With a lineup that comprises only three models – the XK coupe and cabriolet, XF sedan and XJ flagship limousine –, Jaguar needs a smaller, more affordable car in order boost sales and successfully compete with the likes of the BMW 3-series and the rest of Germany's premium offerings such as the Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4. According to the brand’s new global director, Adrian Hallmark, the automaker is currently considering a small sports car positioned below the XF that could spawn numerous variants including a four-door sedan.
“We need different models. We need lower priced models”, said Hallmark. “Whether we do one, two or three body styles, we can still decide. But we have to be in the lower price.”
The process is still in its initial phase and it’ll take at least four years until Jaguar will bring something to the table, but Hallmark promises that the new model won’t be anything like the ill-fated, Ford Mondeo-based X-Type that was first offered a decade ago.
“We don't want to be fighting it out in the fleet business with little engines and small wheels and discounted 25 percent”, he said. “If we go into the smaller car market, we want to build elegant cars with great technology that give a sense of occasion and position us above that competition -- where Jaguar should be.”
By Csaba Daradics
Source: Autoweek
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