The 3.0 liter is an all-aluminum V6 is derived from Jaguar’s 5.0-liter V8 and it features quad cams, direct injection and a Roots-type twin vortex supercharger with a water-cooled intercooler. The engine will be available in two different variants one producing 375bhp and the other producing 355bhp.

The 355bhp engine will be used in the new XF and XJ, while the 375bhp will be used only in the future F-Type. These high powered variants may not rake in any volumes in India.

Moving to the more interesting engine, the 2.0 liter four-cylinder turbo will produce 247bhp will replace the currently used 3.0 liter V6 in XF and XJ. This is a re-branded Ford EcoBoost engine which is also used on the DC Avanti supercar! The same 2-liter EcoBoost engine is also used on Volvo and Land Rover models.

JLR continues to source engines from its previous parent company Ford as powertrains take time to develop. Tata Motors and JLR are said to be jointly developing a new family of engines, that may take up to four years to reach the market.

See close-up images of the Jaguar XF facelift

JLR already operates a manufacturing facility in Chikhli near Pune where assembly of the Land Rover Freelander is happening on since May 2011. JLR has been overwhelmed by the response it has received in the luxury market segment especially for its XF diesel.

Even though the Jaguar XF is priced at the highest point in its segment at 56.45 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai, whereas the Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series cost Rs.47.50 lakh and 49 lakh respectively) it has been a decent performer.

With the Indian government imposing a tax in excess of 110% on all imported vehicles, assembling the Jaguar XF in India will surely help it do wonders to its profit margins and sales numbers if the company continue to see rising demand. We can expect JLR to slash the price of XF in India but only by a few lakh rupees to be more competitive in its segment and maintain its brand equity.

India’s luxury car market is increasing at a very steady pace and was around 24,000 units in the year 2011 and is expected to expand to 35,000 units by the end of 2012. Assembling their cars gives them added control over the price while helping them maintain or perhaps maximize their margins.

[Source - LiveMint.com]

What Jaguar needs right now is an entry level sedan to rival the likes of BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4. This need has been identified by the pouncing cat as it is all set to introduce a 3 Series challenger in 2016.

Global Brand director for Jaguar Adrian Hallmark confirmed that the 3 Series challenger is in clay (means in design phase) now and it looks stunning. But being Jaguar, the company wants to make its own distinction in the entry level luxury sedan market because it believes that all 3 German rivals are more or less similar in their offerings

The base variants will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 240 bhp. Hallmark confirms that the entry level compact sedan will come is many variants such as station wagon, coupe and convertible.

Tata Motors plans to pay for the development of this new compact sedan by raising funds via an IPO. Jaguar-Land Rover plans to spend $12 billion over the next five years on new products such as the  Jaguar F-Type, a Land Rover Discovery replacement expected in 2015, and updates for current models.

[Source: MotorTrend.com]

Hence, there were a lot of rumors about the British marquee tying the knot with Chery Automobile Company. However, it is now officially announced that this Indo-British-Chinese venture is all set to capture the luxury market in China.

The joint venture is worth 17.5 billion yuan (US$2.78 billion) and is currently applying for regulatory approval from the Chinese authorities. The joint venture would have the following scope of operations:

• Manufacture Jaguar Land Rover and joint-venture branded vehicles
• Sale of vehicles produced by the joint-venture company
• Establishment of a research and development facility
• Engine manufacturing

Unfortunately, no name has been decided for this joint venture neither are the precise terms and conditions of the commercial agreement have not been disclosed.

JLR is a latecomer to Chinese production compared to its arch German rivals who have seen sales boom in China in recent years. However, both Jaguar and Land Rover are enjoying record sales in China.

Earlier this month, JLR’s managing director, Ralf Speth revealed they were also in discussion with several Brazilian companies about establishing a South American JV.

[Source: AutoExpress.co.uk]

The best example of the scenario is the Porsche Panamera and Cayenne which were not all the sort of ‘sporty’ cars that Porsche was known for.

Bentley tried their hands with an SUV at the Geneva Motor Show and boy did they receive some flak for the design. Lamborghini and Maserati are both plotting an SUV to boost volumes. However, Jaguar has officially confirmed that there will be no SUV with a pouncing kitty on the bonnet. The British automaker believes that its sister concern Land Rover makes one of the best SUVs in the world and there is no need to invade that territory.

