Difficult times have come for Jaguar. According to the latest results published by the Jaguar Land Rover group, the British manufacturer announced sales for 2022. down 66% from the all-time high of 2018.

The total number of registrations in the period from January to December 2022 was 61661 units, that is, 28.5% less than the volume of 2021 and 40% less than in 2020, which was especially difficult due to the pandemic. To make matters worse, the volume sold last year was a third of the 180,833 Jaguars sold in 2018.

These are the weakest results since 2012, when Jaguar had a narrow and uncompetitive product range. At that time, Jaguar was selling almost 54,000 units per year worldwide.

But how can a brand that offers three relatively modern SUVs, including a 100% electric one, two rather attractive sedans and a handsome GT, lose momentum?

Positioning problem

There are several reasons for this, starting with Jaguar’s positioning in the luxury car segment. Historically, the British firm is known for its massive and elegant sedans and luxury coupes. It was slightly above premium German cars.

But the situation changed when the brand was acquired by Ford in 1999. Jaguar has expanded its offering thanks to American investment, with the Jaguar S-Type for the E segment and the Jaguar X-Type (based on the Ford platform) for the D segment being perfect examples.

Years of Ford (from 1999 to 2008) changed the perception of customers about the English manufacturer. Jaguar was no longer a luxury brand that produced luxury cars. Then came Tata Motors in 2008, which brought in more resources and launched more sophisticated and innovative products.

However, Jaguar found itself at the center of a merciless struggle in the high-end segment, facing very powerful brands such as Mercedes or BMW, which had not previously been its rivals. Jaguar could be what Maserati is to Italy or Porsche to Germany, i.e. just above premium but below the luxury segment of manufacturers like Rolls-Royce or Aston Martin. Instead, its current positioning puts it in a highly competitive segment.

Land Rover, a problem for Jaguar?

Jaguar’s other problem lies with the JLR group itself, because it’s called a Land Rover. Although the British firm has also lost ground in recent years, Land Rover has the advantage of being a true SUV and off-road brand, and is therefore also the reference brand in the group when the customer is looking for an SUV.

At Jaguar, the products are still very much identified around the sedans and coupes of the time, so the customer naturally doesn’t go for a Jaguar SUV when, on the contrary, for almost the same price, and for a newer model, they can have the Rover range.

2025 is the year of renewal

Then one of Jaguar’s main problems, it is also the aging of its range. Jaguar last introduced an all-new production car in March 2018, five years ago when it launched the I-Pace. This is a long time, especially in the high-end segment, and especially when on the Munich or Stuttgart side, we present a new car every six months.

But by 2025, Jaguar should regain momentum with a new line of 100% electric models. Three high-end electric SUVs are in the works, including a “small” model the same size as the Range Rover Evoque, an electric equivalent of the current F-Pace, and finally a very high-end SUV dedicated specifically to the American and Chinese markets.