Jaguar BMW ke shadow se bahar nikalna chahta hai or Bentley ko chase karne ke liye proper upmarket move kar raha hai, ek bold rebranding ke saath. Wo combustion engines ko full and final goodbye bol raha hai or all focus EVs par daal diya hai. Pehle plan tha ki 2025 ke end tak is new era ka first production model dekhne ko milega, but ab uska reveal thoda delay ho gaya hai or iss year ke end mein aayega.
Jaguar khud ko ek super luxury brand ke form pe reinvent karne se pehle, kuch dealers obviously thode concerned hai ki ye new direction kaise unfold hoga. German business newspaper Automobilwoche ne ek sales representative ka quote diya hai, jo anonymity ke saath bola, or Jaguar ke future ko leke jo uncertainty hai uske baare mein baat ki:
Honestly bolen toh abhi brand ke liye koi solid business case nahi hai. Humne ye sign kiya hai ki future mein Jaguar ke saath continue karna chahte hai. But actually hum is intention ko follow karenge ya nahi, ye tab clear hoga jab humein Jaguar ki future strategy pata chalegi. Uske baad hi decide kar paayenge ki ye humein suit karta hai ya nahi.
Bilkul sab kharaab bhi nahi hai. Germany ke Jaguar or Land Rover dealers ki association ke CEO, Andreas Everschneider, more optimistic hai, but thoda cautious bhi: "Ye new start ek opportunity hai. Par abhi humein nahi pata ki market kitni large hogi, kya expect karein, ya kaun se customers ye car purchase karein.
Similarly, Glinicke British Cars ke managing director Salvatore Calangelo bhi aane wale products ko kaafi hype kar rahe hai, but target market ko leke thode unsure hai. Unka kehna hai, 'Brand design or technology, new Jaguar models kuch different level ke hai. Ye ek new direction hai. But the question is future mein Jaguar ke customers kaun honge?
Jaguar will only lease cars not sell them
Everschneider ne Automobilwoche ko bataya ki Jaguar apni new electric grand tourer sell nahi karega, rather sirf lease pe dega. Motor1 jisne baat ka confirmation lene ke liye unse contact kiya hai, or abhi jab main article post kar raha hoon uss time tak koi response nahi aaya hai. But reports ke according lease only strategy ka reason ye hai ki company used car market pe zyada control chahti hai. Agar cars zyada hands mein change hogi means zyada people tak jaayegi, then uski value down ho jaayegi, jo Jaguar ke Bentley level brand banne ke plans ko hurt kar sakta hai.
Everschneider ne ye bhi point out kiya ki Jaguar ko Mercedes wali mistake nahi repeat karni chahiye, means more models launch kar dena. Mercedes ko kaafi criticism mila hai because usne A-Class jaise mass market cars introduce ki, jisse uski premium image thodi dilute ho gayi. Actually, if you think about it almost all rivals ne ye hi kiya hai, BMW ne 1 Series ke saath, or Audi toh or bhi aage chala gaya, A1 or Q2 ke saath sub-compact segment tak enter kar liya.
Jaguar will not chase volume
Image Courtesy: Motor1
Automobilwoche ke according dealers bol rahe hai ki Jaguar ki new strategy ke under ab year mein sirf 10,000 cars manufacture hongi. Ye 2018 se bilkul opposite hai, jab Tata Motors owned Jaguar ne 181,500 cars sell ki thi.
Comparison ke liye, last year BMW ne around 21.7 lakh cars sell ki, Mercedes ne 18 lakh, or Audi ne 16 lakh deliver ki.
Ab jab Jaguar Bentley ko chase kar rahi hai, so Crewe ke sales numbers dekhna more logical lagta hai. Last year ke figures abhi tak aaye nahi hai, but remind kar dein ki British carmaker ne 2024 mein 10,643 cars deliver ki thi or 2023 mein 13,560. Best year is 2022, jab unhone 15,174 cars sell ki.
Jaguar ke dealers abhi tak customers ko attract karne wali proper training nahi mili hai, But ye process iss month start ho raha hai. Reports ke according, jo buyers at least $130,000 (Rs. 1.18 Crore) dene ko ready hai unke liye order books March ya April mein open ho sakti hai. Jaguar ne clear kar diya hai ki production ready Type 00 sirf EV (electric) version mein ho offer hogi.
Our opinion and findings
Old Jaguar ke ways work nahi aa rahe the, that's the reason change laana important ho gaya. Ab itna drastic shift, low volume or zyada margin wale models par, actually work karega ya nahi, ye abhi dekhna baaki hai.
EVs par full focus karna Jaguar ki appeal thodi limit kar sakta hai, because rich buyers abhi bhi combustion engines like karte hai. Example ke liye, Mercedes abhi bhi Maybach ke V12 ke saath committed hai, or BMW bhi Rolls Royce models mein aane wale powerful 12 cylinder engines ko support karta ja raha hai.
Yes, Jaguar knows it will lose most of its customers, company khud admit kar rahi hai ki 85% current buyers wapas nahi aayenge. But unka believe hai ki bold, dramatic design or custom build EV platform rich buyers ko risk lene ke liye convince kar sakta hai. Or apni jagah banane ke chances increase karne ke liye, long hood GT ke baad ek SUV bhi launch ki jaayegi.
EVs ke profit margins waise hi kaafi low rehte hai, kabhi kabhi toh hote hi nahi. And for this reason interesting to see ki Jaguar itni low annual sales target ke saath bhi good return nikaal paata hai ya nahi.