It’s no secret the global launch of the all-new Jaguar XE this week is likely to go down as one of the most critical events in the company’s 80-year history.
Not only is the XE’s success hugely important if Jaguar is to achieve critical mass with its worldwide production volumes, it’s also intrinsically tied to the brand’s very viability.
Make no mistake; you’re looking at Jaguar’s future top-selling model, boasting a platform that will underpin a succession of the brand’s upcoming cars.
Success won’t come easy. Jaguar has a ‘David and Goliath’ fight on its hands with three hugely successful German marques primed to block the niche Brit player from taking a slice of what is a massively lucrative segment.
For decades, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have controlled this end of the prestige spectrum. Japanese brand Lexus is in there too, peddling luxury and service, but it’s the Bavarian brands that have continued to rule this market with a succession of outstanding cars.
And so the XE is Jaguar’s contender in a looming five-way battle for the all-important volume end of the luxury segment against the Audi A4, BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class – all of which offer high-value cachet and superb engineering.