However Jaguar does want to exploit some grey areas in between a sedan and an SUV. The company is specifically hinting towards crossovers. Most German manufactures are very gung ho on crossover helping to boost future sales. Jaguar is targeting leadership position in the luxury car segment and the Jaguar crossover will help the British marquee combat the Germans.

[Source: caradvice.com.au; Rendering - Automobile-Magazine.fr]

Once its stable is packed, Jaguar could assemble select cars in India. The company believes that in another 3-5 years, this could happen. Land Rover assembles the Freelander at Tata’s plant in Pune and could use the same facility, after it is expanded, to build Jaguar cars as well.

Before cars, JLR will make engines in India. The company has plans to open a manufacturing facility for engines that can be used on utility vehicles of Tata Motors. Manufacturing engines in India can help pass duty benefits to customers. We have heard that engineers from Britain and India are working jointly to develop engines to meet future emission norms. These engine are expected to be superior in every aspect and give products like the Aria and Safari an edge over its competitors.

It was previously reported in the media that platform sharing possibility is also being explored between JLR and Tata Motors.

[Source - MyDigitalFC.com]

The British car maker is betting big on the fastest growing markets India and China to fuel the future growth.

What is Jaguar doing for China?

China being the fastest growing markets of the two, definitely gets a lot of attention.

Jaguar Land Rover is all set to launch a new sub-brand in China as a joint venture that will allow JLR to manufacturer vehicles in China. The company is in talks with Chery Auto for a possible partnership.

It is very difficult for a foreign manufacturer to establish foothold in China with a partnership. Most marquees such as Volkswagen, BMW, General Motors etc have fully functional partnerships up and running in China. Jaguar is pretty late to the party and hence would require extra efforts to cover the lost ground.

What is Jaguar doing for India?

Back home, Jaguar has a tough job of taking on the Germans who are far ahead and engaged in their competition. Each German is targeting leadership position and other brands such Volvo are also getting aggressive. Jaguar is looking at building an engine manufacturing unit in India to bring down the price of their cars.

The automaker already owns a huge facility for high performance engines in England and wants another facility in India for entry level engines. These engines could possibly find their way in Tata Motors’s cars in the future.

Apart from India and China, the company is also looking forward to establish its presence in Brazil and is planning to put up a small plant over there.

[Source: autocar.co.uk & hindustantimes.com]

The British marquee is welcoming the new decade (although a bit late) with a new logo and a fresh marketing campaign.

However, all is not well. The Germans have a huge lead over Jaguar in the luxury car market. But Jaguar isn’t letting the pressure of lead overcome its will to fight. With a fresh logo, a new marketing strategy and a fresh advertising campaign, Jaguar is openly claiming to the Germans that ‘It’s Alive!’

The key USPs of the brand will be seductive, emotional, unique, energetic and high-performance. It will be supported on television, in print, on the web and with events. Massive focus will given to the online community by increasing the social media presence.

[Source: Autoblog.com]

Tata Motors has now announced that it will double the capital expenditure and product development. In the last six years, Jaguar Land Rover has spent around 700 to 800 million pounds annually on research. This figure will be boosted to 1.5 billion pounds each year.

Why is this decision taken?

JLR has recently been on a roll with soaring revenues and healthy profit margins. The buyout has been extremely beneficial for Tata Motors because JLR has been consistently contributing healthy figures in Tata Motors quarter reports. The strong demand in emerging countries for JLR has offset sluggish performance of Tata Motors in India.

Whats on-the-cards for JLR in the near future?

The immediate development will the establishment of the China JV. Tata Motors has finalized a joint venture partner for the proposed assembly plant for JLR in China and is waiting to get approvals from Chinese authorities. JLR plans to produce more than 50,000 vehicles a year from a new plant in China employing up to 5,000 people.

China joint venture for Jaguar Land Rover will be announced very soon which will allow the British marquee better access to the world’s largest auto market.

[Source: Business-standard.com]

The reworked XF is available at prices slightly higher than the outgoing model. Here are the variants and prices (on road, Chennai).

3.0-liter diesel – 62 lakhs

5.0-liter naturally aspirated petrol – 78 lakhs

XF-R – 5.0-liter supercharged petrol – 98 lakh

On popular demand, we have added high quality images of the XF facelift shot at the Mumbai dealership during the launch of the Range Rover Evoque.

Jaguar XF facelift Image Gallery