Mumbai: Luxury car manufacturer Jaguar launched its latest model, F-Type today, priced at Rs 1.37 crore (the V8S version is priced at Rs 1.61 crore). The luxury cabriolet (automatic roof) is a first-of-its-kind Jaguar and among the few offered by luxury automakers in India.
Despite the steep price tag, atleast three buyers have confirmed bookings for the F-Type even before the car got officially launched. Since the sports car will be fully built in England before being shipped, consumers will have to wait for five months to get delivery. The waiting period will increase if buyers choose to customise the car.
However, the idea for JLR is not to eke out huge numbers from the luxurious Jaguar F-Type. The model, instead, will act as the crowd-puller, showcasing Jaguars engineering prowess and capabilities.
Mr.Rohit Suri,vice president,jaguar & land rover India, Mr. Matthew Beaven, chief designer, at the “jaguar f-type ” where present for the sports car launch.
Rohit Suri, vice president, Jaguar & Land Rover India, says, “The Jaguar F-Type is going to enhance the appeal of the brand in India. It is going to be the halo-effect car for the brand”.“While the automobile industry in India is not doing too great overall, Jaguar is having a fantastic run,” he added.
Without providing specific figures, Mr. Suri said that Jaguars sales in the first quarter of the current fiscal ending June 2013 were up 68 per cent. This was driven by the locally-assembled Jaguar XF 2.2 litre diesel sedan.
Two variants of F-Type will be available in India: The F-Type S (top speed of 275kmph) and the F-Type V8S (top speed of 300kmph). They are powered by the new 3.0 litre V6 supercharged petrol engine developing peak power of 380PS, and 5.0 litre V8 supercharged petrol engine producing 495PS, respectively.
The company is intent on strengthening the JLR brands to make way for more affordable models in the coming years. JLR is working on new models including a “baby Jaguar” and compact Land Rovers that will allow it to compete with models from BMW, Mercedes or Audi.
