New jaguar XE set for Zimbabwe

By John Kachembere

HARARE – UK-based automobile manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has launched a new vehicle, Jaguar XE, which is expected to be unveiled in Zimbabwe soon.

The new car – in the pipeline for nearly two years – is billed as a competitor to the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 in terms of superfluity, speed and comfort.

Jaguar marketing and communications director for South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa Lisa Mallett said the vehicle has an ingenium engine, which makes it fuel efficient, using 4,21 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres.

“With this new luxury model we are targeting a new customer group that is yet to enjoy our products,” she told Business Live.

Mallet noted that the new Jaguar, with aluminium-intensive architecture and integral link rear suspension, was specifically made for the rough African terrain.

“We are expanding our global manufacturing interests by bringing our customers a premium experience. This vehicle has better looks, value and drive, and looks and feels alive,” Mallet told journalists during a presentation of the vehicle’s features in South Africa last week.

Mallet added that her company was impressed with the Zimbabwean market since Jaguar Land Rover’s re-entry into the country following the signing of a dealership agreement with Premier Auto Services in 2009.

“Despite the challenging political and economic environment in Zimbabwe, the market has shown good signs of growth. Our relationship with Premier Auto has grown significantly over the years and we recently awarded with the importer of the year Award – as a testimony of the good work they are doing,” she said.

The new Jaguar XE, built using lightweight technologies and a range of efficient and powerful Jaguar engines, the new vehicle combines thrilling performance, agile handling and precise, responsive steering, with outstanding levels of refinement.

“The Jaguar XE body uses over 75 percent aluminium content, which far exceeds any other car in its class. This gives us a body structure with unrivalled low weight: it’s light but also immensely strong with extremely high levels of torsional stiffness,” Jaguar chief technical specialist for lightweight vehicle structures Mark White said.

“We’ve made sure our aluminium-intensive body structure exceeds all global safety standards without compromising on vehicle design or refinement,” he added.

Always renowned for a balance of precise handling and a high-quality ride on the road, the XE is the culmination of everything the company has learned over the years.

White said the integral link rear suspension provides a combination of supple ride and crisp handling that is unmatched in this segment.

By providing lateral and longitudinal stiffness, the integral link delivers sharp response and handling while retaining a refined, luxurious ride. Many components of the suspension have been forged or hollow-cast in aluminium.

These are the optimum production techniques to produce a strong, lightweight solution. Mounted to a sub-frame with cast aluminium suspension towers, the XE’s double wishbone front suspension delivers the highest levels of handling and road holding. Daily News