5 posts tagged “jaguar”

I had wondered which marque would get to have its entire range from one period all represented on Autocade. It dawned on me that it is Jaguar, today.

Jaguar X-type. 2001 to date (prod. under 300,000 approx.). 4-door saloon, 5-door estate. F/F, F/A, 2099, 2495, 2967 cm³ (V6 DOHC), 1998, 2198 cm³ diesel (4 cyl. DOHC). Ford Mondeo (CD132)-based small Jaguar, developed by Ford in Dearborn and presented to Jaguar management as a fait accompli. Failed to fit in with Jaguar design direction and wound up cannibalizing XJ sales. Seen as backward in a segment that wanted modernity; dynamically, actually poorer than the much-cheaper Ford. Most cars had too much standard equipment and too high a price, and the Mondeo-in-drag rumour spread very far; yet Jaguar management had to defend it. Not really a descendant of the Jaguar 2·4, no matter what Ford management wished. Never made much of a dent in BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz sales. Estate added 2004. UK deleted most petrol engines from line-up in 2007 except 3·0-litre for Estate. Range deleted from US market for 2008, despite arrival of facelifted model that year.

Jaguar XF. 2007 to date (prod. unknown). 4-door saloon. F/R, 2720 cm³ diesel, 2967 cm³ petrol (V6 DOHC), 4196 cm³ (V8 DOHC). Jaguar finally got a contemporary close-coupled sporting saloon rather than the retro-styled barges of decades past. First Jaguar saloon under head of design Ian Callum. Successfully evoked image of Mk II. Not the most modern under the skin compared with German rivals but a strong performer thanks to shared suspension design with XK. Initial tests indicate car is thirsty. Supercharger on SV8 model. 
 

Jaguar XJ6/Jaguar XJ8/Jaguar XJR (X350). 2002 to date (prod. unknown). 4-door saloon. F/R, 2720 cm³ diesel, 2967 cm³ petrol (V6 DOHC), 3555, 4196 cm³ (V8 DOHC). All-new XJ series with aluminium panels, hampered by looking too much like its predecessor—which in turn looked too much like the 1968 XJ6. Last of the late Geoff Lawson’s designs to be released. Much bigger, with proper rear space, but alongside Mercedes Benz S-Klasse and BMW 7er-Reihe, perceived as old hat despite being technologically advanced in many respects. Facelift with addition of side vents in front wings in 2007.

Jaguar XK/Jaguar XKR. 2006 to date (prod. unknown). 3-door coupé, 2-door convertible. F/R, 3498, 4196 cm³ (V8 DOHC). Attractive, all-new XK has aluminium monocoque chassis. While engines (regular, supercharged) are less advanced than German competition’s, light weight helps overall performance. Bonnet is “deployed” to protect pedestrians if struck, raising above a certain level. Modern styling by Ian Callum, shaking off retro style, closely related to Aluminium Lightweight Coupé concept. Entry-level 3·5-litre introduced 2007.

Yesterday wasn’t all Audis. Some of my journalist colleagues came in other press cars.

   There were plenty of jokes being bandied about the BMW X6, the car that blends a coupé roofline with a four-wheel-drive concept. I even joked that someone had left the Rover SD1 files around when BMW owned Rover. But really, I quite like the shape and I even think a market exists for it. This is not because of any “category” but because there are people who want something looks butch—yet they do not want to have the “domestic” feeling of an upright tailgate, particularly from the inside. I reminded my colleagues of the AMC Eagle SX/4 of 1981, which found buyers—ultimately the market will decide, not us.
   The registration is BMW 630, which was something else altogether 30 years ago.    Everyone loved the Jaguar XF, apart from its thirst. Again, it’s a coupé roofline—just that it’s mated to a saloon. It’s on my must-drive list.
   All in all, I found the journos on this press launch far nicer as a group than what I confront in the fashion media. Maybe it’s a gender thing but everyone was so relaxed. We in the fashion media tend to be uptight most of the time and the only people who appear relaxed are the people who can fake looking relaxed. There were some genuine friendships and colleagial respect at Pukekohe.

I saw this on Keith Adams’s AROnline, formerly the Unofficial Austin–Rover Resource.

http://www.austin-rover.co.uk/images/xj4dev_17.jpg

It’s a development photo of the Jaguar XJ Series II from the 1970s. Is it just me, or does it look like the Jaguar prototype has swallowed a Mini Clubman?
   (If you cannot see the photo, surf to http://www.austin-rover.co.uk/xj4dev2f.htm, then scroll down to the first car with the registration UVC 517H.)

This is not a popular view but here goes. In the United States, some Jaguar dealers are upset that the Ford-owned unit will go to an Indian company.
   Never mind that Tata is solvent and can afford greater investments on the cars. Never mind that Tata owns Corus—British Steel to us oldies. Never mind that Tata has promised to keep UK manufacturing jobs for both brands.
   No, these dealers are upset probably because Indians are not white. Not part of the old world or the new world, but, oh my goodness, they have different skin colour.
   European dealers are reportedly more relaxed as the most important element is not where the parent company is based.
   No one in American retail ever seems upset that Donna Karan is part of French conglomerate LVMH or that Stella McCartney is part of Gucci. No American consumer seems to jump up and down at the thought that Lamborghini and Bentley are owned by Volkswagen.
   These parent companies are well capitalized, have good management and a long history—just like the Tata Group.
   It smells like it’s down to skin colour to me.
   Sure Tata does not have a history of managing luxury brands, but did Toyota have one when it created Lexus?
   And when it comes to consumers, people are still going to buy Jags and Land Rovers for exactly the same reasons as before.
   For years, no one batted an eyelid when these brands were American owned. They were still considered English and never American, and that’s not going to change in 2008.
   It sounds like a few dealers don’t understand their consumers very well, motivated by some redneck element that’s hardly representative of Americans in general.
   They’d better give up wearing Polo Ralph Lauren at their country clubs then. Polo? Ain’t that some kinda Injun game?

I had to scan some pics for a story tonight and added these off my films to the tally, for the petrolheads out there. (As with most on this site, these images are copyrighted. I am a bit more precious about my film stuff.)

   I spotted this Jaguar XJ12 Series II in Jiji, Taiwan. Taiwan is home to a lot of old Buicks and plenty of Japanese-derived models, but a classic British car is about as rare as a virgin in a maternity ward. This XJ12 has plenty of chrome and has the growler on the hubcaps as you’d expect, but there’s a beautiful fluted grille from the Daimler. I can only imagine that this is the form in which XJ12s arrived in Taiwan in the 1970s. It’s a miracle this one even lasted so long.
   Here’s another Chinese oddity just up the road, parked outside the Jiji railway station:

This one won’t be sold for the 2008 model year and is unique to this part of the world. The Ford Mondeo Metrostar is the Chinese version of the CD132 Mondeo, with a more formal grille. As sedans mean status here, the European grille of the Mondeo wouldn’t have cut it. Plus, with the size of the Mondeo, the Taiwanese consider it a large car to rival the Nissan Teana and Toyota Camry. Therefore, it gets large-car æsthetics up front.
   Some cops use Mondeos as police cruisers, while among civilian buyers it’s considered an upmarket luxury car with German roots. That part may be true, but these, like the Mazda Familia-based Ford Tierra (not a typo), come out of a local plant in Taiwan and are even exported to Red China.