Jaguar: We need a BMW 1 Series rival

Jaguar needs to launch smaller compact cars and saloons if it's to become a true rival to the holy trinity of German brands.

At least that's the view of the manufacturer's head of global product marketing, Steven De Ploey. Speaking openly to AOL Cars at the launch of the Jaguar F-Type, he explained that now the halo model is here, Jaguar needs to lower its sights.
"We need to drag the brand downwards to the smaller segments," said De Ploey. "But it needs to be done in the right way - a way that opens up Jaguar to even more people.

"Yes we need smaller cars but if it's done before buyers are ready it won't be accepted. You only have to look at Aston Martin and the Cygnet for an example of that."

De Ploey admitted it wasn't ideal that Jaguar lacked a rival to the German brands' premium small cars - like the BMW 1 Series, Audi A3 and Mercedes A-Class - but said he thinks it "makes sense" for Jaguar to launch smaller cars in this space at "the right time".

"We also need a rival in the saloon car sector - 3 Series sized - as this is where the volume is. But it needs to be done in the right way with the right Jaguar DNA running through it," he added.

"That takes time. First we have to have the halo models like the F-Type that drag the age of buyers downwards and then we can look at other opportunities once we've achieved that."

Jaguar global brand director Adrian Hallmark told AOL Cars that the F-Type will "definitely" bring down the average age of buyers. "It'll move from around 50 years old to closer to 40," he explained.

Hallmark also revealed that it wouldn't take much for Jaguar to make major strides forward in the premium sector. Currently Audi is 25 times bigger, BMW 30 times and Mercedes 32 times larger than Jaguar globally.

"When I reveal those figures it is always met with shock," said Hallmark. "But it demonstrates that Jaguar doesn't have to move too far to really make a difference. We want to make products like Apple that buyers don't just like, they want to lick - and I think we've achieved that with the F-Type."

Despite holding the F-Type launch at the weekend, the first drive reports for the car are embargoed until Wednesday. Return to AOL Cars then to find out exactly what we think of the most important Jaguar in 50 years.

Until then, you can test Jaguar's claim that you'll want to lick the F-Type, by checking out these new pictures below.

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