Jaguar XF 2008 News

The British motoring icon is tipped to revive the true two-seater sports car to take on the Italian and German sports cars.The most loved of the Jag family was built in the Swinging England period of 1961 to 1974.With its performance, handling and modern looks it was a huge sales success and is still a highly sought collector's car.Even Enzo Ferrari said it was the most beautiful car ever made.It's a huge legend to live up to for the Coventry manufacturer, which is about to be bought by Indian car manufacturer Tata.Jaguar chairman and former Ford Australia boss Geoff Polites confirmed they were investigating future model options, including the two-seater sports car.Jaguar Australia marketing communications manager Tim Krieger would not comment.“I'm not in a position to comment on speculation about any future product ,so nothing to add at this point,” he said.While the new E-Type would get a modern makeover, its legendary elongated nose would be bound to be retained. Possibly a stretched version of the XK, but with a smaller cockpit than the XK's 2+2 cabin.Jaguar almost revived the E-Type in 2000 with a model based on the F-Type concept unveiled to rave reviews at the Detroit Motor Show.It would be expected that the production model will feature a Jaguar V8 engine.Jaguar could pick from the 3.5-litre 190kW V8 or, more likely, the XK's 4.2-litre unit with 224kW, 298kW or the XKR's 306kW engine.The transmission would likely be the six-speed automatic with steering wheel-mounted paddleshifters.While Jaguar has yet to name the car, it would be a smart move to rekindle the legendary E-Type badge.Jaguar is also working on the new XJ saloon which is expected to continue chief designer Ian McCallum's XF style.The XF will be released in June, starting at $105,000 with V6 and V8 petrol engines and a diesel V6. 

A hectic 2007 proved to be lucrative for the car industry with a plethora of new cars launched and more than a million sales throughout the year. And there's no indication that it will be slowing down in 2008.AUDI The new A4, to rival the 3 Series and C-Class is expected here about April, while July will see the hot sports wagon, the RS6 Avant and the A3 Cabrio. Extra A5 variants will follow. BMWBMW has a busy year ahead, starting with the 320d and 335i touring this month. The 1 Series Coupe will go on sale around April, followed by the convertible in May-June. But its big one for the year will be the new X6 Sports Activity Coupe, arriving between July and September. It comes with three engine variants, all twin-turbo, an in-line six, a 3.0-litre diesel and a 300kW 4.4-litre V8. Pricing is expected to start at just under $100,000. And the X5 scores a new engine in February, with the first variable twin turbo diesel offered in the range. CHRYSLER/JEEPJanuary will be a busy month for Chrysler, with the Sebring Cabrio and Grand Voyager people mover both arriving in Australia. The Jeep Cherokee will also get a total makeover. CITROENBased on the C4 Picasso, but bigger and better equipped, Citroen will introduce the Berlingo van between July and September, with a mainly diesel range. This will make room in the line-up for the new Nemo small van mid-year. The C5 will also get a new V6 diesel engine.FERRARIDeliveries of the exquisite F430 Scuderia, priced at about $550,000, will start mid year. Only about 40 will come to Australia and New Zealand. FIAT The reincarnation of the 1960s Bambino will arrive in March, but Fiat has already sold the first four months' supply. The new Fiat 500 will have three engine choices, a 1.2-litre petrol, a 75kW 1.4-litre petrol engine or a 56kW 1.3-litre turbo diesel. Pricing is expected to start from $22,000. The new Ritmo will join the Fiat 500 in March with pricing from $30,000. FORD One of the biggest launches for the year will be the new Falcon. Ford will release details of the new model in February and it's expected to be followed by an unveiling at the Melbourne motor show in the same month, with the official launch around May.FPV FPV will start the year with a new model, the hot turbo Territory, known as the F6 X model. It's the first non-Falcon model from FPV, with 270kW