JLR - where next?

[Lunar]

The result of a small company stretching itself too thinly perhaps?

8 SUV options is it? (E/F/IPace + RR / RR Sport / Evoque / Disco / Disco Sport)

Better quality of "premium" product and dealership should be their focus.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/business-48306173

[simpleR]

From bbc.

Nice exchange in the Tata Motors media conference. The board were asked if there was any truth to rumours Tata is planning to sell a stake in Jaguar Land Rover.

A board member said: "Every two weeks this comes out. Every two weeks we make the same comment. There is no truth to these rumours. We do not comment on speculation."

Journalist: "That’s why I’m not asking about speculation, I’m asking a specific question. Are you looking for a stake sale?"

Board member: "I said no."

[santoshlv426]

I"ve had a look at their historic rival - Aston Martin. Their profits and 5 year share price look none the better. From a profit perspective, they're still in the red.
The British marques have had it tough and definitely incomparable to the German's.
I don't like the German cars for the same reason that's made them profitable - there's just too many and it's like commodities.

[Lunar]

Indeed - makes it something of a conundrum.

I want an individual car, with personality, not a clinical A to B commodity - but I also (quite reasonably) expect reliable support and a good ownership experience. It seems it's not easy to do that and be profitable in a market where development costs mean that shifting metal has to be a priority.

I wonder what the sales rates are on the XJ lately...

And it's a sign of the times that recent adverts have sold cars based on free music subscription and up to 13 "driver safety" aids. Whilst they may have their place I'm not convinced, as people then rely on them instead of taking responsibility for checking carefully themselves.

We all know how quickly tech. becomes "redundant" because there's something newer and flashier to do the same job - I do wonder who will be buying some of these cars with multi-touch screens and software once they're a few years old.

[scharlton]

Copied from the trade press......

MUMBAI -- Jaguar Land Rover reported its first profit in four quarters to raise optimism that the struggling UK automaker is on the mend.
Net income was 119 million pounds ($151.6 million) in the three months ended March, while profit before tax, excluding exceptional items, was 269 million pounds. JLR made a loss of 3.6 billion loss for the full year to March after a large writedown in the third quarter.

While the latest results are encouraging for JLR, its struggles in China persist as sales tumbled 46 percent in April, raising questions as to how long the Indian parent will hang on to what was once its crown jewel. Reports have said that JLR owner Tata Group is exploring strategic options for the luxury brand, including a potential sale to PSA Group.

China should return to growth "a quarter from now," Tata Motors' Chief Financial Officer P.B. Balaji told reporters in Mumbai, reiterating the Indian company was not looking to sell its luxury cars unit. Jaguar Land Rover is not the only automaker suffering in China where the market is going through its longest slump in a generation but the company faces other challenges. JLR is particularly vulnerable to the shift away from combustion and diesel engines, and its strong historic links to the UK have fueled concern over what a disruptive Brexit could bring.

JLR has also been struggling with quality problems. A J.D. Power U.S. survey of 31 brands in June 2018 put them in the bottom two slots. Jaguar had 148 problems per 100 vehicles and Land Rover racked up a dizzying 160. Top-ranked Genesis, the luxury brand of Hyundai, had 68.

Maybe the leaping jaguar will be replaced by the PSA lion!

[scm]

I don't like the German cars for the same reason that's made them profitable - there's just too many and it's like commodities.

You didn't mention how ugly and boring they are ...

[scm]

JLR has also been struggling with quality problems. A J.D. Power U.S. survey of 31 brands in June 2018 put them in the bottom two slots. Jaguar had 148 problems per 100 vehicles and Land Rover racked up a dizzying 160. Top-ranked Genesis, the luxury brand of Hyundai, had 68.

I don't understand this - I'm on my fourth Jaguar and all have been very reliable. The only one that let me down badly was a 2004 XKR which burst an oil pipe at 90,000 miles which resulted in it dumping its engine oil on the road outside my house. When the pipe was repaired and the engine refilled, much to my independent mechanic's amazement, it ran sweetly with no adverse effects noticeable. Apart from that, a new expansion tank for my 2001 XK8 (a known weakness) and a wiring fault fixed under warranty on my 2010 XKR and that's it. No issues with the F-Type thus far. Biggest costs are fuel and tyres, obviously!

[DarkLumen]

I think the F-type is a bad example for reliability, a flagship car which typically does low mileage. I had the XE for a couple of years and in that time it went in for repairs 4 times, all warranty or recall issues. I will take my F-type back for a rattle at service I just drown it out with the loud peddle at the moment

[cj10jeeper]

I think it's likely we'll all be driving PSA Jaguars in a few months. I'll not be wanting the F Type 'Cactus'
Tata clearly struggling. Jaguar profits out the window, heavy write downs on recent redundancies, loss of critical market sales in China and USA, late to the game on move from diesel to petrol and now late to electric.

Reliability is poor for a prestige make. LR are simply appalling. JD Powers is a tough one because of expectations. Same happened years ago when Skoda was top as buyers went cheap and were delighted the car actually worked well, meanwhile top brands like Merc, BMW were slated as people expected perfection and didn't get it from car or dealers, so downranked them. You buy a JLR and expect really good and you don't get it

Don't get me wrong I love them, but after a good run the truth of lack of scale in a global market means they will struggle to survive as relative small scale independents

[santoshlv426]

Guys, let's consider this. From a reliability perspective. JLR is a relatively niche brand, hence the number of cars on the road (statistical sample size) is less than others, meaning an amplification in either good or bad experiences.

Jaguar will have 20 complaint's. IF the number of cars on the road is 100, that's 20%.
Mercedes will have 20, but the number on the road is 1000, that's 2%.

I don't believe we're comparing like with like. JLR has made immense strides in the past 10 years, probably equaled by no other manufacturer and why it's not used as a case study in MBA courses is beyond me.

Look at the I Pace. How does a struggling manufacturer bring out such a ground breaking car and without the financial muscle of BMW, Mercedes or VW.
It's a niche brand not catering to all tastes hence the dilemma. BMW has 15 models from the 1 Series to the X7 !! That's staggering !
Not to mention that the BMW's and Mercedes Benz's of late are Fugly.

Anyway, I'm not giving up the F Type as long as there's support.

We are all experiencing the same in the UK and here in South Africa as global identity means it's a single global brand and from a dealership perspective, JLR has the best and classiest dealership's in South Africa.