Once in danger of going the same way as Saab or Lancia, Jaguar has been brought back to life via massive infusions of cash, intelligently spent. Thanks to the success of the F-PACE, it is probably now profitable too. Such are the plans for the ongoing transformation of the leaping cat brand, Jaguar’s reinvention is really only just beginning.
What’s in a name?
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It has a clumsy naming system but there again that doesn’t hold back Mercedes-Benz or Volvo either, of plug-in hybrid models there are none and until last year, no SUV either. Jaguar remains in a phase of messy expansion. Does a carefully laid out system of A, S, RS, Q and SQ model prefixes plus e-tron and g-tron suffixes really matter? Even Audi has exceptions to its own rules: TT and R8. And what if VCC releases a challenger for the A5 Sportback? It will probably be forced by its own logic to call this hatchback the S50 or V50. Then have dealers attempt to explain why the S or V doesn’t signify a sedan or estate body.
The Jaguar cars line-up today starts with the XE sedan, then moves to the inexplicably similar looking but obviously larger XF sedan and Sportbrake, and ends with the F-TYPE fastback and convertible, plus the XJ sedan. The F-PACE is the only SUV but the smaller E-PACE will join it in 2018, as will the I-PACE. The last of the three is the electric one, not the E. Jaguar’s ad agencies will have to think extra hard about how to explain this. What would Dan Draper do?
As Mercedes-Benz has found, you can eventually sort this stuff out (CL-Class became S-Class Coupe, ML became GLS as part of the logical idea that all SUVs start with G) as vehicles are facelifted or replaced, and sales will go from strength to strength and the potential confusion lessens. Names probably don’t matter that much in some ways. The fictional advertising guru from Mad Men was a genius at selling the sizzle (how it feels to own a Jag-wah) not the sausage (the attributes of a particular model).
In common with Land Rover, Jaguar has three groups of vehicles. These are sedans/estates, sports cars and SUVs/crossovers. A couple – XJ and F-TYPE – were developed in the full knowledge that they might never sell in volumes of more than 5,000-20,000 units a year. No matter: their job has been to maintain the idea of Jaguars as high-priced luxury cars, and to position the leaping cat logo to new generations as something which stands for must-have design. Remember that until recent years, few in China had heard of Jaguar and in many countries, the leaper was seen as well past its Best Before date. The worst is now way behind Jaguar and things are improving, even month by month.
Could Jaguar ever outsell Land Rover?
Will things ever get to the point where Jaguar outsells Land Rover, and/or far more importantly, brings in even higher margins than its sister division? It’s not impossible, but much depends on whether or not money is pumped into the car line at the expense of what would be a logical move: adding extra SUVs. The E-PACE and I-PACE won’t be manufactured at anything even close to six figures a year; at least that doesn’t appear to be built in to JLR’s expectations. Magna Steyr’s contract will eat into Jaguar’s profitability but against that, the Tier 1 also takes on the manufacturing risk should the I-PACE bomb in a global market which has yet to see any other similarly sized electric SUVs. The same applies to Chery Auto, which shares the factory with JLR which will produce the E-PACE for China.
Presuming that all the planets align in 2018, Jaguar could well have not only a record year for worldwide vehicle deliveries but it may create a wonderful headache for Tata Motors. That would be all JLR plants nearing capacity or even production of the XE and XF having to be slowed to make way for additional build of the F-PACE at Castle Bromwich, assisting production of what is already Jaguar’s best selling model at Solihull.
Three vehicle groups, two architectures
JLR’s vehicle platforms were discussed in the recent in-depth analysis of the Land Rover model range. So here follows only a brief summary.
As with Land Rover and Range Rover, all current Jaguars use either a legacy architecture from the Ford Motor Company ownership era, or else JLR’s own aluminium-heavy platform. The second of these comes in several iterations but these variations can be grouped under the PLA banner, which stands for Premium Lightweight Architecture. The derivatives are PLA D6a and PLA/D7a and are based on a RWD/AWD layout. The FWD/AWD steel platform is called D8 by both Jaguar and Land Rover and it is derived from what started life as Ford’s EUCD (European Union region, C and D segments).
