XF below $100K

The Jaguar XF has been a notable success story for the prestige importer in Australia.

In year-to-date sales, the mid-sized Jag has outsold the Lexus GS and is within range of Audi's A6, according to VFACTS. The Jaguar even outsold the A6 in June by 16 cars. And BMW's 5 Series is not that far ahead of the Jag either.

But Jaguar won't be satisfied with all that. There's more hay to be made in the post-GFC sunshine and now the company is introducing a slightly lower-spec model based on the entry-level XF.

"We now have six-figure luxury at a five-figure price," said Kevin Goult, the local General Manager for the brand, during the launch of the new XJ flagship in Australia.

The new model is priced at $93,900 (manufacturer's list price, not including on-road costs and pre-delivery charge) and retains satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and leather trim.

"[It is] the first time that we will be representing the XF as a sub-$100,000 product," Goult continued.

"We rolled this [model] out as part of our 75th anniversary activity... being retailed as of this month."

Goult describes the changes to the new vehicle as "minor feature tweaks" to distinguish the $93,900 car from the on-going XF 3.0-litre V6 Luxury, priced at $105,990.

This will ensure that those buyers who have purchased an XF Luxury at $105,990 shouldn't see any erosion of their car's resale value from the introduction of the new model, which is to be known as the XF 3.0-litre V6 (with the 'Luxury' tag dropped).

These changes include: downgrade of 10-way adjustable seats to eight-way adjustment, 17-inch wheels in lieu of 18-inch wheels, no keyless start, no reversing camera and no bi-xenon headlights.

The XF Diesel S is renamed XF 3.0-litre Diesel S Luxury, to highlight its approximation to the equipment level of the 3.0-litre V6 Luxury (petrol) model.

Goult is unsure whether the new entry-level variant will be merely a limited edition model to mark the company's 75th anniversary this year. It may be an on-going model in the range and could change the sales split of diesel-to-petrol models in the XF range -- currently estimated by Goult to be 40:60, respectively. With the lower-priced petrol model now on offer, buyers may be swayed by the purchase price to forego the diesel.

In other news, Jaguar has sold its last X-Type in Australia. The retro-look car, based on the platform of Ford's Mondeo II, has proved consistently popular in this country, driving former Jaguar GM, Chris Lidis, to buy up what remained of X-Type supply ahead of the model's manufacturing cessation.

Jaguar Australia Marketing and Public Affairs Manager, Mark Eedle, told the Carsales Network that the last Aussie-delivered X-Type was sold in June and there'll be no more stock forthcoming. Eedle says that it's Jaguar policy not to discuss future product and couldn't say whether there will be a successor to the X-Type down the track.

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