Jaguar News: Jaguar Considers A Smaller Crossover

[William Maley]

Coming soon will be Jaguar's first crossover - the F-Pace. But the luxury automaker is consider adding another one.

 

Autocar reports the luxury automaker is looking into a compact crossover to take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class and other models. Why not a compact sedan or coupe to take on the likes of the Audi A3 BMW 1/2-Series, and Mercedes-Benz A-Class? Sales of crossovers - especially small ones are booming at the moment.

 

“A family [of SUVs] is not confirmed but we are investigating it. We have the architecture and capability with Land Rover to go left or right, up or down, but we’d only do it on two key attributes. The car has to be dynamically the most capable and it has to meet our design standards,” said Steven de Ploey, Jaguar’s brand director.

 

“If we want to grow, a compact model is the obvious opportunity. The arguments about this are twofold. It has to be a Jaguar in design and performance, and it would be a challenge to do this. The second is the business, both in terms of scale and competition. You’d not just be competing with premium brands but high-end mainstream manufacturers, too. There are lots of other things we have to do before this, but we have opportunities and permission to play there.”

 

Source: Autocar

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[G. David Felt]

I actually like the looks of this very much.

[regfootball]

we wax about why Cadillac's sales are down and think it's because of a whole bunch of things, but really its because they have no crossovers, Jaguar is even starting to put more into crossovers now than sedans.  Sedans have become what coupes used to be, 'impractical sports cars'.

 

So many markets are female driven, that's why crossovers have taken over the auto market too.

[balthazar]

Jaguar has no customers in the U.S., they need to fix what's vastly wrong with the existing cars and their image, never mind 2 or 3 new crossovers.

[oldshurst442]

Cadillac definitely needs 1 or 2 crossovers. But really, is that the most important thing for perception? Either at Jag or at Cadillac?

 

I dont think Jag will improve on its sales with this thing.

Its ugly.

OK...the bMW X1 and X3 are ugly too.

The X6 is kinda cool. I hate it...but its cool lookin', but BMW sells well in the crossover segment because their cars primarily have cachet. Jag does not have ANY cachet. They are WORSE off than Cadillac is.

At least Cadillac has the Escalade.

Speaking of which...its the Escalade that BMW wants...they have the Escalade mojo in the X6...but in no way does an X6 steal any Escalade thunder. At least the ATS-V has BMW worried in the performance cred if not in the sales department...but then again...BMW still sells 3 Series BImmers in Europe like econoboxes...they way they did back in the 70s and 80s...heck...in the 90s too. 

Back to the Jag SUV...

I dont think this SUV will help Jag sell more vehicles...and I think this is the main point to this crossover.

I think the XE and new XF will sell in nice enough numbers all within the merits of the cars themselves...I dont think this SUV is what will draw in the people to the dealerships. I think the XE and the XF will sell this SUV...

 

"Oh...Jag makes an SUV...honey...our daughter will need a good SUV to keep her safe...when its time...maybe we will give this a try...OK...about the XF"

[smk4565]

Jaguar could get some female buyers with a small crossover.  But what I don't really get is Land Rover is the SUV wing, and Jaguar is sports cars and sedans.  A Jaguar SUV is sort of competition for Land Rover.  Unless they make the Jaguar crossover much more car like and smaller than the mostly trucky Land Rovers.  Jaguar is so starved for sales though, they'll probably try anything.

 

On the BMW topic, they are getting an X7 full size SUV, with a rumored optional V12 engine.  That will be their Escalade competitor and the V12 model would compete with the Bentley Bentayga and Mercedes-Maybach GL.

[oldshurst442]

BMW X7 fullsize? With rumored V12?

Sounds like that they mean business.

It could pose a problem for Cadillac. Cadillac has got to get their brand cachet rolling...

 

As far as the female buying power and this Jag SUV...good point....I failed to see that.

But, as far as I know, women like their X3s. They also like their M-Bs...and....their Escalades. Where I live...in Montreal...gas prices are high...so Escalades are kinda rare now-a-days...but I see plenty of them with some sexy soccer moms driving them. Actually, most that I see are women driven. So...either a Jag SUV will be a hit with the women, or they will continue on with the status quo. But point very well taken.

[Drew Dowdell]

Cadillac does need more crossovers.  

 

Jaguar is still fairly niche, but they are putting new product into the meat of the market.  This is the way for them to grow.

BMW X7 fullsize? With rumored V12?

Sounds like that they mean business.

It could pose a problem for Cadillac. Cadillac has got to get their brand cachet rolling...

 

As far as the female buying power and this Jag SUV...good point....I failed to see that.

But, as far as I know, women like their X3s. They also like their M-Bs...and....their Escalades. Where I live...in Montreal...gas prices are high...so Escalades are kinda rare now-a-days...but I see plenty of them with some sexy soccer moms driving them. Actually, most that I see are women driven. So...either a Jag SUV will be a hit with the women, or they will continue on with the status quo. But point very well taken.

 

Put a supercharger on the existing V8, up the content in the already swank Platinum edition, and call it a day.  The new Escalade is doing well and I think it is well positioned against the threat of a BMW X7.

[smk4565]

What will hurt the Escalade is some of the ballers and rappers will move toward the Bentley and Rolls Royce SUVs because they'll want the most expensive, flashiest, most powerful, etc SUV to one up the other baller or rapper.  I think a lot of the Escalade's image was from a lot of celebrities driving it, once the celebrity crowd moves on, the image may get hurt a bit.  Although I still think it will be a strong seller unless gas goes really high.

[oldshurst442]

I thought about that...about the Rolls and Bentley SUV thing...

 

I dont think it will impact the Escalade image...why?

 

Again...they are ugly...sure price and the high limits of them...but Cadillac is still Cadillac in the minds of those Football players and Baseball players and Rappers. Sure Rolls and Bentley...but the Escalade has that mojo intact.

Like Drew said...slap on a supercharger on it...improve the interiors on a Bentley scale and RAISE the price tag on a very limited run of Escalades and voila...no harm done from the competition.

 

What worried me was BMW...because BMW has that brand cachet that can kill Cadillac. Rolls and Bentley...not so much...

Why?

Because women LOVE BMWs just as much as guys do.

Rolls Royces and Bentley...its only the males...

Escalades and SRXs also get a boat load of soccer moms driving them.

[Susimi]

I'm not much of a fan of crossovers but I do actually like the look of this. It does have a sporty look about it that I do like the look of.

 

Will it sell though, that is the question?