Autoblog

Click above for more high-res pics of the Jaguar XF

March 2008 was the first month of sales for the Jaguar XF, and while we haven't seen any around town yet, the Hail Mary sedan from Coventry is selling extremely well... at least by Jaguar standards. The Jaguar brand has consistently been losing sales month over month since we began reporting sales numbers in our By the Numbers posts. In February 2008, the brand sold just 1,063 units. As you've already seen, March 2008 sales numbers have been released, and the XF by itself sold 1,161 units, a number that's sure to grow as the sport sedan penetrates the media and its marketing campaign gets off the ground. Because of the XF's sales performance last month, the brand sold 1,752 units in March 2008, its best performance since July 2006 when it moved 1,997 units. If Jaguar does rebound on the back of the XF, it's too bad Ford won't be around to enjoy the fruits of its investment.


[Source: Jaguar sales numbers]

click above for high-res gallery of the Jaguar XF

The Jaguar XF goes on sale worldwide in the UK, Europe and North America on March 10. A simultaneous debut in multiple markets is reportedly a first for Jaguar, as is this initial heavy demand for a brand new model. Automotive News reports that Jaguar has 10,000 customer deposits in hand for the new Jaguar XF, with 3,000 orders in the U.S. alone. Jaguar, a near constant fixture as Autoblog's Biggest Loser every month in our By The Numbers report of monthly sales figures, sold just 664 cars in the U.S. last month. We bet that come the end of March, it will no longer hold that dubious honor.

We knew demand would be big, as Jaguar dealers reported having to create informal waiting lists for the sports sedan, which will be sold with no mark ups on a first come, first serve basis. The successor to the stylish but slow-selling S-Type, the XF will start at $49,975 and come with a 300-hp V8 as standard. So far it's been a darling of the media, who, like us, claim that it has to be seen in person to appreciate the design. No one knows how many XF sedans Jaguar plans to sell annually, but we've heard estimates of 20,000 and Land Rover has additional production capacity if it's needed.

Seeing an automaker completely reverse its fortunes overnight is a rare sight, but we may witness that happen when the dust settles after March 10th. Thousands of XF sales will in turn mean more sales of the XK to new buyers who just dropped by a dealership to check out that "hot new sedan" everyone's talking about. Jaguar would be well advised to put a rush order on delivering the new XJ to market to complete its lineup's reinvention.


[Source: Automotive News]

click above image for full high-res gallery of the Jaguar XF

Veteran auto journalist Jim Mateja has been poking around Jaguar dealerships to find out how much buzz ixists for the new Jaguar XF. The XF is widely considered a do-or-die car for Jaguar, which sold just 1,061 vehicles last month. Billed as the replacement for the S-Type sedan, it needs to sell well. Doing so would show that Jaguar has at least one life left out of nine to give.

The Jaguar XF goes on sale March 1, 2008, but Mateja reports at KickingTires.net that dealers have already formed waiting lists that are likely longer than the number of units they'll receive when the car launches. Jaguar has also informed its dealers that there will be no mark ups: cars will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. While the brand hasn't revealed how many units it plans to have available at launch, Mateja estimates about 20,000 units sold annually will be their target. That number is based on how many S-Types were sold in that car's first year and is a good benchmark for the success of the XF. If Jaguar did manage to sell 20,000 XFs in 2008, the automaker's numbers overall would certainly go up versus 2007.

So we know there's demand for the XF when it launches next year, but the real question is whether that demand will be sustained after the initial buzz wears off. We think it will, if for no other reason than the XF is a unique vehicle. Its styling is spot on, though needs to be appreciated in person for the full effect, while the interior may set a new standard in simple elegance for the segment. This time next year we'll know if those things add up to a successful launch.

[Source: Kicking Tires]