and 550Nm. The FPV Falcon range will also arrive this year. HOLDEN/CADILLACWith Ford's big year planned, you can't expect Holden to keep quiet. But so far, Holden has only announced it is expecting the VE Sportwagon, due in the first half of the year. GM-Holden is also introducing Cadillac with the first model due late in 2008. HONDA Honda will start the year with the new Accord model, due to be launched in February. The small Jazz is also getting an update after the middle of the year. Details on the new generation will be released closer to the launch. The Accord Euro is also expected to arrive later this year. HYUNDAI No big launches just yet, although an upgraded Sonata is expected mid year. JAGUARJaguar's major release for the year will be the new XF in June, with pricing expected to start from $105,000. It will be available in a V6 diesel, as well as a V6 and V8 petrol. KIAPreviewed at the Sydney motor show last year, Kia will launch its new seven-seater Rondo crossover in February. It is expected to start from as low as the mid-$20,000 mark. LEXUSNew for Lexus will be the LX570 around April or May, followed by the IS-F towards the end of the year. Details still to come. MAZDAThe second-generation Mazda6 will go on sale at the end of February with pricing from less than $30,000. It will be powered by a 2.5-litre, four cylinder engine, with 125kW and 226Nm.MERCEDES-BENZThe first arrival for Mercedes-Benz is expected to be the C 63 AMG in mid March. It will be followed by the S 320CDI, priced at $189,874 and the C-Class wagon, which will carry a $3000 premium over the sedan, coming in just under $60,000. MINIAnother new version of a 1960s cult car is also headed our way, with the Mini Clubman launched in February. The modern successor of the Morris Mini Traveller, the Austin Mini Countryman and the Mini Clubman Estate won't get into showrooms until March or April. Pricing will start in the mid-$30,000 area. MITSUBISHIMitsubishi will release two turbocharged Lancers this year. The top-level Lancer Evo X GSR will be here in April and sell for about $58,000. The 2.0-litre four cylinder turbo engine pumps out 200kW and 422Nm. Joining it will be the detuned version in the Ralliart all-wheel drive, at about $40,000. NISSANNissan's first addition for the year will be the all-wheel-drive wagon, the Dualis. Starting at $28,990 and stretching to $35,990, it's powered by a 102kW, 2.0-litre engine. PEUGEOTThe big launch for Peugeot will be the 308 replacing the 307 range, which will start with the 308 hatch in February in both petrol and diesel guises. The touring will follow in June or July, with the 308cc model a prospect for late 2008 or early 2009. PROTONProton has announced the Persona, based on the Gen2 hatch platform, will make its debut at the Melbourne motor show in late February, going on sale in March. It will be priced around the mid-teens. The Gen2 will also get engine updates and minor styling changes. RENAULTThe all-new Laguna will go on sale mid-year with a 2.0-litre diesel engine. SAABJune sees the arrival of the Turbo X AWD. SSANGYONGThe South Korean company will go completely diesel in 2008, with no more petrol engines on offer in Australia. SMARTThe new Fortwo arrives in Australia in February. The one-model brand will get both the 52kW and 62kW models, in hatch and cabrio, being bigger than the current models. SUBARUThe star WRX STi comes in February with a 2.5-litre turbocharged engine, although pricing is still to come. The third generation Forester arrives in March. SUZUKIFebruary's proving to be a busy month, with Suzuki also launching its Grand Vitara diesel. TOYOTAAfter a big year in 2007, Toyota is expecting a quiet year, with only the TRD Hilux due to be launched in April-June. VOLKSWAGENVolkswagen will kick off the year with the SUV, the Touareg R50, to be released in April. It's powered by a 258kW V10 TDI engine. The Tiguan also arrives about October.  VOLVOThe recently launched XC70 arrives in showrooms this month, joined by the C30 diesel also in January. It's priced at $43,950. A base model C30 will also enter the line-up, at $34,450. A 3.0-litre six-cylinder engined V70 will arrive in March. 

