- The C-X17 will spearhead new 'family' of smaller and cheaper luxury cars
- It is the first of Jaguar's SUVs aimed specifically at 'school-run mums'
- It will be built in the firm's plant in Solihull, creating thousands of UK jobs
- It is linked to wi-fi, so passengers can check Facebook, Twitter on the go
But Jaguar these days has a very different target market in mind.
Yesterday it unveiled its new ‘Chelsea Tractor’, a sleek off-roader intended to attract women customers – and not least the school run mum.
At a cost of £38,000, the C-X17 will spearhead a new 'family' of smaller and more affordable luxury cars while creating thousands of jobs in Britain.
'Head of the family': The Jaguar C-X17 will
spearhead a new 'family' of smaller and more affordable luxury cars that
will create thousands of jobs in Britain
Jaguar says the sleek family off-roader is aimed primarily at 'school-run mums' and younger, more cosmopolitan drivers in a direct challenge to BMW’s market-leading 3-series.
The car is furnished with a host of state-of-the-art technologies and is even linked in to social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, allowing passengers to stay connected on the move, 'flicking' information from seat to seat.
Delivering top speeds of up to 186mph while keeping C02 emissions to under 100g/km, the C-X17 promises sports-car performance and real-world practicality and is to be built using a radical new all-aluminium manufacturing system.
Though best known for its large luxury saloons such as the XJ, used by Prime Minister David Cameron, or its roaring sports cars like the XK and F-Type range, Jaguar says its dramatic leap into new markets will allow a massive increase in production by creating a new series of smaller spin-off cars designed to take on German rivals such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
'It has a seductive design which we think will appeal to women,' said Jaguar’s design director Ian Callum. 'A high proportion of our customers already are women. If it appeals to school run mums, that’s great. But we also think it will be a car that everyone will want. It’s every inch a Jaguar. It’s got to be.'
Experts say it will put parent company Jaguar Land Rover on track to more than doubling its current production, which stands at around 750,000 vehicles a year.
Keep connected: It's even linked in to social
network sites such as Facebook and Twitter to allow passengers to stay
connected on the move, 'flicking' information from the front seat to the
back
Mum's choice: The sleek family off-roader is set
to be a firm favourite with school-run mums and will feature a new
generation of super-efficient 'green' engines
It will be just one of a new line of cars – all based around the same hi-tech aluminium chassis, almost all of it made from recycled metal.
However, the very first model off the line will be a high volume 'baby Jaguar saloon car' to be built at its Solihull factory in Birmingham from 2015.
The new cars will be powered by a new generation of frugal 'green' 2.0 litre, 4-cylinder petrol and diesel engines to be built from 2015 at Jaguar Land Rover’s brand new £355million engine plant now under construction in Wolverhampton.
But for blistering performance there will also be the choice of the existing 3.0-litre V6 used in the new Jaguar F-Type sports car.
Jaguar said: 'The first car in the new segment will be a new saloon which will be produced at an all-new, ultra high-tech production facility at Solihull, creating new jobs and substantial opportunities for suppliers.'
The firm went on: 'The new system will be "scalable" making it possible to produce a wide range of models off the same basic single-cell aluminium chassis.
Prototype: A prototype of the new four-door Jaguar SUV was unveiled on the eve of the Frankfurt motor show in Germany
Cosmopolitan: Priced from around £38,000, Jaguar
bosses said the new car would help woo more women customers, as well as
younger and cosmopolitan buyers
But for blistering performance there will also be the choice of the existing 3.0-litre V6 used in the new Jaguar F-Type sports car.
Jaguar said: 'The first car in the new segment will be a new saloon which will be produced at an all-new, ultra high-tech production facility at Solihull, creating new jobs and substantial opportunities for suppliers.'
The firm went on: 'The new system will be "scalable" making it possible to produce a wide range of models off the same basic single-cell aluminium chassis.
'It means Jaguar designers and engineers can apply the philosophy, "anything we can imagine we can deliver."
‘It will allow Jaguar to move into higher volume production without compromising the unique character, breath-taking design, outstanding vehicle dynamics, performance and luxury for which Jaguar is famous.
‘The flexibility of the new architecture will enable the manufacture of different products on the same production line at the same time.’
High tech: It allows the vehicle occupants to
Its wifi network and console will allow users to upload pictures, video
and sound files from their mobile devices and share the with their
fellow passengers, as well as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other
social media channels
The new system will be ‘scalable’ making it
possible to produce a wide range of models off the same basic
single-cell aluminium chassis
It means the company can respond quickly to changing demand for the different model variants.
It mixes sensuous feline curves, with strong muscular haunches and a masculine grille: ’Its low height, optimised centre of gravity, and lightweight all aluminium body endow it with superior car-like driving dynamics and a level of agility that would make it quite at home on the fastest roads.’
Of its new on-board wi-fi network and console that allows occupants to keep in touch with each other and the outside via social networking, the company said: ’It allows the vehicle occupants to upload pictures, video and sound files from their mobile devices and share the with their fellow passengers, as well as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media channels: ‘Information can be ‘flicked’ forwards and rearwards between passengers.’
However road safety experts may raise an eyebrow if the driver is ‘tweeting’ or updating his or her Facebook while driving.
Nissan meanwhile is unveiling its own British-built crossover rival – the new upmarket Infiniti Q30, which will be built at the firm’s UK factory at Sunderland which is preparing to crank up production for it and the new Note.
Business Minister Michael Fallon, who is attending the Frankfurt show, welcomed the Jaguar Land Rover announcement. He said: ‘It’s a great boost for jobs, investment and new models. British car-makers are flying the flag in Germany. We have our towels on their sun-loungers.’
Mike Hawes, chief executive of Britain’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said: ’The UK automotive industry is in its strongest position for many years, a fact perfectly illustrated by today’s announcement for new Jaguar cars which will be made in the UK.’
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