Despite a market that continues to crave crossover SUVs,
Jaguar's underperforming sedans are safe.
Automotive
News (subscription required) reported on January 11 that the XE and XF
sedans will continue after Jaguar CEO Ralf Speth safeguarded their future.
He said sedans will play an integral part in Jaguar's electrification
strategy and are important to long-term strategies in Europe and China.
Specifically, Speth said as Europe and China implement
stricter emissions regulations, sedans are inherently easier to work with due
to their superior aerodynamic properties. Taller SUVs are more difficult to
squeeze efficiency out of, simply by the nature of their shape.
However, with EV technology, the shape of sedans could also
evolve over time away from how we view it today. Rumors have indicated the next
XJ sedan could transform into
a stately electric car to challenge the Tesla Model S and
upcoming Mercedes-Benz EQS.
At present, Jaguar sedans aren't in good shape. Sales of the
small XE dropped 21 percent to 28,402 units in the first 11 months of 2018.
Sales of the mid-size XF showed a slightly steeper drop; Jaguar sold only
29,563 of the larger sedan, a decrease of 23 percent compared to the previous
year.
Speth added that although SUVs continue to grow, the brand
believes demand is starting to level out. Numerous other auto executives and
companies also foresee sedan sales bottoming out around their current levels
without much more room to decrease.
Jaguar's sedans are also key to achieving economies of scale at the automaker and both the XE and XF's segments remain huge markets. The XE rivals the BMW 3-Series, Audi A4, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class; the XF tackles the 5-Series, A6, and E-Class.
News of the sedan's staying power comes as Jaguar works
to boost sales
and profitsamid weak results; Jaguar Land Rover as a whole announced it
would lay off 4,500 employees worldwide
last week.
source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1121031_jaguar-sedans-safe-despite-suv-boom
by Sean Szymkowski
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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