Jaguar's poor results are being blamed on the end of the S-Type and last year the 'leaper' only sold 60,485 vehicles, compared to Land Rovers 226,395. Jaguars introduction of new models such as the new XF sedan will see the company's sales boosted this year, especially with the XF which is designed to be a volume seller. The new XF is proving to be so popular that dealers have already taken in 10,000 pre-orders for the car. Land Rovers sales were increased last year through the introduction of new models and sales in burgeoning markets such as China and Russia which have both found enormous amounts of wealth and are willing to spend it on luxury items.
Ford's deal with Tata Motors to sell both Jaguar and Land Rover should come to a conclusion by the end of this quarter, and by all accounts the deal will be going ahead. While there are important negotiations still to be made, analysts are suggesting that both companies involved in the deal have the motivations and financials to see the deal through. A handful of new models is expected for Jaguar when Tata injects its considerable resources into the manufacturer, with the possibility of a 2-seater 911 rival. A replacement for the XJ flagship is already in the works as we previously reported as well as the high performance variant of the XKR, dubbed the XKR-R. There has also been talk of a supercar or something similar which would take cues from the stunning F-Type concept.
The introduction of these new models should boost Jaguar's sales figures for 2008 and take it out of the red zone. While Ford does not distribute the results of its brands separately (ie. preferring to report financial results for the group as a whole), they have said that together Jaguar and Land Rover were profitable in every quarter of 2007. Compared to this, Ford posted a 2.67 billion dollar loss in 2007, which makes us question their decision to sell profitable brands and keep the brands that are a drain on the group, especially considering the increased interest in Jaguar from consumers following the XF debut.
Reader Comments
Thu Feb 21 2008 8:22 PM
Sir Yappie says
the XF wont make a difference as it looks exactly like a Volvo.
they should have kept the original concepts style and presence....this looks ike anything else in the market !
Please someone come up with an original design......
Fri Feb 22 2008 12:19 AM
Paul says
The XF styling is conservative, but it should appeal to more people than the S-type. I think the interior far outshines the S-type. I agree totally that the new models coming out will have to set Jaguar apart from the rest.
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