Car executive David Blackhall is known as a calm, cool, straight shooter. Since taking the reins at Jaguar Australia in 2004, he has had to steer the company through some dark days as sales stalled because of a lack of model diversity.Now he is rejoicing in the imminent arrival of the new Jaguar XF sedan, even if it's still about eight months away from dealers.At the Australian International Motor Show last week Blackhall had a glint in his eye; and a calm confidence that the new XF is the car that will turn things around for the embattled British brand.To help show off its new baby, Jaguar Australia also brought out the car's chief designer, Ian Callum, to showcase the car with dealers and prospective customers.The fact that the company is holding 80 'expressions of interest' in the sedan is also confidence-inspiring, according to Blackwood.“Whichever way you look at it, this car represents design leadership for future Jaguars,” he says.As the replacement for the more traditional S-type, the XF is light years away both in design and packaging.However, Blackhall says it will still sit well with both the existing X-type and XJ sedans, despite the fact that both those cars were designed last century.“I don't think it will be an issue,” he says.“I think customers will look at the XF and recognise that the brand is transitioning to the design vision of the future.”Four different XF models will be available when the car goes on sale about June; a 2.7-litre V6 turbodiesel, 3.0-litre petrol V6, 4.2-litre petrol V8 and 4.2-litre supercharged petrol V8, which in Europe is called the SV8.The 2.7-litre turbodiesel is shared with Peugeot and Land Rover products.In the XF it will deliver 152kW at 4000 revs and 435Nm at 1900 revs.The 3.0-litre V6 develops 175kW at 6800 revs and 293Nm at 4100 revs; the 4.2-litre V8 219kW at 6000 revs and 411Nm at 4100 revs; and supercharged V8 306kW at 6250 revs and 560Nm at 3500 revs.Prices are expected to start around $100,000, rising to about $170,000 for the range-topper.Three models will be available; the Luxury, Premium Luxury and SV8. A hotter XF-R is also believed to be in the works.Based on the C-XF concept car, the XF is slightly more upright in deference to demands for more cabin room.However, the concept's styling cues of the long, coupe-like roofline, high shoulder line and wedge styling still shine through.As a nod to tradition the XF has a recessed mesh grille similar to the original 1968 XJ sedan, quad headlights and a fluted bonnet. “I like what this car does for Jaguar,” Blackhall says.He believes many XF buyers will come from the premium German brands because they are sick of the sameness of continental styling. “We think that, based on the research we've done, that this car will pull a younger demographic,” he says. “Every car company says that of course but we think that if buyers are on to their second or third 5-Series (BMW), they may want to try something different.”As well as space, the XF's interior ambience is rich and luscious like any Jaguar. Every XF has a shift-by-wire six-speed sequential transmission control. Shift-by-wire replaces manual shift linkages with electronic commands and gives faster and smoother gear changes.The sequential gearbox is controlled by steering wheel paddle shifters.Interestingly, the XF uses a new drive selector.Instead of a conventional stick gearshift, it has a rotary shift control on the centre console to save space and maximise packaging.Other innovative features include air conditioning vents that fold flush with the dashboard until the ignition is switched on and then rotate open. In-car controls also use touch or proximity sensors for the overhead lights and the glove box release.Does the Jaguar XF do it for you? 

