Latest News & Reviews from Indian Auto Industry
Jaguar Land Rover India on Thursday launched its locally manufactured all-new Jaguar XF sedan at a starting price of Rs.47.50 lakhs. The all-new Jaguar XF will be available in two options – a 2-litre Ingenium diesel engine with a power output of 132 kW and a 2-litre petrol engine with a power output of 177 kW, the company said in a statement. Both engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
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Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has showcased various modified cars that have been used at the upcoming James Bond movie Spectre, at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.
James Bond has always been associated with the best of cars and one of the highlights of any film of the franchisee is to see which car the super spy uses to complete his assignments. In the past, cars like the Aston Martin have attained cult status owing to the films and this has been a great opportunity for JLR too, to showcase their mettle globally.
Jaguar and Land Rover Design as well as the Special Vehicle Operations of the company have been working very closely with the filmmakers on the concept as well as the creation of the cars, which are to be used in the film. These include the Land Rover Defenders, the Jaguar C-X75 as well as the most powerful and the fastest Land Rover ever, the Range Rover Sport SVR.
The Defenders have been modified to provide them additional body protection as well as 37-inch diameter tyres which would help the cars tackle the snow covered mountain roads which have been used as filming locations.
According to the Managing Director of JLR Special Operations, John Edwards for the company to once again be associated with this iconic film franchises is a proud moment for the company and will go a long way in establishing the iconic status of the JLR brand.
The XF, when it was launched in 2007, received a thunderous response from Jaguar customers all over the world and went on to become one of Jaguar’s top selling products ever. With the new XF, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is planning to repeat this feat, or rather continue this trend we must say.
In the UK, the new Jaguar XF will be sold in both petrol and diesel versions. The petrol car will be fitted with a supercharged V6 capable of producing 380bhp of peak power, while the diesel ones will come with either a 160bhp or a 180bhp four-cylinder engine or a 3-liter V6 diesel capable of giving out 300bhp of peak power and 700Nm of peak torque. The Indian version is expected to get a 2-liter Ingneium diesel along with a 2-liter petrol engine borrowed from Ford.
Dimensionally the new XF is somewhat smaller than the older one, but it comes with more leg and headroom for rear passengers. It has a longer wheelbase compared to the older XF – almost 51mm longer than the previous version.
On the design front as well the new XF scores a few brownie points with a bolder looking front and rear, new taillights, vertical front and longer wheelbase.
India launch of the new Jaguar XF is still some time away. It is expected that the car will be launched in India sometime next year and will take on the likes of BMW 5-Series, Mercedes E-Class and Audi A6.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) sales have taken a massive hit in China. So much so that it has taken down Tata Motors first quarter net profit in 2015-16 by a huge 49 percent. The company has registered growth in passenger and heavy commercial vehicle sales in India, but its overall international growth figure is comparatively much lower thanks to the dismal performance of JLR in one of the biggest car markets in the world.
Tata Motors has very well in the markets of Europe, North America and United Kingdom, but its China debacle has brought down its overall revenue by 6.5 percent to 5 billion GBP, while overall JLR profit is down by 29 percent to 492 million GBP. Overall, Tata Motors’ net profit the Q1 stands at Rs.2769 crore, compared to Rs.5398 crore it had garnered in the same period last year.
Not the all is hunky-dory in the Indian market for Tata. The top line profit here has suffered as well. It has gone down by 35 percent to Rs.258 crore. The company has done well in the passenger vehicle segment where it has registered a growth of 27 percent compared to the same period last year thanks to recent launches like the GenX Nano, Bolt and Tata Zest.
Jaguar XJ, the flagship model, had its own niggles to deal with when standing in comparison against the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series and Audi A8L. The reason, XJ is too old in the tooth against them, and is in a desperate need of a facelift and upgrades to brace the selling quotient in a swiftly yet classily ascertained competition. However, despite those drawbacks, the sedan had done the serious job in past one year across India when it began the local production in Pune, which as a result the maker claimed XJ to have posted a growth of 300% since June 2014.
Revealing the insights of how such achievement is accounted by XJ, Rohit Suri, President, Jaguar Land Rover revealed, it is exceptional standards formed on the platform of British luxury driven by elegant craftsmanship and dynamic driving experience, which no other car in the segment sits up to this mark. On the top, it is British style that is well-received in India, and across the world. Personally speaking, nothing can match the taste of a British designer, nor could the Germans try to make out that disciplined aura from their machines.
Jaguar marks its presence in India via 21 authorised retailers spread across Mumbai, Delhi (at Janpath & Mathura Road), Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Raipur, Nagpur, Pune, Aurangabad, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Coimbatore, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Kochi, Indore, Karnal and Ludhiana.
