People aren’t buying the XE because they haven’t driven it, says Jaguar’s marketing director
Our reporters empty their notebooks to round up a week in gossip from across the automotive industry
In this week’s edition of Autocar confidential, we hear why Hyundai and Kia are bringing interior production entirely in-house, what’s wrong with Jaguar XE sales and more.
New Jag’s a sales drag
Frustration over the comparatively low sales of the Jaguar XE continues to bubble among senior officials. Outgoing design chief Ian Callum called the situation “a source of great puzzlement”. Marketing director Anthony Bradbury believes the issue lies in persuading people to drive the car. He said: “We are also new to the sector and that means we are a choice that people have to explain.”
Premium brand plugs in
DS boss Yves Bonnefont says that, apart from the DS 7 Crossback, each new model – arriving once a year over the next six years – will be available with a 300bhp plug-in hybrid or pure-electric powertrain from launch. Bonnefont believes “a third of sales will be electrified by the early 2020s for DS” and thinks electrification fits very well with DS’s premium ambitions “because of its torque and refinement”.
Seat gets down with the kids
Seat owners are among the most frequent users of Android and Apple connectivity systems, claims its digital officer, Fabian Simmer. Seat is known for leading digital innovation in the Volkswagen Group, a strategy largely led by the fact that its customers are 10 years younger than those of other brands in the group.
Hyundai-Kia’s homemade interiors
Hyundai and Kia are unusual for making steel pressings, seats, lights and dashboard screens in-house. Design boss Luc Donckerwolke said the firm has now developed 3D printing of textiles that eliminates the need for a foam backing. “3D printing is a game changer. You can change a design every six months,” he said.
Read more
New electric cars 2019/2020: What’s coming and when?
Hyundai plans more diverse designs for future models
Source: Autocar
