Jaguar drops price for younger buyer appeal

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