Jaguar XJ 2.0L Petrol Portfolio: Rs. 97.22 lakh
Jaguar XJ 3.0L Diesel Premium Luxury: Rs. 96.05 lakh
Jaguar XJ 3.0L Diesel Portfolio: Rs. 103 lakh
Trait of e-commerce business is grilling every sector into its fashion, where the auto industry isn’t left for an exception. In India, we have seen the two-wheelers went online for a sale during the recent months, but none of the four-wheelers did so, until we reported the BMW i3 went on sale across Amazon in Japan. Now, the hot pick for the geeks of internet is, a renowned Chinese website will retail cars of BMW, MINI and Jaguar Land Rover via its e-commerce portal. Named as ‘Alibaba’, it is the Chinese substitute for Amazon and e-Bay.
Thus, this portal isn’t the first one to do so. The Tmall.com too is doing the same job since 2014, and till date it has sold more than 120,000 cars of 50 different brands from 10,000 dealerships.
Reportedly, at the Shanghai Auto Show the trio signed an agreement of memorandum of understanding which says, the Tmall.com will remain major platform of group in e-commerce.
Thus, the reason for signing a deal with Alibaba is to keep the cash register ringing during the time when Chinese economy is going slow for a while. And the problem arisen with BMW, with regards to its MINI, the car is perceived of feminist class in the country. Going by the sources, Alibaba has already sold 75 MINIs online. So, profit for those carmakers is ensured with the increased footfalls sourced via clicks on the internet. Just thinking, are other carmakers in the league of moving to this same strategic route?
To write the story of a car spotted first time on the Indian shores always feels great. The new XF, a most needed car of the Jaguar’s lineup, was spotted testing in our country with heavy camouflages.
This new sedan of Jaguar made debut to the world some days back at New York Auto Show, which is pinned with a fresh platform underneath comprised majorly of aluminum. The said technical treatment shaved off 190kgs from the total weight of car. As per claims, the second-gen XF boasts 50:50 weight ratio.
On the aesthetics, this car is low slung than before, holds big wheels, elongated bonnet, large front grille and air dams.
Moved inside, the aesthetic of next-gen XF appeals contemporary with the new central console, steering wheel resembling the elder sibling’s XJ, and dual-purpose touchscreen of 10.2-inch and other advanced features like InControl Touch Pro to name as of now. The optional list includes a head up display which will portray the speed, notifications of cruise control and traffic sign recognition.
The engine bay of new XF comes swathed by options like 2.0-litre Ingenium petrol engine and regular diesel engines, alongside the powerful options like V6 petrol and diesel of 3.0-litre to entice the performance buyers.
Expectedly, Jaguar may adopt the strategy of following a trait of top-bottom to pose as the niche maker of this industry, which means the top-end may only make to the list followed by the base variant at a later stage if the market permits.
Thus, one will see new XF rival lock horns with Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5-Series, Audi A6 and Volvo S80.
Image Courtesy : Autocarindia
Jaguar seems not to stop at XE. A report found on internet claims this British automaker is looking to launch a new cost-efficient car entry-level based on the front wheel platform.
Speaking to source, Jaguar’s Director of Design, Ian Callum, uttered, there lays vast opportunity in the small car markets, but business is hugely competitive with regards to price and competitive models available. However, he didn’t clearly confined to the new entry-level, but nod to investigate about it and study further.
Further, he also hopes strong possibility for the new entry-level to sit on front wheel platform, where the realities remain years away. Technological advancement may take over the lost excitement of rear wheels if went with the front-wheel traction. Lastly, despite a number of small petrol and diesel engine options available with the company, new entry-level Jaguar may use a fresh hybrid drivetrain to play with other small-sedans.
However, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW still have pretty much time to get their products straight in the competition, before this wild cat pounce upon anything.
New XF of Jaguar with nothing more than a mid-size sedan due to its late entry in the market is hunting number of possibilities to stand out of the crowd has possibly found a one. As per to a reputed source, the maker is planning a long-wheelbase version of the sedan to fill the gap between the mid-size car and the flagship in the segment of upmarket vehicles. Though, Audi has A6 and BMW with a 5-Series in long-wheelbase alongside the Mercedes-Benz E-Class for Chinese markets are there in the tooth long back. On the same pretext, new XF too will entice the segment referrers with its stretched legroom at the rear, lending acres of space to stretch legs and outside show the world a new yet exclusive tranquility that has a more practical option of luxury.
Likewise to Jaguar XJ-L, the XF too will see the nomenclature as XF-L.
Internationally, the new XF holds 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel engine that sends the max power of 161bhp and 178bhp – two states of tunes. Other options that also gathers around it are the 3.0-liter twin turbocharged V6 diesel engine and a supercharged V6 of 3.0-liter petrol. The former generates max power of 296bhp while the latter introduces range topping figures of 375bhp.
