New Jaguar XF to launch this September.

Jaguar India is gearing up to launch the second-generation XF sedan in India sometime this month. The launch of the XF will precede that of the F-Pace SUV, which was earlier slated to launch first but will now roll out in October.

The British carmaker, which launched the XE at the Auto Expo 2016, is keen to bring its new line-up to the Indian market in a bid to gain ground in the luxury vehicle segment which is currently dominated by the German makers.

The XF will be launched with two engine options, including the new 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel from Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) Ingenium family. While the 2.0 unit is available in two power outputs, the India car will get the 180hp version. The sedan will also come with 2.0-litre petrol engine, which produces 240hp and 340Nm of torque. An eight-speed automatic gearbox will send power to the rear wheels.

The entry of the Ingenium diesel engine in India is significant as it paves the way for its introduction on the Jaguar XE as well as on models like the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque, which still use the company’s old 2.2-litre diesel engines. Notably, JLR was amongst the manufacturers worst hit by the now-discontinued ban on vehicles with diesel engines over 2,000cc. The Ingenium engine’s 1,999cc will help keep the XF out of the purview of any similar ban in the future or the current 1 percent cess.

The XF, Jaguar’s rival to the Audi A6, BMW 5-series and Merc E-class will be available in three trims – Pure, Prestige and Portfolio. While the car gets the latest Ingenium diesel in all three variants, the option of the petrol motor will only be offered in the 'Prestige' and ‘Portfolio’ trims.

Jaguar will also provide ‘Jaguar Drive Control’, which allows you to select between four driving modes namely, Standard, Eco, Dynamic or Rain/Ice/Snow mode. The modes alter the way the steering, throttle and the gearbox work. Other features include an up to 10.2-inch touchscreen, bi-functional xenon headlamps and 14-way adjustable electric front seats, according to trim levels.

Talking about the F-Pace, it's Jaguar's first-ever SUV, and interestingly, the company's fastest-selling car globally in its 94-year old history. When it is launched in October, the F-Pace will be initially sold with a choice of two diesel engine options. A 300hp 3.0-litre V6 motor will be the range-topper, though the engine that will bring in the sales will be the 2.0-litre diesel Ingenium, which will be shared with the XF. From early 2017 onwards, the F-Pace will also be sold with a 240hp 2.0-litre petrol engine. All the models will get all-wheel drive and feature an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The F-Pace will be available in three trims – Pure, Prestige and R-Sport with only the R-Sport featuring the 3.0-litre motor. There will also be a limited-run ‘First Edition’ model at launch that, again, will only be offered with the 3.0 diesel engine.

MARKET POSITIONING

The SUV will cost between Rs 67 lakh – Rs 1.1 crore; a lot more expensive than similar- sized rivals such as the Q5 and more in the Porsche Macan price range. In fact, the F-Pace could also go up against Evoque from sister brand Land Rover. However, Jaguar India isn't perturbed by the possible overlap between the two models, and is confident that both the SUVs will carve a niche for themselves in the market.

"This has always been there in everybody’s minds, right from the start when these products had been designed, engineered, when marketing sees it, these questions always come up. To my mind there will be some impact – there will be a little bit of cross pollination," Rohit Suri, president of JLR India told Autocar India. "But these products are so strong, both Evoque as well as the F-Pace will be able to attract customers on their own strength. There will be a few that we will lose from one to the other, maybe from Land Rover side to this and from this side to that side, but I think there will be a minimal impact," he added.

Both the Jaguar XF and the F-Pace will be priced on the higher side upon launch since they will be imported in India as completely built units (CBUs) as opposed to their locally assembled German rivals. Talking about the cost efficiency, Suri said, "I don’t think from that sense (lack of CKD) there is any disadvantage. We have Tata in India at least. However, Jaguar and Land Rover are late entrants into this arena. Its products were not being exported out of or not being made anywhere else other than the UK maybe five to six years back."

"India was one of the first countries where they actually started, with the Freelander, making a product outside the UK... We are further evolving as far as local assembly is concerned. But the capability is definitely there," Suri added.

The carmaker has a market share of nine percent in the luxury segment in India, which has German carmaker Mercedes-Benz India at the top. Earlier this year, Jaguar Land Rover announced that it has registered sales of over 1,000 units in the first three months of 2016, up 45 percent on year.