Jaguar plans F-Type roadster and XJ Ultimate limousine for India in 2013

Jaguar has confirmed that it is going to grab the Indian market by its horns. Jaguar-Land Rover has lost a lot of ground to the Germans in the Ford era. The company plans to compensate the loss by focusing on the emerging markets such as China and India.

Jaguar plans to launch 2 new cars for the Indian market by next year to fight the Germans. The first car that will be heading India-wards will be the XJ Ultimate. The car in question is the a long wheelbase Jaguar XJ Super Sport with fittings taken from the Buckingham palace.

The XJ Ultimate differs from the rest of the breed because it has exterior upgrades such as chromed lower air intakes, polished stainless-steel oval exhaust pipe finishers and 20-inch Maroa forged alloy wheels.

The XJ Ultimate, as the name suggests, is the ultimate level of luxury for rear passengers. It features two individually tailored seats with semi-aniline premium leather. It also features power adjustment and recline, lumbar support, massage function and climate controls. each rear passenger gets an iPad and keyboard bundled with a  15-channel, 20-speaker Meridian surround-sound audio system with twin headrest-mounted screens and wireless headphones.

Although firepower is not a major concern in these situations, the XJ Ultimate has this area well covered with Jaguar’s 5.0 liter V8 supercharged 510hp engine fitted with a new automatic eight-speed transmission. Expect a price tag of 1+ crore when the XJ Ultimate heads to India.

The second car is called the Jaguar F type – a two-seater aimed at the Porsche Boxster and BMW Z4. This sports car is still under development and is confirmed for launch in the middle of 2013. It will be influenced by the Jaguar C-X16 Concept showcased at the 2011 Frankfurt auto show. Powered by a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine rated at 380 horsepower, it will sit below the current Jaguar XFK. It will be launched in UK first and will head to India soon after.

Jaguar India is prepping up for the launch of these two models by expanding it dealerships in Tier II cities and towns. Currently, Jaguar has only 13 dealerships strategically located in major metros. Jaguar sold 2,300 units in the last financial year which is phenomenal considering the brand entered India only 4 years back and does not have volume models.

JLR is also reportedly planning to manufacture the Defender successor in India in the next two-three years and export it across the world. The new plant could also host the assembly of Jaguar models and lead to localization efforts.

[Source: mydigitalfc.com]