Hence, it’s Chinese to demand more of these long-wheelbase cars than any market around the world, expectedly the Jaguar too bring the XF first long-wheelbase for the said market followed by India at a later stage.
Source : Autocar India
The riches need a reason to splurge, but they get more cautious when it comes to cars. After all, the ‘most expensive’ is an ultimate option for them. So carmakers not shying of any filth to be stopping them from selling their niche cars in this extensive market, for which rolled out a number of them during 2014. Though, we managed that hard job to find the best five of them which made way to India over the past year. Mentioned here the top-five that raised the eyeballs in terms of prices they for which were launched, and the newness they offered to buyers.
The entry-level sedan of Rolls-Royce which has found many buyers in India during the lifetime, received a facelift during 2014 with the tag of Series II. Launched at a price of Rs 4.5 crore (ex-showroom Mumbai) the car saw new headlamps with daytime running lights, redesigned bumpers, fresh bonnet design and reworked tail lamps. The front air intakes do get chrome lining, whereas the range of selecting alloys have been widened with numerous other options. In fact, the cabin entertainment too got enhanced by the brand new infotainment system featured on those 10.2-inch screens and touch-pad controller. Power remains constant at 563bhp from a 6.6-litre V12 engine.
Lamborghini’s new baby car for India after the end of Gallardo, Huracan, was made to foray for a price of Rs 3.43 crore (ex-showroom Delhi). Though, this baby Bull of Italy ventured into the tradition of using a bombastic V10 engine for producing matured amount of 602bhp, with the electronically capped top-speed of 325kmph and 0-100kmph in 3.2 seconds. However, the cabin too is enough for housing only two at a time, both can travel in ultimate speed with the expertise of jet plane on steering, as well as at the passenger’s seat. For India, Lamborghini had added a special function of lifting up the nose by 40mm over the standard ground clearance for road conditions of this country.
Range Rover which was already long enough to fit a King in its rear, now gets longer with more 186mm of wheelbase, where out of the whole 140mm is added for the rear seat only. The long-wheelbase edition can be easily identified from the size of rear doors where they comparatively appear bigger than before. So, those wishing to end their drive in the lap of luxury and also admit their vehicle shall be rugged and must take on the every terrain, surely this is the right option to choose from. Even getting more exclusive, buyers are given to choose from a bench and executive seats for the rear passenger. Large panoramic sunroof and 17-degree reclining seat at rear are standard on all the variants. Top of the line Autobiography Black edition takes the cake away, where subtle changes on outer paves way for the exclusive buyout. The 10.2-inch screen, massage rear seat, chiller compartment, special leather for seats, LED ambient light to suit the mood are some of the examples which its owners will experience. For the price tag of anything between Rs 2.08 crore and Rs 2.63 crore (launch price ex-showroom Delhi) it hits the nail on its head with options of petrol and diesel both. Former set of buyers (of petrol) can get the supercharged 5.0-litre V8 petrol of 510PS and 625Nm of torque. The 4.4-litre V8 diesel will send power of 339PS grunting over the 700Nm of torque. Another starting variant of diesel gets the base price stuck with its 3.0-litre mill. However, they say, the engine options are standard as of the stock Range Rover.
The success of Jaguar F-Type speaks about itself. Thoughtfully, the company has played smartly with this model, as launched the convertible first and then brought the hardtop called as F-Type Coupe later. Launched for the price of Rs 1.21 crore, it goes upto the max level of Rs 1.82 crore ex-showroom Mumbai. We loved this car just because of its Wild Cat-ish looks. But for the adrenaline lovers, British automaker had lent it number of options which sound like a music to the ears. Power of 340PS is just the standard for this coupe from a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine, whereas the slightly more powerful version called F-Type S delivers 40PS more than the said, and the result is 380PS. The top of line uses a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 for the staggering 550PS and 680Nm of torque. Wholly, the range topping also differs on the equipment level with 20-inch wheels as against the 18-inch of the said two. Top-speed of the range topper is clocked at 300kmph with 0-100kmph being touched in 4.2 seconds. The S trim of 380PS successfully delivers 275kmph of max-speed and 0-100kmph in 4.8 seconds.
Though, this launch happened in the last week of 2013, but this car turned towards 2014 for getting delivered into the hands of buyers. A family sports sedan with 4-passenger seating capacity, this turns out to be monstrous when led unchained on the open racetrack. The model already exists in the country back from 2011, but the addition of ‘S’ to the badge makes it worthy for a price of Rs 4.4 crore ex-showroom Mumbai. Now it enjoys a healthy power output of 550bhp (from 470bhp) and 619Nm of torque (against the 600Nm) with the traction being sent by a 6-speed AZ automatic transmission. One couldn’t deny its opulence of being a proper four-seater with the right balance of luxury and healthy sports characteristics. Wished, it could be in everyone’s wish list if desiring to shell out the tag of something more than Rs 4 crore.