunities – with the more volume end of its range.
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Everything others have said here is true. Jaguar have massive issues. Their technology is outdated and outclassed. Their engines aren't truly competitive on NVH, efficiency or driveability. Even the, 'Jaguar stole a march', I-Pace is now looking short on range and practicality (neither being issues for the older Tesla Model S).
The IC cars have big reliability problems, electrics mainly but also brakes, suspension and even rust (on cars that are typically 60% aluminium!).
They are stylish, but in many cases that adversely affects practicality. They are generally average in build quality and with some poor quality materials and the list prices are now too high, leading to massive early depreciation in the market.
Only the SUV's sell in significant numbers even in their home country and they rely on exports mainly to America and China for volume and profit. The F-Type is a bit part player compared to say Porsche. Jaguar have never truly competed with Porsche and probably never will.
There was never a business case for a clean sheet very large electric saloon/hatch, since the last XJ never sold all that well and the XF is big enough for most people that still want a saloon, so the new car needs to be reinvented as both the replacement all electric XF in standard 4.8m length and XJ in stretched 5.2m form, probably with a raised ride height, like the Mondeo replacement. Drop the XE and develop an electric XK replacement on the same chassis but lighter than the above XF.
One chassis/drivetrain, three new models, just being logical and future looking.
I really don't understand how Land Rover continue to prosper while letting Jaguar flounder along. I really fear for them in the long term, unless radical surgery is undertaken.
It's worth remembering that Land Rover is not in trouble and in Jaguars case if they only made SUVs they'd be doing OK too. So really the question isn't will JLR or even Jaguar survive. It's will they make anything other than SUVs and perhaps sport cars. Given the new Mondeo is now a crossover I wonder JLR will just take the view that eventually even BMW and co will struggle to make money at anything other than SUVs. Why paresis the market?
Peter, it's about what's inside, and how it feels to drive, because you can't drive the looks! It's better to live in an ugly house with all the mod-cons, than a stately home with dry rot and no heating!
And when you get a Hyundai at the airport as a holiday rental car which as a better infotainment system than a Jaguar but costs 1/3rd of the price, there is a problem. And if you ever jump into a BMW, the difference between the BMW system and the Jaguar's makes the Jaguar look embarrassing.
And every single Jaguar that you drive always says - low battery, start engine, even when you've just driven it! And that common fault has been around for at least 10 years now, to my knowledge.