Jaguar's high-profile F-Type sports car unveiling at the Paris Motor Show last week has caused a strong aftershock of reports coming from the British luxury brand. According to company boss Adrian Hallmark, the F-Type is the most important car Jaguar has built in 50 years. No doubt, Jaguar is going to take advantage of its newfound momentum.
Now, latest reports are suggesting that Jaguar will consider possibilities of a new premium compact sedan as well as a new SUV to add variety to the Jaguar portfolio. That said, Hallmark stresses that it was crucial for the F-Type to enter the markets first before Jaguar could begin discussions of the other vehicles. "Without the F-Type, our heritage would not be complete. We were a founder member of the sports car club. Without a sports car in our range, it has been possible for people to lose orientation about what Jaguar stands for.
"The F-Type is the core of our range, and from now it is our orientation point. Other manufacturers who have strayed successfully from their core model have only done so if they have continued to invest in that model."
Although Hallmark doesn't specifically identify the so-called successful manufacturers, the statement does highly implicate Porsche. Porsche's core is undoubtedly its 911 flagship sports car. The vital heart and soul of the brand, if the 911 is discontinued, then Porsche will cease to exist as well. However, it is ultimately Porsche's Cayenne SUV and Panamera sedan models that allow Porsche to remain profitable.
Hallmark believes the next new Jaguar models will likely be an SUV as well as a small sedan. "Whatever we do will be driven by the three pillars of our brand: innovation, design, and performance leadership. Those three can be applied to different degrees in different cars, but they must always be present."
Considering just how much of Jaguar's future hinges upon the F-Type's success, some industry observers believe that the F-Type's starting price of $69,000 is too high to be competitive. Answering to the pricing criticisms, Hallmark said, "In terms of footprint, technology, performance, and design, this is a full-size sports car. But in terms of pricing, it sits between the full-size sports cars and smaller sports cars. We're delivering Aston V8 or Porsche 911 performance at prices well below them."
Can the F-Type truly shoulder the role as Jaguar's core model? Just how far will the F-Type transform the future Jaguar line-up? Stay tuned as we expect Jaguar to make more major announcements in the months ahead.
[Source: Autocar]
