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Sexy new Jaguar XF now available in Malaysia!

April 21, 2008 at 3:08 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Jaguar, Local News

Jaguar XF
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SISMA Auto Sdn Bhd unveiled the new Jaguar XF for the first time in Malaysia during the weekend at its showroom at the Pavillion, KL, The new award-winning Jaguar XF is available here in three variants – the 3.0 litre V6 priced at RM488,888, the 4.2 litre V8 priced at RM599,888 and finally the 4.2 litre supercharged V8 producing 420 horsepower at RM728,888.

Continue reading to find out more about the new Jaguar XF and watch a collection of videos as well as additional photos of the car.
[Read more...]

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Tata buys Jaguar and Land Rover for US$2.3 billion

March 28, 2008 at 6:25 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, India, International News, Jaguar, Land Rover, Tata

Jaguar LogoThe Jaguar and Land Rover deal has been sealed, and the two companies go to Tata Motors, which will pay US$2.3 billion for them. As part of the deal, Ford will inject US$600 million of the US$2.3 billion into the two companies’ pension funds, leaving about US$1.7 billion remaining for Ford’s coffers. Ford will have no stake in the companies after the sale is completed.

Most of the management team will be retained, and Ford will continue to supply Jaguar and Land Rover with powertrains and technology for the time being, depending on existing supply agreements. Ford Motor Credit Co will also provide financing for Jaguar and Land Rover dealers and customers for the period of up to 12 months. The deal includes the Rover, Daimler and Lanchester brand names.

Tata Motors says it was confident this investment would have a positive effect on its balance sheet in the long run. Shareholders do not seem to share these sentiments as Tata Motors shares dropped as much as 7.3% yesterday, finally settling on a 3.6% drop at the end of the day as analysts says the deal will be a strain on the balance sheet. As for Ford, the money will help it focus on turning around its North American operations, which are currently operating at a loss.

The other bids for Jaguar and Land Rover are former Ford CEO Jacques Nasser’s One Equity Partners, Ripplewood, and Texas Pacific Group, which was advised by Bob Dover, CEO of Jaguar and Land Rover between 2002 and 2003.

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Fiat happy about Tata’s Jaguar/Land Rover buy

February 5, 2008 at 7:29 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Alfa Romeo, Cars, Fiat, India, International News, Jaguar, Land Rover, Tata

Jaguar LogoTata is inching very closely to acquiring Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor Company, and everyone is already assuming the two companies are in Tata’s hands, in a deal that analysts have pegged at being worth between US$1.5 to US2.0 billion.

One company that is very happy about all of this is Fiat, who has a close relationship with Tata. Tata uses Fiat turbodiesel engines in their cars, and the two companies have a partnership worth Rs 4000 crore (3.3 billion ringgit) in India.

Fiat says this will most likely allow the Italian company to get access to Jaguar’s technologies. It is particularly interested in Jaguar’s rear wheel drive platform as well as Land Rover’s four-wheel drive technology. Yup, you guessed right – the first model from the Fiat group to benefit from this is most likely the new flagship Alfa Romeo 169, which Fiat plans to develop as a rear wheel drive car.

Related Posts:
Ford may forgo retained stake in Jaguar and Land Rover

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Ford may forgo small stake in Jaguar / Land Rover

January 31, 2008 at 6:06 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, India, International News, Jaguar, Land Rover, Tata

Jaguar LogoTata is on both ends of the car market right now, from one of the cheapest cars around that is the Tata Nano right up to two luxury brands that they are about to purchase from the Ford Motor Company, Jaguar and Land Rover.

While the original plan was for Ford to keep a minority stake in the company as it has done with Aston Martin (it retains a US$77 million out of US$925 million stake), Indian paper the Economic Times has reported that Ford has decided not to retain a minority stake in Land Rover and Jaguar as “it is convinced about the future development of these two brands in the hands of Tata.”

Ford’s earlier intention of holding a minority stake in the two companies, as with Aston Martin, was to ensure supply contracts and jobs are protected. Analysts have pegged the deal at worth between US$1.5 to US2.0 billion.

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Jaguar XF wins What Car? Car of the Year Award

January 28, 2008 at 5:55 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Jaguar

What Car Jaguar XF Award
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The 2008 What Car? Car of the Year award goes to the sexy new Jaguar XF, which also clinched the Best Executive Car title, beating its competitors the 5-Series and the CLS-Class. It is with a choice of engines – 3.0 litre V6; 2.7 litre twin-turbocharged V6 diesel; 4.2 litre V8; and finally a 4.2 litre supercharged V8.

