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F-pace pulls in Jag first-timers

Date: 21 April 2016   |   Author:

Jaguar has claimed that 90% of early customers for its new F-pace SUV are new to the brand, with half coming from other sports-utility vehicles.

The firm also said its latest model is the fastest-selling Jaguar ever, and will become its biggest-selling model worldwide, although the popularity of the compact executive sector in the UK means the XE will still be the top car in the home market.


"F-pace will do XF-ish volume. It won't be up with the XE because we've got real strength with the XE," Jaguar Land Rover's UK boss Jeremy Hicks told BusinessCar, claiming that the car is achieving the targeted 20% share of premium upper medium saloon models. "We set out to achieve one in five of the sector and we have got to that," he said, admitting that the market entry has been helped because "a lot of people held off and waited" for the new model.

"I'm really pleased with the performance and it's not been easily won," Hicks continued. "We have had to work hard to get on choice lists and there has been a lot of banging on doors of large organisations."

Hicks said he has detected a change in attitude towards Jaguar Land Rover, a company previously not very active in the sector compared to premium rivals. "We have no difficulty getting appointments to see people now - people want to sit down and talk to us," he said. "A lot of that has come from a draw from user-choosers wanting to get our car onto choice lists. I'm hearing a lot of anecdotes of that."

Jaguar's UK MD claimed the car is currently supply-constricted thanks to worldwide demand, but that JLR is well-placed to deal with that. "We've had a lot of experience of managing lead times - the Range Rover Evoque is now in its fifth year and we have been managing lead times since then," he said. "The thing with Jaguar is that the car has been so highly anticipated that we have got a level of pent-up demand."

Hicks predicted that once early demand has been sated, the new F-pace will settle down to a fleet ratio of around 40%, with the 180hp 2.0-litre diesel in R-sport trim being the dominant model. He also said there will be some cannibalisation from sister brand Land Rover. "Any company that manages brands that compete in the same demographic will have that," he said. "There are early adopters that look around for something new. They were the people that first went into Evoques and now we have something else to offer them."



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