There have been rumours for more than a year about something new from the British brand, and the confirmation came with the single press picture released at the Frankfurt Motor Show.The shot asks more questions than it answers. Still, it is obvious the car in the picture is a big departure from the chunky off-roaders that fill out the Land Rover line-up from the flagship Range Rover down to the near-new Freelander II.It is lower, much smoother and appears to have only two doors. And it has a swoopy roofline which is more like the new BMW X6 crossover coupe (also revealed at Frankfurt) than a traditional off-roader.It also promises much lower fuel economy, up to 10per cent better than the Freelander II, as well as luring younger buyers to the brand.The newcomer could be displayed at the Tokyo Motor Show in October, instead of fighting for space at Frankfurt in a Ford family group, which included the all-new Jaguar XF, Mazda6 and facelifted Ford Focus, but there is no firm timing for showrooms.“Next year would probably be too early. But we are not talking about the timing,” says Land Rover's Natasha Waddington. “We are just showing this picture for the moment.”The Land Rover teaser comes as another luxury brand, Mercedes-Benz, gets ready to downsize on the four-wheel-drive front.It has a GLK soft-roader ready for next year that will slide in below its existing ML and GL four-wheel-drives as a rival to the Freelander II and BMW's X3. But the GLK, which is based on the mechanical package used for the C-Class sedan, is not coming to Australia.“The GLK is not going to be made in right-hand-drive. We could not make a business case,” Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says. “There is not enough volume. We would have liked it, but on the right-hand-drive side there is only Australia, the UK, South Africa and Japan. Not enough to make the numbers work.”The sneak peek of the new Land Rover comes at a good time for the company, which is on the auction block together with Jaguar and, most likely, Volvo as Ford looks to cut costs and complications to get it back into the black.It also shows Land Rover wants to follow Jeep into a more-youthful area of the four-wheel-drive business.The American company has been very successful in the US in turning Jeep into more than just a heavyweight off-road company, although its soft-shaped Compass has not done well in Australia. The Patriot, which is even newer, promises better results.Land Rover has its own model to copy, though, as it has done very good business with the city-focused Range Rover Sport. It is much more like a car to drive, even with its boxy body.The other Land Rover news from the Frankfurt show is a stop-start engine system that will be fitted to its vehicles from 2009. It is claimed to improve fuel economy by up to 10 per cent by killing the motor when the car is stopped in traffic, but it is only promised for manual transmission vehicles with more work needed on an adaptation for automatics. 

Jaguar has announced pricing for the XF, a sports saloon seen as a make-or-break vehicle for the struggling British luxury brand that Ford Motor is trying to sell.The car will make its public debut at the Frankfurt International Motor Show on September 11. Its reception will be watched closely by private equity and car-making groups now weighing bids for Jaguar and Land Rover, Ford's other UK premium brand. India's Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors, alongside at least five buyout groups, are weighing up the car makers for a possible bid.Jaguar said the XF, which will aim to compete with top German offerings such as BMW's 5-series, would cost from pound stg. 33,900 ($82,600) in Britain.The car maker described the model as “a dramatic expression of Jaguar's bold new design language” and its styling resembles the C-XF concept car unveiled in January in Detroit.“It's really key how this model takes to the market,” said Jonathon Poskitt, manager of JD Power, the European automotive sales forecast consultancy. “It's a really pivotal model.”Kevin Gaskell, chief executive of EurotaxGlass International, the automotive consultancy, said “It's absolutely crucial to the future of the company.”With a sporty styled exterior, the four-door XF seats five and boasts a number of innovative design features, including a rotary shift that rises into the driver's palm when the engine is started. The model will be available with a range of four engines, including a version with a 4.2 litre V8, petrol-supercharged engine, priced in Britain at pound stg. 54,900.Despite buoyant global luxury car sales, Jaguar has been losing money since 1999 and its sales have dropped from a peak of about 130,000 to 75,000 last year.The brand has seen some of its customers defect to bigger brands such as BMW, which sold 1.37 million cars last year, after Jaguar produced a string of cars that some critics described as stodgy.After failing to compete with larger volume luxury car makers such as BMW, Ford is now pursuing a “niche premium” strategy and emulating smaller producers, such as Porsche.Ford does not break down earnings for its premium brands but Jaguar's core British unit had reported pre-tax losses of pound stg. 258 million last year. 

