Jaguar
can wait not a second longer to roll out a 4x4 ‘cross-over’ as it lays plans to
unfurl the wraps on a new concept vehicle at the Frankfurt Motor Show next
month, paving the way for production in 2016.
Jaguar has seen its
competitors advance heavily into this territory and clearly wants a slice of
the action.
The new arrival could pave
the way for yet more diesel sales by the company but whether the new vehicle is
fired by one of the Hotfire family of new engines to come from the as-yet
unopened Wolverhampton engine plant (WEP) remains to be seen.
It may be powered by the
staunch V8 diesel engine made by Ford, though sensibly one might imagine the
4x4 will be engineered from the outset to carry one or more of the Hotfire
family of modular engines.
JaguarLandRover (JLR), part of Tata Motors, is
riding the crest of the wave at the moment with first quarter pre-tax profits
of £415 million, an increase of 25 per cent. In the same period, JLR’s revenues
have risen by 13 per cent to £4.1 billion, with retail sales up 10 per cent to
94,719 units.
UK sales rose 13 per cent,
while Asia Pacific leapt 37 per cent. Chine crept up 11 per cent, followed by North
America at 10 per cent, leaving Europe trailing at a modest three per cent.
All of which allows JLR’s top
engineers and managers to jet off to Frankfurt am Maine with more than a spring
in their step, sure in the knowledge that their concept 4x4 will attract much
attention from around the world.
It is all a far cry from
the days when the company was owned by Ford and the shuttered Browns Lane plant
in Coventry was set to be followed by Castle Bromwich or A.N.Other plant. Now,
the company seemingly cannot build enough vehicles.
Just where the 4x4
crossover however will be built remains to be seen. Some suggest it could be
built at Solihull, the hereditary home of 4x4 vehicles in the company, rather
than Castle Bromwich which is the home of JLR’s aluminium stamping capacity.
Aluminium is likely to
feature in the new 4x4 crossover in order to keep weight within respectable limits.
An enhanced pricing structure will allow the on-cost of aluminium to be
recouped.
The new vehicle will be
aimed at younger, more affluent people – families with children and
child-seats. It will form just part of the company’s new and aggressive product
development plans which will include a new ‘baby’ Jaguar saloon and a range of
small, fuel efficient coupes that will follow in the footsteps of the new
F-Type sports car.
But don’t expect a gas
turbine to fire any of the new vehicles any time soon. Work on Jaguar’s pioneering
gas turbine by Bladon Jets is continuing apace, but the most likely first
market for these power units will be generating sets. These will provide
technical feed-back which could be useful for the automotive gas turbine hybrid.
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