Cars
X760, the XE, has an aluminium architecture and is manufactured at Castle Bromwich in the English West Midlands. It is also assembled by Tata Motors from Castle Brom-sourced kits at a plant in Pune. Series production commenced in April 2015 so we are still a year or more away from this D segment sedan’s mid-life styling freshening. For reasons unknown, it took almost 12 months for the car to go on sale in the USA. Now, it is selling relatively well there. This is in contrast to the poorly performing XF, which continues to suffer due to the decline of its segment.
Even though aluminium features in the car’s construction, the lightest XE weighs 1,474kg: only slightly less weighty than the lightest BMW 3 Series. As for panels, the roof and bonnet are aluminium but the door skins and bootlid are steel.
Originally, it was thought that rivals for the BMW 4 Series coupe and convertible would be added, along with a five-door hatchback with which to challenge the Audi A5 Sportback. Some or all of these cars appear to have been axed, along with plans for a Sportbrake estate. Instead, should XE build in China take place, a special long-wheelbase XE will join the XF L at the Chery-JLR plant. Certain of the other body styles may yet be added, although JLR was possibly wise to hold off on developing any until it saw if the XE sedan was successful or not. It is doing OK, but for Jaguar management to see the Mercedes C-Class range consistently in the UK’s top ten best sellers’ list must be frustrating.
Maximum annual production was expected to be around 80,000 units per annum at Solihull, which is where all XE build originally took place. In September 2016, however, JLR announced that XE production at Solihull would be phased out following the start of production at Castle Bromwich. Since then, and even with the F-PACE taking over as the brand’s best performing model, Jaguar has made several attempts to promote the XE afresh. Without a wagon though, the car is a tough sell in Europe, at least.
The fastest and most powerful road going Jaguar yet was announced to the media in May, a month ahead of its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. This is the XE SV Project 8, which is powered by a 600PS version of JLR’s supercharged 5.0-litre V8. Special Vehicles in Coventry will build 300 of these cars, all of them left-hand drive. A 550 or 575PS XE SVR is expected to follow as a series production model.
The most recent news was the announcement of the MY2018 XE range. The main novelty is the addition of the 300PS & 400Nm 2.0-litre Ingenium petrol engine which had already been new for the MY2018 F-TYPE. After the facelift in late 2018 makes the car look far more distinctive and less like the XF, there could well be a PHEV powertrain added plus JLR’s future in-line six-cylinder engines.
X860, the second generation XE, is due to make an entrance in 2022. Presuming that Jaguar becomes handsomely profitable by 2018 or 2019, business cases for the additional body styles which the current XE range lacks will by then be easier to make than they were when X760 was still years away from production. Model codes should be X861 (L), X862 (Sportbrake) and so on.
The latest XF sedan had its world motor show premiere in New York during April 2015. The standard wheelbase four-door has the project code of X260 while a long-wheelbase car which is made only in China, is X261. The saloon is 4,954mm long and the XF L is 140mm lengthier. The public debut for X261 was at the Beijing motor show in April 2016 with build in Changshu beginning four months later. This was exactly one year after production of X260 had started in England at Castle Bromwich.
The XF L was the third vehicle to be built at the Chery Auto-Jaguar Land Rover factory, following the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport. The plant originally had an annual capacity of 130,000 vehicles but this rose with the addition of the XF L and a body shop opened at the same time. An adjacent engine plant manufactures Ingenium 2.0-litre petrol units. The Changshu plant will later in 2017 have its capacity raised to 210,000 vehicles a year. Chery and JLR are funding a new body shop and building a second trim line, Chen Xuefeng, the deputy president of Chery Jaguar Land Rover told the media in November 2016.
The China-built L cars are rear-wheel drive and offer the choice of three engines: 200hp 2.0-litre turbo, 240hp 2.0-litre turbo or 340hp supercharged 3.0-litre V6. Each is approximately 200kg heavier than its standard wheelbase equivalent.
