Autocar November 07, 2018

THE RISE OF Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has been one of the industry’s great success stories in recent years. Its annual sales have more than trebled since Tata Motors took over in 2008 and, particularly on the Land Rover side, it has launched a series of on-trend, desirable and profitable vehicles that have resonated with buyers globally. Yet things can turn quickly. Last week, JLR announced a drop in sales and a £90 million loss for the latest quarter, the second in a row and the catalyst for a £2.5 billion turnaround programme. Costs will be cut, including £1bn slashed from the R&D budget. Jobs are safe, for now. How did JLR end up here? The trade war between the US and China, a country that has spearheaded JLR’s sales…

“A purely electric F-Type would give Jaguar the scope to be as bold as it was with the E-Type” Jaguar is considering an all-electric version of its next-generation F-Type sports car, due by 2021. Fully electric propulsion is one of a range of powertrains being assessed for the new UK-built sports car. Another is a 4.4-litre BMW-sourced V8. A replacement for the F-Type is still at least two years away, despite it being already six years old. Design chief Ian Callum told Autocar that “being a specialist car, it will have a longer life than the mainstream models”. Callum also confirmed that “despite sports cars not being a great growth area, there will be a future for the F-Type”. Developing a purely electric F-Type replacement would provide its designers and…

Powering the next-gen F-Type with only electric motors and a battery would bring plenty of positive aspects, but also risks. The I-Pace battery SUV indicates that premium electric Jaguars have great buyer appeal, and sharing parts with the I-Pace and future all-electric XJ would help the business case. You’d imagine traction and performance would be no problem and this 2020s coupé should achieve the 150mph it needs for respectability. The driving precision of a sophisticated electric powertrain would play well in an F-Type, too. But replacing a high-performing petrol engine with a smooth and silent electric motor won’t play well with some sports car fans and Jag traditionalists. An all-electric F-Type has logic on its side and a fine car would probably result. But electrification might wound the model severely.…

Tesla Roadster An electric F-Type would immediately be compared with Tesla’s second-gen roadster. The Californian EV, due by 2020, promises astonishing pace, with claims of a 1.9sec 0-60mph time and 250mph top speed. Porsche 911 With EV rivals few and far between, the F-Type will still be pitted against the ever-dominant 911. The ‘992’ generation is set to receive a number of hybrid variants across its range, but no fully electric model is planned yet. Mercedes SL The new F-Type convertible will find itself pitched against the next-gen SL, which is set to become more driver-focused with AMG performance input. It’s due in 2020 and hybridised variants are on the cards.…

“We’ve got to do a lot better,” said Jaguar Land Rover (JLR UK) managing director Rawdon Glover of XE and XF sales. “We’re not doing what we could do.” JLR’s recent financial results reflect this honest view: the firm posted a pre-tax loss of £90 million in the latest financial quarter. Dwindling sales are cited as the main cause, with 13.2% fewer vehicles registered between July and September than in the same period last year. Fluctuations in the Chinese market have hit JLR hard but rivals have had to deal with the same issues. Glover said “there is demand for Jaguars at the right price point”, implying that its list prices, incentives and finance deals have not been attractive enough. The company’s market research has also revealed that “there’s a…

BMW is set to crown its new 8 Series convertible line-up with a new M8 version with more than 600bhp. The M8 will go on sale in 2019 following the launch of the standard model, which is seen here officially for the first time ahead of a planned Los Angeles motor show debut this month. Conceived to rival a number of existing upmarket convertibles, including the upcoming Bentley Continental GTC and Mercedes-Benz S-Class cabriolet, the new BMW open-top forms part of a three-model-strong resurrected 8 Series line-up that also includes the 8 Series coupé and the forthcoming four-door 8 Series Gran Coupé set to be unveiled next year. The indirect replacement for the 6 Series convertible is planned to go on sale in the UK in December with deliveries due…