The hi-tech 5.0-litre V8 will be introduced in 2010 - a year that is shaping as a boomer for Ford Australia with the first facelift of the Orion Falcon, the switch to V6 engines in Ford's family fighter, and the likely introduction of the next-generation Territory.There is a good chance 2010 will also bring the first diesel engine to the Falcon and Territory, a 2.7-litre powerplant already in use in Europe. The good news on the V8 front comes as Ford Australia confirms plans to axe its existing 5.4-litre V8, which was standard in the G8, Fairlane and LTD and optional in a range of other Fords, including the Falcon ute.The Jaguar V8 is a new all-alloy design that was developed for the upcoming XF hero car, which is a make-or-break model for the legendary British luxury brand.The new Jaguar V8 will be available both in naturally-aspirated form and with a supercharger and the basic bottom line is 375kW. It will be the hero engine for the XR8 Falcon and will also be used in the fliers from Ford Performance Vehicles.The move to the Jaguar V8 is part of a shift prompted by the end of production of the existing 5.4-litre engine.Ford Australia imports the engine from the Essex plant in Ontario, Canada, which has been steadily phasing out the engine.Locally, the engine was known as the Barra 220 or Barra 230, depending on the application, with the number reflecting its kilowatt output.Still, Ford will continue with the part-locally assembled, four-valve twin-overhead camshaft version of the same engine in its Falcon XR8 and FPV models. The three-valve V8 was optional on the base-model BA Falcon from 2002, replacing the ancient 5.0-litre Windsor pushrod V8.But Ford's Broadmeadows factory has had little use for the engine, according to Ford Australia's president Tom Gorman.“Quite honestly, we were down to about 10a month and it's not a major impact on our business,” Gorman says.“They've actually ceased production in the US and, as you know, we're ceasing production on our long-wheelbase cars.”Gorman says Ford has enough remainingV8s stockpiled to meet demand in the long-wheelbase cars until production of the Fairlane family in a few months. 

Some car companies are thriving, some are struggling. Jaguar, of late, has struggled.For a company which has been on life support more than once through its 85-year existence, Jaguar will not give in.It is hanging on grimly amid on-again, off-again suggestions its parent company, Ford, like it did earlier this year with Aston Martin, wants to sell.As a brand it still has an enormous amount of cache.Through all the turmoil Jaguar has been a survivor.There is no question many mistakes were made, none more obvious than its failure to depart from retro styling and its indecision over future product.Many suggest it should have by now cashed in on the SUV phenomenon. It can leverage much engineering and purchasing might from its gifted offroad stablemate Land Rover. There still is a chance Jaguar, in the long term, will bite the bullet and emerge with a quality SUV.Jaguar also seriously considered coming out with a budget roadster to fight with Mazda's evergreen MX-5 but the F-Type concept was still-born when it appeared about seven years ago.Even so the F-Type and the similar XK180 concept showcased the gorgeous design skills still prevalent among Jaguar's team.In the short-term Jaguar will replace its retro S-Type saloon with the XF, which has clear contemporary and future design elements, bringing it into line with its luxury rivals.The XF, which will be shown in production-ready form at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and released in Australia later next year, uses interior cues similar to the brilliant XK coupe and convertible.It will be on a longer wheelbase and have wider front and rear tracks so it will be roomier inside.Jaguar may have slipped up in bringing out the budget $50,000-plus X-Type small sedan to try to muscle in on BMW 3-series territory.It didn't spark the sales volume — although it has improved — that it pinned so many hopes on and in some respects the car which was built off Ford's Mondeo platform didn't do the leaper badge's image many favours.In Australia, Jaguar has mirrored the rough ride it has experienced internationally with sales coughing and spluttering along.In 2006 Jaguar sold 1011 vehicles in Australia with the X-Type accounting for 676 compared with 975 (630 X-Types) the previous year.Business at Jaguar has been marking time for the past few years but in year-to-date figures the company is falling behind last year's mark of 367 to the tune of 35 cars.But funnily enough, volume is not the ultimate figure for Jaguar Australia general manager Dorian Lapthorne who says the company wants to model itself on Porsche.That is a big tick for Porsche's business operations which have won universal praise for being the only automotive company in the world that increased profit every year from 1995-2005.“Around the world Porsche has the highest profitability per unit of any manufacturer,” Lapthorne says.“They look to us like a good model for success.”Lapthorne qualifies the goal by saying Jaguar is not about to come out and corner the two-seater sports car market.