1996 Jaguar Xj V12 4dr Sdn 6.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Jaguar Land Rover undergoes $3.2 billion turnaround plan as sales slump

MUMBAI — India's Tata Motors on Wednesday announced a turnaround plan for its luxury car unit Jaguar Land Rover, which has been hit hard by trade tensions between China and the U.S., low demand for diesel cars in Europe and worries over Brexit. Under "Project Charge," Tata Motors said it plans to cut costs and improve cash flows at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) by 2.5 billion pounds ($3.2 billion) over 18 months. JLR also plans to launch several new vehicles, including the Jaguar I-Pace and the new Range Rover Defender over the next few years and will offer a hybrid or full-electric version of all its models by 2020. "Together with our ongoing product offensive and calibrated investment plans, these efforts will lay the foundations for long-term sustainable growth," JLR CEO Ralf Speth said after Tata Motors reported a quarterly loss. JLR has trimmed its pre-tax profit expectations for the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2019, and expects to break even, Speth said, versus an earlier target of profit growth. As part of the turnaround plan, JLR will first focus on cash-saving "quick wins" like reducing non-product investments and speeding up asset sales, Tata Motors said in an investor presentation. In the near term it will improve efficiency in areas including purchasing and material cost, manufacturing, logistics and people, and will focus on strategic and non-core asset sales. JLR has already reduced the number of production days at its UK plants in Castle Bromwich and Solihull. The company said in its presentation it has saved 300 million pounds since it initiated the turnaround plan six weeks ago and is working on 500 ideas for the future. Tata Motors reported a loss of 10.49 billion rupees ($141.9 million) for the July-September quarter, compared with a profit of 24.83 billion rupees in the year-ago period. That was worse than the estimate of a loss of 2.40 billion rupees, according to Refinitiv data. JLR reported a loss of 101 million pounds during the quarter and its margin on earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) fell 130 basis points to 9.9 percent. Retail sales of its Jaguar sedans and Land Rover sport utility vehicles (SUVs) fell 13.2 percent to about 130,000 units, hurt particularly by tariff changes in China and escalating trade tensions. Demand in China remained muted even after the country cut import tariffs for cars and car parts to 15 percent for most vehicles from 25 percent from July.

2021 Jaguar XF P300 Road Test | Still in the game, but now in another league

The Jaguar XF is never the four-door you think of first when it comes to picking a luxury sedan. After all, you’re much more likely to see a BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class or Audi A6 roaming the streets than you are to see JagÂ’s midsize sedan. The numbers back this up, too, as Jaguar sold a middling 748 XFs in the U.S. in 2020. Does that mean this drive in the refreshed 2021 Jaguar XF could be one of our last? Perhaps, and as we pointed out in our first drive of this XF, getting rid of the model would mean the end of the Jaguar sedan. The XE and, most regrettably, the XJ have already met their maker. What a sad day that would be. But that day hasnÂ’t come yet, which means itÂ’s time to take this entry seriously. The specific version that was sent to review is the top-of-the-line Jaguar XF P300 R-Dynamic SE model that starts at $51,145. Even this one is cheaper than what has traditionally been considered its main competitors: the base BMW 530i or Mercedes-Benz E 350. Instead, the Jaguar XF lineup is priced to be in what is clearly a lower sedan segment with the Lexus ES, Acura TLX, Cadillac CT5 and cheaper Genesis G80s. The XF stands a chance on this playing field; on the previous one that flies the German flag? Not so much.  Walking up to the car is enough to deliver our first demerit. It comes in an area that was traditionally JaguarÂ’s strong suit: distinctive design. The XFÂ’s general look hasnÂ’t changed much since the 2016 model year when this generation was introduced, and the mid-cycle refresh didnÂ’t do enough to help. ItÂ’s not a bad-looking car, but JaguarÂ’s taken no chances, and itÂ’s getting boring. That wasn't the case with the original XF, which stood out boldly inside and out. Today's XF doesn't. We'd much rather stare at the slinky new TLX or stately G80. And while the sleek LED tails are a nice new touch, the elimination of its elegant dual exhaust for a hidden exhaust tucked up under the bumper is a step backwards — especially for the uprated and more powerful P300 R-Dynamic trim. 2021 Jaguar XF P300 R-Dynamic View 18 Photos At least output from the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four — the supercharged V6 option is dead, much to our dismay — is more than acceptable for this class, sitting at 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Acceleration is largely emotionless with a small bit of response lag after stepping into the throttle — it does hit 60 mph in 5.8 seconds.

2014 Jaguar XJL AWD 3.0

A bit of British nobility floods the senses when piloting the 2014 Jaguar XJ. It's an emotional rush, a perception based on physical surroundings that influence the mind in much the same manner that a stein of pilsner tastes best when consumed in a German beer garden and no sand is softer than that found on a warm Caribbean beach. Jaguar has been assembling cars for nearly 100 years, and few automakers are as equally adept at capturing aristocracy and timelessness within the rich cabins of their luxury offerings.
Jaguar would have no concern if it were the only game in town, but that's far from the truth. The premium full-size luxury segment, which includes vehicles hovering just under or at the six-figure mark, is a contentious grouping that includes the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Lexus LS, Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Porsche Panamera. Each of those brings its own game to the battle, and none are easy to dismiss.
To better understand the British perspective and evaluate its latest offering on a land without royalty, I recently spent a week with a long-wheelbase, all-wheel-drive Jaguar XJ in Southern California.