British marque Jaguar set to deliver scorching China growth in new year

British legendary auto marque Jaguar, one of the fastest-growing premium brands in China, expects even faster growth in 2018 with the addition of its new XEL sedan on Friday and the E-PACE SUV next year into its localized portfolio, according to senior company officials.

"Our strategy is very clear. In order to be strongly competitive in the market, you have to have a strong localized base," said Frank Wittemann, president of Jaguar Land Rover China and Chery Jaguar Land Rover Integrated Marketing Sales and Service.

The strategy has been working well. From January to November, Jaguar saw its China sales surge 82 percent year-on-year, and one of its most important driving forces is the Chinamade XFL sedan unveiled last year.

James Hu, executive vice-president of Jaguar Land Rover China and Chery Jaguar Land Rover Integrated Marketing Sales and Service, said the stylish and sporty XEL will help Jaguar garner even better growth in 2018.

The XEL, Jaguar's second China-made model, boasts six variants.

Sporting Jaguar's latest Ingenium 2.0 liter engine, the sedan has a maximum output up to 250 horsepower.

It has a 2,935 millimeter wheelbase, which extends the legroom in the back row by 112 mm. Targeting mainly those born after 1985, it competes with the Audi A4L, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedans.

"We are a relatively new player in China but we are here to offer new choices. With its class-leading features, we are confident the XEL will improve its position in the market," said Hu.

Jaguar has long made public its ambition to seek an equal footing with the German giants that have dominated China's premium car market for decades.

"Although there is a long way to go, the XEL will mark another important step toward our goal of an 'ABB plus J' pattern we proposed when the XFL was unveiled last year," said Hu.

Wittemann said some trends in the Chinese market, such as premium car buyers are getting younger, are offering a good opportunity for Jaguar to develop its following.

"The young, fashionable people in China have different tastes and they also want to stand out. I believe brands like Jaguar and Land Rover have very good chances, because ABB are becoming very mainstream brands," Wittemann said.

"When you want to stand out, you need to have something different. Jaguar and Land Rover are something special, something different and outstanding," he added.

Jaguar's sister brand Land Rover is also doing a great job making inroads in the Chinese market.

The two brands altogether sold more than 130,000 cars in China in the first 11 months of the year, up 24 percent from the same period last year, higher than the average growth rate of the premium segment.