SYDNEY: British car brand Jaguar is cutting its six-figure price
tag for a head-to-head battle with its German rivals in Australia.
Long associated with status and exclusivity, which has kept it out of
reach of a sizeable share of the local market, Jaguar is now looking to
expand its appeal, especially among younger car drivers.
Jaguar is gearing up for the October 1 launch of its X-Type model, a
compact sports saloon, which will see it battle it out with BMW's
3-series, Mercedes-Benz' C-Class and the Audi A4.
Retailing at under A$70,000 (US$37,000) - almost $20,000 less than the cheapest Jaguar model on the market - the X-Type is
targeted at "thirtysomething professionals", a generation away from the
typical 50-year-old Jaguar customer.
Industry observers have raised the possibility that the strategy could
damage the brand's status. "That is something we thought about, but I'm
not too concerned about it. The quality is still there," said Jaguar
Australia managing director Danny Rezek.
Jaguar, which will launch its ad campaign in the coming weeks, has
already contacted prospective customers by direct mail and email. J.
Walter Thompson is tailoring the campaign to a younger audience,
emphasising the sexy elements of the brand.