Jaguar announced its MY2018 XF sedan range in February ahead of these cars being displayed at the Geneva motor show. The main news was the addition of three engines:
- 200PS 2.0-litre petrol Ingenium (20t badge on the boot lid)
- 240PS & 500Nm 2.0-litre diesel Ingenium (25d)
- 250PS 2.0-litre petrol Ingenium (25t)
Jaguar told the media at the 2016 Paris motor show that an XF Sportbrake (X262) was under development and would be on sale in relevant markets in 2017. It is also believed that an SVR sedan Sportbrake will become available later this year. These will be the replacements for the former R-S. The estate was revealed to the media in June. During the same month, Jaguar announced that the 300PS & 400Nm 2.0-litre Ingenium petrol engine which had already been new for the MY2018 F-TYPE would now also become available in the XE, XF and F-PACE.
UK deliveries of the XF Sportbrake have just started and unusually, the wagon will be offered in North America. The 50-state roll-out commences from November.
The XF’s first facelift is likely to appear first at the 2019 New York auto show. Before then, JLR’s forthcoming in-line six-cylinder petrol engine should become available.
X270, the XF successor, will probably be revealed in early 2023. The next XF L (X271) and the future XF Sportbrake (X272) should be in production later the same year.
Replacing the E-TYPE, a car which many consider to be a work of art, was an understandably difficult project. Five years ago, Jaguar revealed a model which was intended to both succeed the XK and push the brand’s design in a new direction – hopefully an acclaimed direction. Even its biggest fans – this writer included – would hesitate to call the F-TYPE a major success. That has nothing to do with the car’s looks – far from it. Incorrect pricing and the lack of small capacity engines were fundamental errors. Finally, both have been corrected.
The front-engined two-seat convertible had its global debut at the Paris motor show in September 2012. Series production commenced in May 2013, with cars going to UK dealers later the same month. The coupé, a less expensive bodystyle, premiered at November 2013’s LA motor show but production did not commence until March 2014. Despite its name, the fixed-roof car is in fact a hatchback.
The F-TYPE uses a shorter, narrower variation of the XJ and former XK’s aluminium platform. This is known internally as D6a.
The coupé is available with either aluminium or panoramic glass roof panels that are bonded into the main roof structure. Torsional rigidity is claimed to be identical regardless of which roof is fitted. The car’s body sides are single-piece aluminium pressings. These are claimed to be ‘probably the most extreme cold-formed aluminium body side outer panels in the automotive industry’. The deep-draw pressings eliminate the requirement for joints in the panel surface. The body sides are fabricated from high-strength and formable AC600 aluminium.
An F-TYPE SVR was revealed at the Geneva show in March 2016. There are both hatchback and convertible bodystyles, with the former having a claimed 200mph top speed (194 for the cabrio). The SVR can be ordered with optional carbon ceramic brakes, giving a saving of 21kg. There is also a special titanium exhaust system (12kg saving) and forged aluminium wheels (loss of 10kg). The first deliveries took place in August 2016.
A facelifted F-TYPE range was announced for the 2018 model year, the public debut being at the Brussels motor show in January. Three months later, Jaguar announced four-cylinder variants. These are distinguished by a single, centrally-positioned exhaust pipe and standard 18-inch wheels (19 and 20-inch designs are options). The 1,997cc petrol engine produces 221kW (300PS) and 400Nm. The four-cylinder F-TYPE, the public debut of which was at the New York auto show, cannot be ordered with all-wheel drive.
The next F-TYPE is due to enter production late in the third quarter of 2020. Expect a four-cylinder petrol engine as well as a supercharged in-line six-cylinder unit for X161. Jaguar’s head of Design, Ian Callum, has hinted that the next car might be mid-engined, though he has also failed to rule out a repeat of the front-engined format.
Moving up now to the top of the tree for Jaguar cars, it’s the low-volume XJ. In production since the final quarter of 2009, this low, low-roof sedan has just been updated for what Jaguar calls the 2018 model year. The XJ was a rebodying of the previous generation car and so uses the same alloy platform. Both standard and long-wheelbase bodies are available. One unusual feature is a glass roof for all variants.
