Jaguar will not launch an Jaguar XE Sportbrake, despite the recent arrival of the new XF Sportbrake, according to design director Ian Callum.
Having previously said there would not be an XF Sportbrake in the current generation, Callum admitted that the strategy had changed with the arrival of new management but that the model had a “very difficult” business case.
Callum described the market as “clearly quite challenging” but said the new XF Sportbrake is better than the previous one.
However, he said there was no chance of the smaller XE getting an estate version.
“The Sportbrake market is fairly static. From a business point of view, an XE Sportbrake is not an easy car to make happen. And it would be very challenging pricing for an XE [version].
“That market is vicious,” he added, referencing the competitiveness of the BMW 3 Series Touring and Audi A4 Avant.
Callum said Jaguar could manage the XF Sportbrake to its advantage, but the same would not apply for its smaller sibling.
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All seems very sensible
From previous reports, Ian Callum has accepted that they made a mistake in not make the distinction between the XE and XF clearer - giving the bigger, more expensive XF an estate option is one way of recovering from this.
It's hard to criticise JLR for this, when they are investing so much in SUVs and electric/hybrid vehicles. People might not always like it, but they are the future.
Hedonist wrote:
Hatchbacks were the future once. So were hardtop convertibles. So were MPVs. So were SUVs...
Great car
I had the previous version of the 3.0DS XF sportbrake a couple of years ago - without a doubt the best car I've owned. Fast, economical and tows a trailer without breaking a sweat; I'd have another in a heartbeat. I'm not too concerned about the lack of an sportbrake version of the XE though; estates are best when they're a variant of a big car, IMO.
Remember that JLR are a relatively small company; they have to choose product developement very carefullly, whereas the likes of BMW and VAG can push out niche models without a thought.
speckyclay wrote:
And they always will be with their current management culture.
It's an incredibly short sighted decision and one that will ultimately limit growth. Too much emphasis is placed on riding the current wave of popularity that exists with SUV's, their entire business case rests upon them. Trends, fashions change and they can change quickly. The German brands are often heavily critised for having too many models, creating models where one appears not to be needed, short term it can appear to be a waste of resources but it's a gamble that can pay off big time when fashions change - you already have a well developed model in place, no 24-36 month development cycle to go through.
One of the biggest problems with this decision is that such a model could become their strongest product, although not necessarily from a commercial point of view. Strip away the public hype of SUV's and the acolades heaped upon the F Pace by the UK's motoring press and get down to the overall quality of the basic products, and the XF estate is probably the best car Jaguar currently build, the F Pace isn't, it's far from it.
One telling point from the article and probably the most indicative of their decision is the comment " and it would be very challenging pricing for an XE version". That XE platform is incredibly expensive to produce and it's likey that at the XE level it cannot generate profits. In all, from a long term commercial point of veiw it's a poor decision and one that highlights the marked differences in management attitudes between JLR and the German brands and it's a decision that means JLR will continue to remain the bit players they are, despite having some very strong products.
Jaguar XE Sportbrake
So all Jaguar Land Rover are going to do is build SUV's? How very disappointing. The XE needs more variants if it going to be seen as a credible challenger to the 3-Seies and A4. Where's the range of cars?