“For us, the XF goes straight in there with the very best cars from Jaguars past. And given that the car market today is more competitive than its ever been, its fair to say the XF is the best car Jaguar has ever built. The XF really does have it all – a sensational exterior and dramatic interior combined with a drive that will delight and pamper in equal measure. On top of that, it stacks up as a sensible buying and owning proposition, too,” said Steve Fowler, group editor of What Car.

The new XF indeed marks a new milestone in the history of Jaguar. Will SISMA Auto bring it in sometime soon to join the Lexus GS in giving the 5-Series and the E-Class a run for their money?

UPDATE: SISMA Auto is already taking bookings for the XF, and although no booking numbers were given, it is expectedly “selling like hotcakes”. No confirmed prices as there is the issue of duties and etc that are not finalised yet, but the price will be below RM500,000 for the 3.0 V6 model. The 4.2L V8 will also be offered but pricing is unknown for that one at the moment. Delivery is on a first come first serve basis and the first batch will arrive in March 2008. Once the first batch arrives, 3 will go to SISMA Auto’s showrooms – one to each showroom. Then customers will be able to test drive it.

Related Posts:
Jaguar XF wins 2007 Autocar Design Award
New Jaguar XF Details and Photos

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Jaguar Service Clinic for Malaysian Jaguar Owners

January 8, 2008 at 10:52 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Jaguar, Local News

Jaguar LogoSISMA Auto Sdn Bhd will be conducting an exclusive Service Clinic for Jaguar owners at its Glenmarie 4S center this month from the 23rd to the 29th of January 2008. Each session will be one hour in duration and are limited to 14 people per day.

The Service Clinic is aimed at helping Jaguar owners better understand the technology behind their Jaguars engine, the role of diagnostic equipment used during servicing, what the various indicators mean and how Jaguar service technicians respond to these to repair and service Jaguar cars.

At the sessions will be experts Danny Hinchin, Regional Aftersales Manager, Jaguar & Land Rover Asia, Mr James Knowles, Regional Technical Manager, Jaguar & Land Rover Asia and Jaguars highly trained technical experts.

“Cars these days are not as simple as they used to be. Today, they are very much computer-driven and technicians are heavily dependent on diagnostic equipment for servicing. Through this Clinic we hope Jaguar owners will learn more about the technology that drives their Jaguars and, how our service technicians diagnose their vehicles,” said SISMA Auto Managing Director Tuan Syed Hussain Syed Mohamed.

Those wishing to register for the clinics can email service.clinic@jaguarmalaysia.com.my or call 03-5569 3311. The workshops are by appointment only.

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Jaguar XF wins 2007 Autocar Design Award

December 9, 2007 at 10:21 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Jaguar, Videos

Jaguar XF

The beautiful new Jaguar XF has snagged the Design Award at the 2007 Autocar Awards at The Royal Horticultural Halls in London on 11th November.

“This is the first time Jaguar has won this highly respected Autocar award for a production car and I’m absolutely thrilled it has been given to the new XF. It’s wonderful to receive recognition for our efforts within the industry and from our ultimate critics – the motoring media,” said Ian Callum, Jaguar’s design director.

“What most impressed Autocar’s judging panel is Jaguar’s success in producing a car that looks elegant, graceful and ‘Jaguar-like’. This is a car, we believe, of which Sir William Lyons, founder of Jaguar would thoroughly have approved,” said Chas Hallett, Editor of Autocar.

Good news for Malaysians is that the first units are expected to reach Malaysian shores in mid-2008.

Check out a video of the Jaguar XF after the jump!
[Read more...]

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2008 Jaguar XJ in Malaysian showrooms end-September

September 18, 2007 at 2:16 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Jaguar, Local News

Jaguar XJ

While the mid-sized Jaguar S-Type gets an all-new replacement in the form of the sleek new Jaguar XF (E-Class and 5-Series competitor), the full-sized Jaguar XJ gets a refreshed look for the 2008 model year and it will be in SISMA Auto showrooms in Malaysia by the end of September 2007.

This new 2008 facelifted Jaguar XJ recently won the annual Design Award ‘Autonis in the luxury category of the German car magazine Auto Motor und Sport, ahead of German competitors BMW, Mercedes and Audi. The winner was decided by roughly 16,000 readers of Auto Motor und Sport who took part in in voting for the winner.

