Success can sometimes be a curse. jaguar Land Rover (JLR), owned by the Indian Tata Group for more than six years, is doing better than ever. The British celebrate one record year after the next. Sales have more than doubled since 2009. The brand has no "rotten egg" in the nest. All models, whether limousines, SUVs or sports cars, are well received by customers. The design is right, the image is right, the technology is right. And yet JLR has a problem: to create the CO2021 fleet emissions required by Brussels in 2. Otherwise there is a risk of severe penalties and the associated loss of image. For every gram of CO2 too much, the EU has threatened manufacturers with a fine of 95 euros. What may sound like little at first can add up to considerable amounts of tens of millions of euros.
For a long time, both traditional brands could comfortably cover themselves as so-called niche manufacturers. But now, with over 500.000 units produced annually, puppy protection is over. The 95-gram rule also applies to JLR, which may deviate a few grams more due to the larger weight classes in which most models are used. But even 102 or 105 g / km are currently light years away from today's fleet value (165 g / km). Only one vehicle, the Jaguar XE with the 163 hp entry-level diesel, reaches 99 g / km. Commendable. An XJR with a V8 supercharger and 550 hp at 264 g / km is responsible for this. The spread is similar for Land Rover. It ranges from 113 g / km (Evoque) to the large Range Rover with 299 g / km.
Compensation models such as small cars in large quantities or even plug-in hybrids as well as electric vehicles with multiple counts (supercredits)? None. The former will not even exist in the long run, the latter, on the other hand, have priority level one. Instead of bringing the hybrid super sports car C-X75 (played in the Bond film "Specter") to series maturity, Jaguar has already announced that it plans to launch two pure electric models on the market by the end of 2019, a sedan and an SUV.
The next generation of the XJ would fit into the timeframe. The current version has been built since 2009. The flagship could be positioned as a counterpart to the Tesla Model S. Jaguar would have a second iron in the fire with the SUV F-Pace (on the market since this year), which, as an electric version, would appeal to significantly more customers. On the same crossover horse, Mercedes with the production version of the EQ and Audi with the C-BEV, which will probably be called the Q6 e-tron. Jaguar's SUV with electric drive (project name J-Pace) could carry E-Pace at the rear. At least this name has been protected. It is quite possible that the E-Pace will premiere as a study at the Los Angeles Auto Show in a few weeks.
The British are currently gaining e-drive experience in Formula E. Jaguar has a team at the start and uses the racing series to advance its know-how in the field of electromobility. The knowledge gathered naturally also benefits the sister Land Rover. At first it was read that the off-road brand should only take over the plug-in hybrid part. It is uncertain whether this will remain the case. A BEV variant (Battery Electric Vehicle) is quite conceivable, perhaps even as a Defender, which was discontinued at the beginning of this year and should be available from the dealer in 2019/20. JLR has already developed an E-module (EDM) that can be used for almost every type of transmission and can even be used as the sole drive. The British engineers are also working on the 48-volt electrical system.
The completely newly developed two-liter four-cylinder petrol engine from the Ingenium family will be available for the worldwide sale of plug-in hybrid models from next year. The 296 hp turbo unit is combined with an ZF eight-speed automatic and is used in the large models. Evoque and Discovery Sport, on the other hand, will receive a three-cylinder Ingenium diesel engine as a plug-in hybrid.
Of course, lightweight construction should also help bring the CO2 values down. It can be assumed that in the future JLR will roll out every new model in full aluminum construction from the assembly line with at least 75 percent recycled aluminum (internal target values) in order to massively reduce energy costs during production. No car brand in the world already manufactures a larger proportion of its portfolio in light metal. Not even the Defender cult off-road vehicle is exempted from this, in which one even says goodbye to the classic ladder frame and also relies on the PLA monocoque (Premium Lightweight Architecture), as was the case with the new Discovery (market launch: spring 2017).
Jaguar Land Rover still keeps secret where it will be made which new models. The new plant in Slovakia and as partner Magna Steyr in Graz are at the disposition. One is very flexible, according to the British headquarters. The Jaguar XE already moved from Solihull to Castle Bromwich to make room for the F-Pace, which is manufactured there together with the large aluminum off-road vehicles. Halewood is fully occupied with the Evoque, still the bestseller. The convertible version brought another boost. In Germany alone, the open lifestyle SUV increased the model range by 20 percent.
(Michael Specht / SP-X)
