UK poised- to stop Jaguar production but Australia to continue with reduced line up

UK poised to stop Jaguar production but Australia to continue with reduced line up

Jaguar faces year-long black hole in UK

By

 Neil Dowling – on 20th August 2024

JAGUAR is only months away from discontinuing its entire existing lineup before electrification sparks the showing of a pivotal concept car in December that will define the car-maker’s future as a purveyor of cars to the ultra wealthy.

In an extraordinary leap of faith in its future as a car maker, Jaguar has already stopped production of the XE, XF and F-Type models at its Castle Bromwich plant in the UK and said that production of the E-Pace and I-Pace will cease at Magna’s factory in Austria by the end of the year.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said that the only model that will continue to be produced is the F-Pace which will remain in production until 2025.

But compared with the severe cut-off dates for production for European markets, Jaguar Land Rover says the position in Australia is less radical.

Jaguar Land Rover Australia public relations manager James Scrimshaw told GoAutoNews Premium that three models – F-Type, XE and XF – have ended their run in Australia, but there are still final shipments of these models on their way from the UK to Australian dealerships.

Other models will continue to be produced for certain markets, including Australia. This includes the F-Pace SUV that is built on the same platform as the Range Rover Velar and is built at JLR’s Solihull plant.

Also ongoing for Australia is the I-Pace (electric) and E-Pace mid-size SUVs that are built in Graz, Austria.

Mr Scrimshaw said the timing for the cessation of models was different for each market and the company expected no interruption of supplies ahead of Jaguar adopting an electric future, starting with the first new generation, the four-door GT primed for launch in 2026.

In the UK, Jaguar managing director Rawdon Glover told AutoCar magazine of the astonishing plan that, by the end of this year, it will stop selling new vehicles in certain European markets and that the UK will follow early next year.

UK customers won’t see deliveries of Jaguar’s new electric GT until 2026, resulting in a year-long gap during which no new Jaguars will be available for purchase in the country.

During this interim period, Mr Glover said Jaguar retailers will focus more on used cars and aftersales services as the brand gears up to become a Bentley and Ferrari rival with more expensive cars and fewer dealers.

But the black hole does not extend to all other markets, including Australia, allowing dealers here to continue selling and servicing Jaguar models without a lengthy pause in supplying stock to customers.

But the new-generation of Jaguars also means a rethink of the sales points. In the UK, the network of Jaguar dealerships is being slashed from around 80 sites to about 25, putting the network in line with existing luxury car brands Bentley and Ferrari. Jaguar has publicly made no decision about sales point reductions in other markets, including Australia.

In its near-term future, Jaguar has a new three-car strategy and the Jaguar Electric Architecture (JEA) platform on which these cars will sit will be a complete departure from their predecessors, both in design and technology.

Jaguar has only hinted that these new vehicles will be a “copy of nothing” and will be first revealed with the GT.

This four-door car will be Jaguar’s first EV in the new lineup, with an expected price in the UK of about £100,000 ($A194,000) and featuring a range of more than 700km, ultra-fast charging capabilities, and a dual-motor powertrain delivering over 430kW.

This concept will also influence future Jaguar models, including an SUV aimed at competing with the Bentley Bentayga and a limousine comparable to the Flying Spur, both of which are expected by 2028.

AutoCar said Mr Glover hinted that Jaguar’s new models will challenge these conventions with bold designs, including long bonnets, minimalist front ends with a distinctive grille, and nearly invisible LED lights. The cars are also expected to feature no rear windows, similar to the Polestar 4.

The comparison to the upper-premium brands such as Bentley reflects Jaguar’s new target.

Under its ‘Reimagine’ plan, it aims to put aside volume production and produce cars that appeal to the wealthiest of customers.

Mr Glover said the aim was to make the brand a “discretionary spend” so the future Jaguar brand must tempt people who don’t need to buy a Jaguar, but want to.

“You do it because there’s that sort of inherent demand for it,” he told AutoCar.

“We’ve got to create that demand. To a certain extent, that’s agnostic to the platform and that’s the job that Jaguar needs to do.

“It’s never about the powertrain first, it’s got to be about the design of the brand first, and then those good things come second.”