The powertrain range as at the time of a facelifted model’s announcement in June 2015 was follows: 300PS 3.0-litre V6 diesel turbo automatic; 240PS 2.0-litre petrol turbo automatic; 340PS supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol automatic; supercharged 470, 510 and 550PS 5.0-litre V8 petrol automatic. Two variants of ZF’s 8HP transmission family are offered: the familiar 8HP70 transmission and the lighter, more compact 8HP45.
A camouflaged XJR premiered at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June. Under its bonnet was the 575PS supercharged 5.0-litre V8 from the F-TYPE SVR. The production model was then announced a few weeks later. This is the XJR575 and it replaces the (550PS) XJR. The addition of the XJR575 is the only mechanical change for the 2018 model year XJ range. There are not likely to be any further revisions with production due to end in 2019.
X360, the next XJ, might well become more expensive. Instead of trying to take on the Mercedes S-Class, it would instead be pitched into a segment above where the current XJ is and below the Bentley Flying Spur. Existing XJ volume is minimal so the logic would be that 5,000-10,000 cars a year priced a fair way above where the XJ is now might work. Production will probably commence in March or April 2019. The life cycle would be eight years and the architecture an update of D2a, which is a special derivative of PLA/D7a. JLR may outsource build of this car to Magna Steyr freeing up capacity at Castle Bromwich, which is where the current X351 model is manufactured.
X764, which could revive the XK name is due on sale in 2020. Intended to be a Bentley Continental GT competitor, it should be offered in coupe and convertible forms. The architecture would naturally be the same as the future XJ: fixed-roof and open versions can be thought of as two-door variants, although they would have their own unique look.
SUVs
A C segment SUV is on the way. At 4,395mm in length, the smallest Jaguar yet is intended to be a rival for the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Volvo XC40 and Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class. This is the E-PACE and it was revealed to the media in July.
X540 will be manufactured from 2018 by Magna Steyr at its Graz plant in Austria, as well as in China at the Chery-JLR joint venture factory in Changshu.
This five-seat SUV has a boot capacity of 577 litres, a 60/40 split rear seat and total volume of 1,234 litres with both seats folded. The 2,681mm wheelbase is longer than that of the Range Rover Evoque even though the vehicles themselves are comparable in length. This suggests that the second generation version of the Land Rover will also have the same wheelbase, giving it a roomier interior than that of the existing Evoque.
The E-PACE introductory engine range is to be as follows:
- 110kW (150PS) & 380Nm Td4/D150 Ingenium 2.0-litre diesel
- 132kW (180PS) & 430Nm Sd4/D180 Ingenium 2.0-litre diesel
- 177kW (240PS) & 500Nm Sd4/D240 Ingenium 2.0-litre diesel
- 183kW (249PS) & 365Nm Si4/T250 Ingenium 2.0-litre petrol
- 221kW (300PS) & 400Nm Si4/T300 Ingenium 2.0-litre petrol
Were it not for Magna Steyr’s capacity constraints at Graz, the E-PACE would surely become Jaguar’s new best seller.
X761 is that car: the F-PACE is Jaguar’s currently most popular model. This 4,731mm long crossover, an intended rival for the Porsche Macan, entered series production in April 2016 on the same production line as the XE. The architecture is a development of PLA but modified for smaller vehicles than the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. The F-PACE model name – initially controversial – was announced in January 2015.
Petrol engines at launch were the Ford-sourced GTDi (2.0-litre four-cylinder) and AJ126 (supercharged 3.0-litre V6 in 340hp and 380hp forms), as well as the TDV6 (3.0-litre V6) diesel. JLR’s own AJ200D Ingenium four-cylinder diesel is also available.
Jaguar announced its MY2018 F-PACE range in February ahead of the car’s debut at the following month’s Geneva motor show. The main news was the addition of these engines:
- 200PS 2.0-litre petrol Ingenium (20t badge on the boot lid)
- 240PS & 500Nm 2.0-litre diesel Ingenium (25d)
- 250PS 2.0-litre petrol Ingenium (25t)
Then in June, Jaguar stated that the same 300PS & 400Nm 2.0-litre Ingenium petrol engine which had already been new for the MY2018 F-TYPE would now also be available in the XE, XF and F-PACE.