“I'm saying as a business model, as a dealer network model, as an approach to the market that's got to be something that's a way of going forward.”Jaguar wants to shift cars but the balance sheet is reliant not so much on the number of vehicles sold but in lifting the average retail price.“Yes, year-to-date we're a little off the pace and we're completely comfortable with that,” Lapthorne said.“It's sometimes a difficult thing for people to understand because it says more equals more generally.“I think we're down about 10 per cent and that's completely in line with our plans.“In fact I think we're about five per cent ahead of our forecast.”You might be scratching you're head thinking that being off the pace is in line with plans but the method to the madness is in a greater spend by the customer.“It doesn't sound like a sensible thing to be doing until I tell you that our average retail price has gone from about $85,000 last year to about $100,000 this year.“I'm not going to go into the profit behind that, obviously, but that actually tells quite a good story for ourselves and dealers in terms of profit.”The focus for Jaguar has clearly shifted to the top end with its XK and XKR models rather than the “humble” X-Type.The X-Type path has proved to be a dead-end in terms of Jaguar growing its business on a mainstream scale as the Germans have done.“If you go back to 2001 when we were introducing the X-Type, we were then on what we thought was a growth path.“We thought we were a brand that was going to replicate what BMW, Mercedes and Audi was doing and extend down from our traditional premium end of the market.“For a number of reasons that didn't work.”There remains a degree of exclusivity and individuality about Jaguar buyers.They don't want to be seen as people who are driving cars built for the masses.“The Jaguar brand is very much seen as a brand for individuals,” Lapthorne said.“And that, when we do our brand tracking and brand research, is the one characteristic Jaguar owns across all luxury car lines compared to BMW and Audi and Lexus and VW and Peugeot.“I think that is one of the reasons which inherently prevented us from reaching the growth path we wanted.“The X-Type, a fusion of an XJ nose and an S-Type rear, was seen to be too conservative and was dressed to appeal to the Jaguar faithful thus hosing down the chance of catching fire with the broader audience.“It (X-Type) really hooked into those who already loved Jaguar and didn't extend outside that little footprint.”So what does the future hold?“As an example we like to look at Porsche which has a very focused product line-up, a very hyped dealer network and they don't sell huge amounts of cars,” Lapthorne said.“So we look at that and think that's a pretty good model for success.“If we got Jaguar into that sort of space — highly focused, premium, niche then I would think we've done a good job.”

The Melbourne show will open on Thursday, in Brisbane's traditional period. In turn, the Brisbane show, at the Convention and Exhibition Centre at South Bank, has been put back to March 3-12.Both shows will revert to their usual dates next year.Brisbane's organisers say the delayed start will allow car companies to arrange more new models and concept cars than usual.Many one-off show cars, as well as production models which will go on sale this year, have been shipped to Australia for the Melbourne show, and are expected to feature in Brisbane as well.These range from exotics such as the Redback Spyder sports coupe and Jaguar XK convertible to bread-and-butter models like the Toyota Yaris sedan.Brisbane Motor Show spokesman Chris Nixon said the date change is a "a real opportunity"."We expect that whatever appears in Melbourne by and large will come on to Brisbane."With our usual date in February, things are always a rush for the car companies."He said the later show also allowed Brisbane to host the launch of the V8 Supercar racing season on Saturday, March 4, at the show. "It's an absolute one-off opportunity for us," Mr Nixon said.Melbourne Motor Show director Russ Tyrie said their show had been in the March timeslot since the 1940s. But the venue, the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, is required for weightlifting, badminton and boxing at the Games, which begin March 15.He said talks with the Brisbane organisers to arrange the date swap began several years ago."It's probably the best outcome for both of us," he said.Mr Tyrie said moving a huge event like a motor show forward a month had been a lot of work."It definitely takes you out of your comfort zone."But we're delighted by the response of exhibitors in arranging new products and show cars."The Melbourne show, to run until February 19, expects 235,000-plus visitors.Brisbane's organisers are confident they can beat last year's record of 128,000.The Brisbane show is expected to be the national debut of the Jaguar S-Type diesel sedan, the Ssangyong Keyron 4WD, Proton Satria hatchback and VW Passat.From the Melbourne show will come new convertibles like the Jaguar XK, Volvo C70, Lamborghini Gallardo roadster and Maserati Gransport Spyder, along with Italian supercars such as the Ferrari F430 and 612 coupes and Maserati Quattroporte GT.