Cars and Drivers

Jaguar Continues to Fail in US Market

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: December 29, 2015 6:27 am

Last Updated: January 13, 2020 3:38 pm

Jaguar sold 1,065 cars in the United States during November, down 15% from the same month of last year. For the first 11 months, sales were off 5.8% to 13,269. In the luxury end of the American car market, Jaguar has been the most visible failure.

As a contrast to Jaguar’s lack of success, luxury market leader Mercedes had sales of 335,246 up 5.1%, in the first 11 months. BMW followed close with sales of 311,398 for the same period, up 4.4% year on year.

One of Jaguar’s problems is a lack of models. Jaguar has four: the XE, XF, XJ and F-Type. These will be joined by the F-Pace SUV next year. The XE, with a starting price of $34,900, is in one of the most competitive parts of the market. These cars are meant to bring in younger drivers by offering a low price point. BMW, Mercedes, Audi and even Cadillac also have models at this level. Put another way, the field is crowded.

The XF, with a base price of $51,900, and XJ at $74,400 are also in parts of the luxury market with several competitors. The XF’s four-wheel-drive model and advanced electronics have nothing distinctive that is not offered by other cars in its class. Its highest end horsepower car does not have an engine any more powerful or efficient than any other.
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The flagship F-Type has been described as one of the best luxury sports coupes in the world. However, its sales are so modest that they cannot pull the overall brand out of its ditch:

For Jaguar, sales hit 1,065 units, down 15 percent for the month. The growth leader in November was the Jaguar F-TYPE which has it best November sales month with 432 units sold, up 15 percent versus 377 in November 2014.

Mercedes sells 400 cars in a few hours.