New pricing, facelifts repower Jaguar
In the middle of last year $116,990 was what it cost to buy the least expensive Jaguar in New Zealand. Now it’s $90,000 – and prices of all other Jags have been aligned downwards too, as Rob Maetzig reports.
Last year was a slow 12 months for Jaguar New Zealand. The luxury marque sold a mere 45 vehicles, and the primary reason was because customers knew a facelifted XF sedan was on the way – and the XF is by far the biggest-selling model here.
But 2012 looks set to be a better year. Last month, 19 Jaguars were sold, and the company is confident it’ll sell more cars in the first three months of this year than it did in the whole of last year.
Why? One obvious reason is because the facelifted XF has arrived, and another is because the range includes a 2.2-litre turbodiesel version that retails for $90,000.
Also the new asking price for last year’s entry mode, a 3.0-litre V6 model, is $95,000, down from$116,990.
In fact, the entire Jaguar fleet has had its retail prices move downwards in a massive pricing shift – particularly considering many of the models have also had thousands of dollars worth of new specification added.
A major reason for the price drop is the strength of the New Zealand dollar, said Jaguar NZ’S brand manager, Paul Ricketts, last week.
‘‘We were in negotiations with the factory for some time to get the prices down, and the big move in the value of the Kiwi dollar was a major help.’’
Jaguar is planning to invest £1.5 billion (NZ$2.8B) a year over the next five years developing new product. As a result the model lineup is expected to expand from three models – XF, XJ and XK – to eight. These are expected to include an SUV and a compact sedan that will compete against the likes of BMW 3-Series and Audi A4.
‘‘So we think things are going to be good for Jaguar,’’ Ricketts said.
What is special about the 2012 range is the fact the 2.2-litre diesel Luxury model has been added to the XF range and that it has entered the market for $90,000.
That’s tremendously good value for a mid-sized European luxury sedan that comes standard with full leather upholstery, electric adjustment of the front seats and steering column, xenon headlights, keyless entry and start, satellite navigation, rain-sensing wipers, rear parking aid, six airbags, and traction and stability control.
The car also has Bluetooth, a DVD player with ipodm, MP3 player and USB port, and a 400-watt sound system with 10 speakers.
But the most important thing about this XF could well be its four-cylinder 2.2-litre turbo diesel, a unit which offers 140 kilowatts of power and 450 Newton metres of torque.
Ricketts described it as Jaguar’s mostfuel-efficient engine. It’s been specially tuned for the XF application, and it can carry the car to 100kmh in 8.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 225kmh, yet carries an official combined fuel economy of just 5.4 litres per 100 kilometres, almost half the fuel use of the 3.0-litre V6 petrol model.
Like all diesel models in the facelifted XF range, the engine is mated to a new eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, replacing the old six-speeder. This new transmission is a beauty, with a wider spread of ratios, the ability to downshift in just 200 milliseconds, and an intelligent stop-start system that disengages Drive whenever it is stationary, helping achieve an estimated 7 per cent saving in fuel consumption.
There are two other diesels in the facelifted XF range, both of 3.0-litres capacity.
One version, which carries the same Luxury level of specification, offers 177 kw and 500 Nm and retails for $100,000, while an S version comes with 202kw and 600Nm and is priced at $115,000.
The S looks to be a very good buy. Performance is huge – what else can you expect with 600 Newton metres of torque? – and thankfully it gets adaptive dynamic suspension, a performance brakes package with larger front discs fitted inside 19-inch wheels, and an aerodynamic package that also gives it a sportier look.
Meanwhile, the 175 kw 3.0-litre V6 petrol model, which also has the Luxury specification, costs $95,000; a naturally aspired 283 kw 5.0-litre V8 version has a price tag of $125,000 with 20-inch alloys.
Flagship of the XF range is the XFR with its 375kw/625 Nm supercharged V8, which now costs $170,000 instead of last year’s $209,990.
Other models have also had their prices reduced. The XJ range now starts at $155,000 – it was $174,500 – for the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 model, and the range goes upwards to $285,000 for the 375kw Supersport V8.
Meanwhile, the XK coupe and convertible has improved specification for 2012 and sees the introduction of a new range-topping XKR-S. All models have thinner xenon headlights and LED running lights and turn signals, and there is a larger grille and new front bumper.
The XK range starts with the Portfolio, which costs $175,000 for the coupe and $190,000 for the convertible, which now has new soft-grain leather upholstery, heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheel, suede headlining, and an eightspeaker 525-watt sound system. Both models also have adaptive dynamic suspension, sequential shift with steering column paddles, and a 285kw 5.0-litre V8.
The XKR comes with the 375 kw/ 625Nm supercharged version of the V8, and added features include an active differential, performance brakes, and quad tailpipes. This model now retails for $195,000 and $210,000 for the coupe and convertible.
Finally there’s the stonking XKR-S with its 5.0-litre supercharged V8 that produces 412kw and 680Nm, which enables it to sprint to 100kmh in just 4.4 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 300kmh. The convertible version has its own ‘‘active’’ exhaust system. This convertible retails for $275,000 while the coupe costs $260,000.