XF Sportbrake
Author
Discussion

tonys

Original Poster:

1,080 posts

249 months

Monday 5th November 2012
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Was the marketing dept. having an off day when they came up with 'Sportbrake Sport'for the XF.

Perhaps MB will have a 'CLS ShootingBrake Shooting' as a ltd. edition.

Triple7

4,015 posts

263 months

Tuesday 6th November 2012
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Sporting Sportbrake has a better ring to it :/

jamieduff1981

8,092 posts

166 months

Tuesday 6th November 2012
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To be honest it's the 'Sportbrake' terminology which is just meaningless. I mean estate cars are always going to be the ugly mate to the far superior looking saloon versions and will always have a stigma of belonging to dog owners but I don't think a stupid name like Sportbrake makes it any less undesireable. It just sounds like it should have bigger discs and calipers tbh. I was an avid Jag fan until they went for a 4pot diesel, an estate and now AWD. Might as well have your manhood stitched to your forehead and just settle for an Audi now. :-(

FWDRacer

3,565 posts

250 months

Wednesday 7th November 2012
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Jamie - when they start riding like the suspension has seized then you prophecy might become true.

They aren't filling in every segment gap - simply don't have either the resources or inclination.

Perfect family do everything vehicle? 4WD Diesel Sportbrake XF or Quattro A6 Avant. In the style stakes the Jag has it spanked IMHO.

jamieduff1981

8,092 posts

166 months

Thursday 8th November 2012
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You can fit the whole family in a Mondeo estate though, and mankind survived motoring winters for almost a century with RWD prior to FWD becoming essential, and that was short lived before everyone decided that you were stuffed without AWD.

FWDRacer

3,565 posts

250 months

Thursday 8th November 2012
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That is a very UK-centric attitude - the Jaguar product is global, therefore you need to appeal to Alpine Europe/Snowbelt US etc. The portfolio of product needs to reflect such.

V12 Migaloo

1,116 posts

172 months

Thursday 8th November 2012
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FWDRacer said:
That is a very UK-centric attitude - the Jaguar product is global, therefore you need to appeal to Alpine Europe/Snowbelt US etc. The portfolio of product needs to reflect such.
Agreed. Wish they wopuld sell the Xf in AWD in the UK... I also think that jamieduff1981 is also correct in saying in the past we had no need for AWD but then prior to 1981 we all had high shouldered tyres of 65 and 70 ratio, which provided far more grip then todays 35/40/45 section tyres...

jamieduff1981

8,092 posts

166 months

Thursday 8th November 2012
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My 40 profiles have always just worked in Scottish winters. My cars must be malfunctioning!

jamieduff1981

8,092 posts

166 months

Thursday 8th November 2012
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Should add that whilst it may be good for a period of perhaps 5-10 years for sales figures to fill more market segements, I do believe it's ultimately damaging to try to produce a car to please everyone, because you end up with no brand identity.

The fact that the word "Jaaaaag" invokes an image of a dodgy rich bloke with an X308 XJR is a good thing. The brand means something to everyone, and with the exception of the X-Type which brought Jaguar down to Ford levels of prestige in pub talk, people still think of Jags as luxury cars by the association of them being expensive to buy and thirsty.

Now I hate Audis, so even an RS4 will have my nose turning up, but in general if someone says they have an Audi everyone assumes it's a poverty spec 4pot diesel.

I just really hate the idea of Jaguar as a brand being diluted to the point of being plain old every day cars for anyone.

Maserati is highly desireable because they're not being targetted at a family of 4 towing a caravan with skis on a roofrack, not despite it.

I just believe Jaguar are losing their way a bit and are generalising to the point of becoming indistinguishable from the equally uninspiring competition.

V12 Migaloo

1,116 posts

172 months

Friday 9th November 2012
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Understand your point Jamie, but if Jaguar is to survive then they need to sell and the only way they can do that is to join the "me Too" bandwagon.