RE: Jaguar abandons lightweight chassis
Discussion
los angeles said:
Sad. Another wrong move imposed by Ford? Drove an X-Type recently, great chassis, crap colour scheme, cramped, old-fashioned, mock-Jaguar interior; could bearly tell it from any other average saloon. What's the point in buying Jaguar if it isn't significantly better than the chassis it shares with other marques? Buyers have to see the difference.
Exactly, if you want say a mid-sized 2 litre diesel. You can choose between a mondeo, an s/v40 or an X-type and no matter what the Volvo or Jag dealer tell you, they're all using the same engine and apart from the badge a very similar car. I really fancied getting an X-type, but to spec it up to the same level as the mondeo would cost a silly amount of money.
As others have said, Jag should look to be a more exclusive brand. If they want to produce an X-type style car, then make it read wheel drive and much more special than a mondeo. I reckon they should do a facelifed version and make an R version and if at all possible, get the 2.7 diesel engine in it, that should spice up the range a bit.
Jaguar needs to perform an Audi type exercise on it's brand.
All brands are going to be forced to place added focus on the benefits of light weight and fuel economy. That doesn't mean increasing the fule economy of their engines so much as reducing the weight of the cars themselves.
Performance can still be achieved.
Future development should be focussed on this.
How else do you justify your expensive purchase to the better half!!!! Think of the money it will save us in fuel costs!!!!
All brands are going to be forced to place added focus on the benefits of light weight and fuel economy. That doesn't mean increasing the fule economy of their engines so much as reducing the weight of the cars themselves.
Performance can still be achieved.
Future development should be focussed on this.
How else do you justify your expensive purchase to the better half!!!! Think of the money it will save us in fuel costs!!!!
I visited the S-type production line at Castle Bromwich this summer. The following things struck me:
Current S-type production is an odd mix of very modern and very traditional. There are two impressive multi-task robots that build a complete bonnet and the whole monocoque is built by robots. Then there are four blokes spotwelding each of the four doors together and the mating of drivetrain and body and all final assembly of the interior is done completely by hand. It all gave the distinct impression of high production costs and underinvestment.
Most of the other people on the factory tour were Jaguar clients who'd come to see their car being built - and they were ancient. I believe that's where a large part of Jaguar's problems lie: its consumer base is dying out. The X-type was a valiant effort to draw in a younger crowd, but many comments in this thread show it has failed in that.
Saying you're going after Porsche won't do much good. Porsche has its own market, it's way ahead of Jaguar and most of the Porsche crowd are way too snobbish to be seen in a Jag anyway.
I believe Jaguar needs to cut costs, lower its prices and be original. There are still many good, innovative designers and engineers in the British car industry - FoMoCo should have the guts to let them come up with something truly revolutionary. Much in the way William Lyons used to do. After all, that's what made Jaguar great.
Current S-type production is an odd mix of very modern and very traditional. There are two impressive multi-task robots that build a complete bonnet and the whole monocoque is built by robots. Then there are four blokes spotwelding each of the four doors together and the mating of drivetrain and body and all final assembly of the interior is done completely by hand. It all gave the distinct impression of high production costs and underinvestment.
Most of the other people on the factory tour were Jaguar clients who'd come to see their car being built - and they were ancient. I believe that's where a large part of Jaguar's problems lie: its consumer base is dying out. The X-type was a valiant effort to draw in a younger crowd, but many comments in this thread show it has failed in that.
Saying you're going after Porsche won't do much good. Porsche has its own market, it's way ahead of Jaguar and most of the Porsche crowd are way too snobbish to be seen in a Jag anyway.
I believe Jaguar needs to cut costs, lower its prices and be original. There are still many good, innovative designers and engineers in the British car industry - FoMoCo should have the guts to let them come up with something truly revolutionary. Much in the way William Lyons used to do. After all, that's what made Jaguar great.
JagLover said:
Bad news
I was looking forward to the new S type to gain the benefit of the all aluminium construction in a car of smaller dimensions than the XJ.
Not just that, dissimilar metal construction to that extent??? can't remember what way the electrons flow but it's BAD news. Yes, I don't trust them to get it right.
MoJo.
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