The XJ continues to use it’s all-aluminium body construction. The aluminium body is said to have reduced the XJ’s weight by 40%. The new front bumper has revised upper and lower mesh grilles with chromed detailing. Behind the front wheels, two power vents match those introduced on the beautiful new XK sports car. The wing mirrors now have integrated signal indicator lights. The rear end has also been reworked with a newly reshaped bumper, subtle aero spoiler and revised tailpipe finishers.

The new Jaguar XJ will be sold from RM648,888, which is just about the price range for a full-sized car here – think S-Class, LS460 and 7-Series. Full model range and pricing details to be revealed later when the car is launched.

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New Jaguar XF Details and Photos

August 29, 2007 at 8:53 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Jaguar

Jaguar XF

Jaguar has unveiled full details and photos of the first car that will carry Jaguar’s new design language – the Jaguar XF. The Jaguar XF is a 4-door sedan with a sexy roofline (drag coefficient is 0.29cD), and I think it proves Jaguar still has it – the ability to create beautiful and fast cars that has been part of the Jaguar philosophy.

On the inside, the Jaguar XF features the new JaguarDrive Selector, the first rotary dial-based shift-by-wire shifter which Jaguar thinks is more precise and intuitive while saving space at the same time, allowing better utilization of interior space.

There is also plenty of geekery on the interior for those who are into that kind of stuff. For one, the XF’s air-conditioning vents present a flush dashboard surface until the ignition is switched on, at which point they elegantly rotate to the open position. JaguarSense uses touch and proximity control to manage the overhead console lights and glovebox release. The parking brake uses Jaguar’s Electric Paring Brake which you can operate from a small chromed release in the center console. This parking brake automatically disengages when the shifter is put into Drive.

There are 4 engines available, all mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifting. The base petrol unit is an all-aluminium 3.0 litre DOHC V6 engine with Continuously Variable Cam Phasing and variable geometry air intakes. It makes 240 horsepower and 293Nm of torque with 80% of that available below 1,500rpm and up to a maximum speed of 6,800rpm.

There is also a larger normally aspirated 4.2 litre V8 that makes 300 horsepower and 411Nm of torque. A supercharged version of this engine in the SV8 model uses a rotor-type supercharger making 420 horsepower and 560Nm of torque.

Of course, there is also an oil-burning Jaguar XF powered by a 2.7 litre V6 turbodiesel with twin variable geometry turbochargers making 207 PS and 435Nm of torque. Jaguar says this is the lightest diesel engine of it’s type and size, thanks to it’s Compacted Graphite Iron cylinder block and aluminium cylinder heads.

To bring the car to a stop, all XF models use large 326mmx20mm vented front discs and 326mmx20mm rear discs, except for the SV8 Supercharged model which uses larger 355mmx32mm vented front discs.

Jaguar has taken much effort to ensure NVH levels in this car is excellent. At 50km/h, interior noise level is only 65.6dB.

More photos available after the jump.
[Read more...]

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DaimlerChrysler seeks rights to Daimler name

August 23, 2007 at 11:01 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Jaguar, Mercedes Benz

Mercedes Benz logoNow that DaimlerChrysler AG has washed its hands off the Chrysler group, it wants to rename itself to Daimler AG. But that might not make as much sense as you think it would legally. This is because the future Daimler AG would not have the rights to the Daimler brand.

Instead, the name belongs to Jaguar, who uses it for some of it’s high end cars. Jaguar acquired rights to the Daimler name in 1960 when it bought the Daimler Motor Company, the British carmaker set up by Frederick Simms when he acquired the patents to the Gottlieb Daimler engines and the use of the Daimler name.

DaimlerChrysler AG is currently in legal discussions with Ford Motor Co who owns Jaguar on the use of the Daimler brand name.

“DaimlerChrysler will now be allowed to use the name alone or in combination with other words as the title of a trading company, a trade name or a corporate name. The extended usage agreement does not, however, affect either company’s existing right to use the Daimler name for a product,” said a Ford spokesman.

There are some critics who oppose the Daimler AG proposed name change, instead suggesting Daimler-Benz AG, which was the group’s name before it merged with the Chrysler group in 1998. It is suggested that leaving the Benz name out ignores the contribution of Karl Benz to the company.

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