Tata won the toss, but do they give one?
March 27th 2008 03:51
After months of speculation the sale of Jaguar and Land-Rover has finally eventuated. The ker-ching noise you heard was the Ford till being opened and the sound of 2.3 Billion dollars (US) being tipped in.
From Fords point of view the sale proceeds may slow the bleeding down to a trickle, for a short time at least, but was this move really that smart? Two recent events should have been a contributing factor in the decision to sell.
The new Jaguar XF has just arrived and is probably the most modern Jaguar sedan since the XJ series arrived in 1968, Land-Rover have shown the LRX concept and will bring the marque into a new market segment. Both these vehicles are significant in that they are a step forward for the respective brands.
I have to admit I am no expert but in my opinion Jaguar could have been saved and turned around by Ford, the X-Type was a nowhere car compared to the German and Japanese competition. The car should have moved to a downsized RWD S-Type platform and modernised, a front and rear facelift to ditch the circa 1970 Jaguar look and even if you continued to run a Ford V6 engine, this car would have competed with the BMW 3 series and the the Lexus IS series. This platform would have also given you the promised F type sports car and how about an X-type coupe like the late lamented XJ-C.
The other car that Jaguar should have invested in was a crossover / SUV. Now before you start to cough and splutter look at what the competition offer, the BMW X5, the Mercedes Benz M class, the VW triplets- Audi Q7, Toureg and the Porsche Cayenne, then you have the Lexus and the Volvo XC 70 and 90. Most of these vehicles make a major contribution to the makers bottom line. The most simple solution for Jaguar would have been a re-bodied Land-Rover or a Cross Country- Allroad version of the X-Type wagon.
The past is the past and so to the future, Jaguar has to be re-born, it cannot continue to survive as it is, if the Indians need inspiration perhaps they should look at Cadillac. If any company can show how to shed a dowdy image and start again, its them. India have won the toss and they are batting first so it will be interesting to see what TATA do with their innings.
From Fords point of view the sale proceeds may slow the bleeding down to a trickle, for a short time at least, but was this move really that smart? Two recent events should have been a contributing factor in the decision to sell.
The new Jaguar XF has just arrived and is probably the most modern Jaguar sedan since the XJ series arrived in 1968, Land-Rover have shown the LRX concept and will bring the marque into a new market segment. Both these vehicles are significant in that they are a step forward for the respective brands.
I have to admit I am no expert but in my opinion Jaguar could have been saved and turned around by Ford, the X-Type was a nowhere car compared to the German and Japanese competition. The car should have moved to a downsized RWD S-Type platform and modernised, a front and rear facelift to ditch the circa 1970 Jaguar look and even if you continued to run a Ford V6 engine, this car would have competed with the BMW 3 series and the the Lexus IS series. This platform would have also given you the promised F type sports car and how about an X-type coupe like the late lamented XJ-C.
The other car that Jaguar should have invested in was a crossover / SUV. Now before you start to cough and splutter look at what the competition offer, the BMW X5, the Mercedes Benz M class, the VW triplets- Audi Q7, Toureg and the Porsche Cayenne, then you have the Lexus and the Volvo XC 70 and 90. Most of these vehicles make a major contribution to the makers bottom line. The most simple solution for Jaguar would have been a re-bodied Land-Rover or a Cross Country- Allroad version of the X-Type wagon.
The past is the past and so to the future, Jaguar has to be re-born, it cannot continue to survive as it is, if the Indians need inspiration perhaps they should look at Cadillac. If any company can show how to shed a dowdy image and start again, its them. India have won the toss and they are batting first so it will be interesting to see what TATA do with their innings.
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