Expect a concept version of a plug-in F-PACE in 2018, with a possible production model due in 2019. Before then, an F-PACE SVR should appear, powered by a supercharged 5.0-litre V8. A facelift for the range is due in the fourth quarter of 2019 – along with JLR’s in-line six-cylinder engines – with the second generation F-PACE following in late 2022 or early to mid-2023.
X590 is what Jaguar calls the forthcoming I-PACE, which will be the brand’s first electric vehicle. A concept which debuted at the LA auto show in November 2016 was just five centimetres shorter than the F-PACE. The production model will be seen for the first time at the Frankfurt IAA in a few weeks’ time.
Magna Steyr with build the aluminium architecture I-PACE within an extended part of its Graz plant in Austria. The Tier 1’s parent company told the media in June 2017 that series production will commence in “early 2018”. The USA should be the largest market, taking around half of production.
The prototype had one electric motor for the front axle and another for the rear. Total power was 400PS with torque of 700Nm. Zero to 100km/h was claimed to take 4.0 seconds.
The concept’s range is said to be “more than 500 kilometres on the NEDC cycle”. Using 50kW DC charging, zero-to-full takes just over two hours, while 80 per cent charge capacity is reached in 90 minutes. The EPA mileage estimate for the I-PACE is said to be around 220 miles, compared to 238 for the Chevrolet Bolt. The 98kWh battery pack was self developed by Jaguar Land Rover, the company stated when announcing the I-PACE concept to the media.
While some have compared the I-PACE to the 5,037mm long Tesla Model X, the Jaguar is a smaller vehicle, being about the same size as the F-PACE and the 4,692mm long Porsche Macan. It is around 30cm longer than the Range Rover Evoque and 10cm lower. JLR engineers know that the Model X and Model S are too long and wide for countries such as Britain, and/or for anyone who has only a single garage or a designated parking space.
The production life of the I-PACE should be seven to eight years, meaning that a facelift is likely to appear in 2022. X690, the second generation I-PACE, will probably enter production during 2025 or 2026. If the first I-PACE was a success, the replacement will probably be manufactured in England, and with kits sent to Pune for the Indian market. Chery-JLR may also make the first generation in Changshu from 2019 or 2020, adding the successor from the second half of the next decade.
The development code for the larger J-PACE isn’t confirmed but X363, an additional model for Jaguar, the identity of which is not yet known, is said to be a pencilled-in project. It would be based on an evolution of the same platform as the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport and likely priced halfway between the two. That would make it a new alternative for those considering a Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, Audi Q8 or BMW X7. Expect six- and eight-cylinder petrol and diesel engines as well as JLR’s Ingenium four-cylinder engines, and also a PHEV powertrain option.
Summary
Worldwide deliveries showed a year-on-year gain of 20.5 per cent during the 1 April-31 July period, which is the first quarter of Tata Motors’ fiscal 2017-2018. The total was 54,230, and that compares to 129,307 for Land Rover. A gap that cannot be closed? Not at all, as the 4×4 brand’s global sales rose by a mere two per cent.
By this time next year, after deliveries of the E-PACE and I-PACE have commenced and production ramps up, and even allowing for the addition of the Range Rover Velar, Land Rover will not likely still be outselling its partner brand by more than two-to-one. Provided the US and the UK’s next cyclical deep recessions don’t appear in 2018, Jaguar may even be on course for its first quarter of a million vehicle deliveries in a year. More relevant though, will be a potential new era of the big cat leaping into a self-funding future.
Future model plan reports for other manufacturers can be viewed in the OEM product strategy summaries section of just-auto.com.
Future product program intelligence
Additional data on vehicle lifetime and future product plans, such as code names, production plants and expected annual build, are available in PLDB from QUBE.
The next manufacturer for just-auto’s in-depth examination of current and future models will be Ford Motor Company.
