Roaring back to life

MANILA, Philippines - I had known the people behind the Jaguar brand pretty much since the day I got my feet wet in the world of motoring journalism. At the risk of revealing my age, let’s peg that number into a nice round decade. Of course a lot has changed since that time. A little wet in the ears, I had my brushes with Jaguar Cars, Inc. president Wellington Soong from time to time. But we weren’t exactly the friends that we are now. The same can be said about his sons Marc and Jason, both of whom became heavily involved in the business only over the last few years. W, as we fondly refer to him, had a lot of help from many other people then. And we’d seen those faces come and go throughout the years. But through all that time, we at The Philippine STAR have nurtured a unique relationship with the Jaguar folk – so much so that despite the many changes, we’ve maintained a good working relationship with them.

That being said, it’s pretty fair to state that we’ve seen the Jaguar brand go through its ups and downs. The brand had always been an enigma, to be sure. As appealing as Jaguars have always been to the everyday car nut, the brand’s strength has also always been its weakness. That is, its unique positioning has never made it top of mind for the premium car buyer. Though ridiculously elegant and stylish, Jaguars never really made it to any “best driving dynamics” conversations. The cars’ steep pricing would also prevent the brand from being mentioned in any “best bang for the buck” conversations. At best, it was a niche brand that catered to the rather more learned (and moneyed) car folk amongst us.

The brand’s exclusivity factor did appeal to some buyers – and for quite a while, Jaguar Cars, Inc. embraced this fact with gusto. Pleased to be able to cater to a select market, Jaguar Cars, Inc. trudged along as a niche market brand. Until the X-Type came along, that is. The moment that model came along, the company began to sell in record numbers. And it relished in its new role as a bigger fish in a still relatively small pond. Suddenly, a younger market had learned to appreciate the Jaguar brand. They did not know it then, but Jaguar Cars, Inc. had been given a glimpse into its future.

The X-Type hype lasted for around two years. After which, the rapid technological development of its premium car rivals had many looking in other directions. Not for anything, but the lack of new products – and for that matter a fresh, new identity – signaled the start of the slow down of the Jaguar brand’s growth. The long, arduous wait might have seemed excruciating, but with the release of the new Jaguar identity, we now know it was all for the best. With the introduction of the new XK and XF models, a rejuvenated Jaguar rose from its stupor and roared like it had never before. Awards and accolades came soon after. It wasn’t a question of whether Jaguar would actually make it back, it was now a question of how much better the cars – and subsequently the brand – had become. The heat was on. And the pressure to come up with a worthy flagship had built up to a deafening crescendo. Until today.

We paid W and company a little visit a day before Jaguar Cars, Inc. launched the flagship model XJ (yesterday at the spanking new club, Republiq). We were rewarded with a glimpse of the car and a short and very exclusive road test. And just like that we understood the excitement that we felt at their Makati showroom. “With the all-new XJ, we’re building on the success of the new XK and XF models. The all-new XJ is a landmark for the revitalized Jaguar brand. We’re positioning it as our four-door flagship as it extends the brand’s appeal to a new generation of customers. You haven’t just seen this car’s rivals, you’ve driven them too. I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say that it sits right at the top where giving you what you look for in a flagship premium car is concerned,” beamed a very confident Wellington Soong.

We won’t delve into the nitty-gritty of the car. We think Manny de los Reyes has raved enough for us who were fortunate enough to have gotten a sneak peek at the new XJ. We’ll say this much, though. The all-new XJ is an exclamation point to a truly revitalized Jaguar brand. Along with the XK and the XF, it represents a change in the way Jaguars will be sold and positioned from hereon. It’s younger, more dynamic, better driving and more efficient than any of its predecessors ever were. With a flagship car like the XJ, the Jaguar brand has roared back to life with a decibel level so frightening it’ll send shivers up the spines of even the most confident of its competitors.

Folks, Jaguar is back. This time, it’s for real.