The new F-TYPE needs to do for Jaguar what the Range Rover Evoque has done for Land Rover, says the head of sales and marketing for the Tata Motors luxury car unit’s two brands, Phil Popham.
“It won’t be the same in terms of volumes, which will be quite small, but it will have a halo effect on the rest of the range. Ninety per cent of sales will be conquest business,” said Popham. “It brings us back into the full-size sports car market, which we once dominated, with a more-than-credible car which is not only beautiful but packed with technology.
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“It is the developing face of Jaguar and signals a big investment in new products and infrastructure for the company.
”We will be putting a huge PR operation behind it,” he added. “In developing markets people are only just beginning to understand what Jaguar is, while in established markets it will put us back on to consideration lists.”
The car will go on sale next year with a choice of three supercharged engines – two three-litre V6s and a five-litre V8 – with prices starting at GBP58,500. Half of all sales will be accounted for in just three markets – America, the UK and Germany.
Jaguar will use a lot of social media in its communications and will emphasise the bloodline that the F-TYPE draws upon by parking it alongside the C-, D- and E-types which preceded it at selected events.
“We will certainly leverage our heritage where it is appropriate, but we won’t let ourselves get shackled by it,” said Popham. “We want people to understand that this is a leading-edge car.”
