Category: Jaguar

The Indian carmaker Tata looks set to be the winning bidder in the Jaguar/Land Rover bid if the current situation does not change. The Tata buyout does not really please either Jaguar or Land Rover. If such a buyout happened there is a chance that Tata will take the two companies’ expertise to expand its own company, to the detriment of the two beleaguered American carmakers. Jaguar appears to be the most fragile if we consider that its management admitted profit level will remain negative for several years to come.

Tata might also move their production to India in order to cut costs but such a move might be fatal for both brands. Jaguar just topped the quality benchmarks in the US while Land Rover still languishes behind the competition. Moving the production would irremediably decrease the quality during the first months.

The good news is that Tata is more than just a carmaker. It is a huge conglomerate that produces everything that Indian consumers need in daily life and in many respects has the financial power to rejuvenate a clumsy Jaguar and Land Rover whose future is far from safe due to stricter CO2 regulations.

That said, Jaguar and Land Rover are still hoping that a private equity firm will make an offer that Tata cannot match.

Here is a video with Ian Callum, Jaguar Head of Design, and Jaguar’s chassis guru, Mike Cross, talking about the new Jaguar XF.

The X-Type is not dead and this redesign could prove it. In a difficult environment, Jaguar is struggling to revamp its models, a situation similar to that which MG-Rover found itself in a few years ago.

The changes will be subtle. On the outside, the revamped baby Jaguar will have new front and rear bumpers, a new grille, new side mouldings, fresh paint colours and new wheels. On the inside, expect an effort to modernise the anachronistic interior and some accessory updates.

Under the hood, the X-Type will get a new diesel: a 2.2 litre engine that will at long last be compatible with an automatic gearbox.

This minor change to the design is not, however, garanteed to save the X-Type’s unsuccessful career. Despite good qualities, the small Jaguar did not break the generation gap between the carmaker and young British people.

When the British youth dream of binge drinking and performance, the traditional values of the British empire sold by Jaguar are not welcome. Its interior, a mix of with leather and wood, can’t compete with the sporty engines and aluminium trims of German cars. Jaguar expected to double sales with the X-Type but sold just 32,500 worldwide last year, three times less than the original target.

Despite a gloomy future, Jaguar is continuing to develop its unique new model, the XF, previewed at the last Detroit motor show. With the new XF, Jaguar gives the old British empire image up in order to adopt a German sporty spirit that meets with success in the biggest markets in the world. So, is there any better way to woe the public than offering a XFR that will produce 500 bhp/507 hp?

Under the hood this hot feline will have a supercharged 5 litre V8 unit that will produce 500 bhp/507 hp and a torque close to 500 lb ft/678 Nm. The engine will be shared with the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport SUVs. With such an engine, the XFR will probably run the 0-60mph in less than 5 seconds, a good figure to declare war to the German clique! Unfortunately, if we take into account the power escalation led by Audi, perhaps 493 bhp/500 hp will not be enough.

Officially launched at the next Frankfurt motor show in September, the XF will be available with a choice of 2.7-litre V6 diesel, 3.0-litre V6 petrol, 4.2-litre V8 petrol and supercharged 4.2-litre V8 power. No information has been given regarding the rumoured 4 cylinder engine.

Along with external subtle changes, the Jaguar XJ gets a diesel engine, the same as the S-Type’s and the Peugeot 607’s. This 2.7 litre V6, fitted with 2 turbochargers, delivers 207bhp and up to 435Nm of torque. In the mean time, Audi releases its new A8 V8 TDI delivering 326bhp… The Jaguar also comes with a particulate filter, an uprated braking system, new logos, electronically controlled active engine mounts and a tyre pressure monitoring system. It reaches 141mph, accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds and returns 35mpg.

Now Jaguar can directly compete with the Mercedes S320 CDI, the Audi A8 V6 TDI or the BMW 730d.
Should we be ashamed at seeing luxury brand resorting to diesel engines, even for their highest models? I think not. 1 litre of diesel provides more energy than 1 litre of gasoline, this is why, for the same performance, a diesel engine burns less and, as a consequence, pollutes less.