Jaguar sales DROP by 27 per cent

 

- NO mid-range car (X-type size) so Jaguar are now shut off from BMW 3 and Merc C class market place
- NO SUV (like Merc and BMW have) - upmarket buyers want SUVs not just sleek saloons on offer.

So at least threequarters of the potential buyers of a Jaguar have no car to even consider buying. Then there is: -

- only a thirsty 5 litre V8 in the USA.
- NO hybrid in the USA
- NO diesel offering - I'm not sure about diesels in the US; do Merc and BMW sell them, because Jaguar certainly don't. This will again shut them off from potential buyers. Of course Jaguar have excellent diesels on sale in Europe and RoW.

And even more............

- A poor reputation for reliability compared to the competition.
- big price increase on the new XJ compared to previous
- very poor dealers in some places
- not many dealers, so many would-be buyers have to drive a long way to even view the cars.

Its an awful lot to put right, and from what I can see, TATA are now concentrating on China, as this is now the biggest car market in the world.

 

Although the article is from Aug 2011 a lot of points are still valid. IMHO Jaguar needs the following:

1. X-Type entry level model in both 2 and 4 door configurations.

2. An XF coupe

3. An XJ coupe

4. Smaller, more fuel efficient engines (recommend 4 cylinder high boost gas as well as diesel).

5. A hybrid option.

6. AWD options on XF an XJ models for the NorthEast and Canadian markets.

 

Definite must have's. My car is the first 4 door I've ever owned and I would have taken a 2 door in a heartbeat if one was available in a lower price range, such as an X or S type.

 

I think regardless of what models are created and sold, Jaguar needs two things that are IMHO more important:

1) Products that are super reliable - more than any competitors.

2) An aggressive marketing campaign to broadcast item 1) above.

This is the only way Jaguar will increase sales. Jaguar cars don't need to be mass products, but they need to be appealing in cost of ownership for those willing to dish out the initial price.

Otherwise, Jaguar will continue being a boutique car/brand. This alone can't keep the company afloat.

 

Mercedes, Audi and BMW have pretty dismal reliability also - why doesn't this get mentioned in the press??? Only Brit cars get the rap.

 

BMW did get the rap in the expose on TV about the how great the company was. At the end a Consumer Report executive commented that he thought the BMW cars were way over engineered. Took four functions to change the radio station. And they should be a lot more reliable like the oriental cars.

 

It's because of Jaguar's past decades reputation. It's a perception thing. It takes a long time to change perception to good, and nothing to change perception to "POS". Look at what Lexus did since the beginning - they reverse engineered S class mercedes cars and made them better. Now, 20 years plus in the game, Lexus has this reputation of being built like tanks. It's all about perception, and Jaguar has a **lot** of work to do in this department. I talk to people that are not into cars, and their immediate reaction to the Jaguar brand is "OHHHHH that is a Ford.... must be a piece of crap!!" -- they don't even know Jaguar has moved on, bought by Tata, has better quality now compared to the past, etc... GOD is in the details. It is like Italian cars, if the math says they should use a 100 Ohm resistor in a circuit, but meh... an 80 Ohm resistor works the same way, they will use the 80 Ohm part. When their electrical systems start going haywire after a year or two, they scratch their heads and don't know why. Jags and gremlins are best friends -- even though this is not true, it is the perception from the public that this company has earned over the decades. The task is to change that, and IMHO it starts with top notch engineering.

 

Agree to a point but with ever declining JD Power ratings now 23rd place out of 27! can really scare off buyers. Say what you want about JDP, but everyone gets graded the same way...it's a very level playing field. With any quality data it's most important to look for multi year trends, Jag's unfortunately are going in the wrong direction, lower and lower. Every marque has problems but Jaguar has a lot of work to do on initial quality, my car and some others here are perfect examples and the #'s illustrate the point yr/yr. I know two people that bought new XJL's, one has no problems and the other was bought back by Jag USA due to 43 days out of service in the first 3 mos of ownership. I spoke to the GM of my dealership who is also part owner about the severe decline in the Power numbers, and never once did he try to discount them or say they were meaningless, he simply said he wished they do better and soon. He also said TaTa is all about $'s and cents as they are just starting to make money on Jag, I hope the reinvest a good portion in the quality dept and soon. If the new F type falls short on initial quality it would be a huge mistake, let's hope they get it right and nothing would be better for Jag as it will open up a whole new market segment for them.

 

So, given the declining 'initial quality' of the new Jags, I think it would make more sense to buy them used, after all the kinks have been fixed by the PO.

Cheers,
Wolfy

 

Don't forget the lousy economy had to affect sales too!

 

Very true. If mine ends up being a buy back the next guy wouldn't most likely have a clue and most of the issues would hopefully have been sorted out, hopefully. I also think in Fords last years of ownership the quality was better.

 

Because with rare exceptions, the German cars are always the IT cars in the press and magazines. Everything else is junk, regardless, no matter who it is. That's why I quit subscribing to car magazines years ago, hardly ever saw any objectivity.

My two cents.....

 

I was talking to my salesman yesterday and was surpised to hear that at his dealer, even Land Rover is far outselling Jaguar. Of course this is Texas, where SUV is almost mandatory, lol.

 

This article was posted in the XK section. Gives a completely different picture. Looks like a major turn around.

Jaguar Land Rover IPO Seen as Jackpot as Valuation Soars - Businessweek

 

4 wheel drive would sway a lot of my friends to buy. Without it NO deal. New York.

 

Does this IPO mean that we can buy JLR stock?

 

It does indeed, so have your cheque book ready ! It's not clear from the article where the stock will be listed

 

I really don't want JLR to grow. One of the best qualities of Jaguar ownership, IMO, is it's exclusivity!!!

But if they do have to grow, I want to get rich off it! So I can buy more of their products!

 

A new J D Power survey has Jaguar #3 behind Cadillac and Lexus..for customer service
The Best Brands For Customer Service