After years of weak sales because of its aging products, Jaguar is poised for a surge this year following the arrival of its new XE midsize sedan and updated large premium XF. The brand’s first crossovers will follow as Jaguar accelerates its efforts to increase sales to business customers and win buyers from BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Jaguar Land Rover’s global head of sales, Andy Goss, spoke about the challenges ahead with Automotive News Europe Correspondent Nick Gibbs.
What is the scale of opportunity for Jaguar this year?
Jaguar comes back as a tour de force in 2015. It’s the year of the Jaguar. We have invested a significant amount of money and we have a phenomenal model cadence going forward, starting with the XE. The Jaguar brand also spearheads Jaguar Land Rover’s real entry into the corporate market. We have been retail based, so our first goal is to get a similar share in the corporate market as in the retail market.
Jaguar Land Rover aims to double vehicle sales to 850,000 by 2020. What percentage will be Jaguars?
It will not be half but it will be a significant increase. Jaguar has massive headroom for growth. We have been selling 70,000 to 80,000 vehicles a year in the past couple of years. Now we are moving into white-space areas of the market with the XE taking on the BMW 3 series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C class. Other vehicles will follow.