Ta-ta Jaguar? F-Pace SUV is the Last Cat Standing

By the end of the year, Jaguar will have discontinued six models from the line-up with the F-Pace SUV the sole survivor of an unprecedented cull. The models departing are the XE, XF Saloon and Estate, I-Pace and E-Pace all following in the footsteps of the F-Type, which ceased production in June.

The decision to remove these models from sale came after CEO Adrian Mardell admitted to shareholders that these models have “close to zero profitability.” It’s no secret within the automotive world that Jaguar has struggled with generating profits in recent years.

The issue I have with this decision is the I-Pace. Since its release, I have liked how the I-Pace looked and felt it was a nice alternative to what’s currently available on the market. After all the time and money spent on developing their first EV - headlining their ambitions to be an all-electric brand by 2025 - the immediate judgement is that Jaguar would be mad to axe it. However, there might be some method to the madness.

2024 Jaguar I-Pace — Callum designed I-Pace pioneered Jaguar's EV era

Firstly, when the I-Pace came on the scene, it was part of the trinity of mainstream brands taking EVs seriously, as RUSH’s resident EV sympathiser Ken Pearson explains “Within a few months of each other, the I-Pace arrived, Mercedes-Benz gave us the EQC and Audi came up with the e-tron. The original trinity had almost identical battery, motor and range specs. However, the Audi was the only one that was treated to battery and motor upgrades, giving an extra 100 miles on a single charge and eventually a new name.”

“The I-Pace should’ve been the first of many, instead it’s using old tech in a rapidly evolving market where style and handling alone isn’t enough to shift cars.” These factors plus cars in this segment becoming cheaper meant the I-Pace was always fighting a losing battle.

Jaguar XE 2024 — XE is an ageing platform that came to market against the last generation F80 BMW 3-series

Secondly, the cull is because Jaguar is going for a completely brand-new platform specifically tailored to the brands' needs. With this new chapter, they are going for the brave move. Tata Motors, owners of Jaguar, wants to take the brand out of the German-dominated premium-mainstream segment to go after Bentley in the luxury sector. This target is clear to see as the first concept of the EV era is set to be a four-door, £100,000 grand tourer.

Ordinarily, when manufacturers announce a new chapter they say they want to produce a minimum amount of cars. They often boast about how these changes can help them significantly increase production numbers. However, Tata Motors wants Jaguar to condense, and make less than 50,000 cars a year but return higher profits from each one.

Going after Bentley is a risky move. In recent years, Jaguar has slid down the radar so if this strategy works, it has the potential to catapult the brand right back into the spotlight. However, if this doesn’t work, there is a chance that it could break Jaguar. I hope their gamble pays off.