Jaguar Thriving In China, Sales Expected To Top 2009 By Far

Among a slowing expansion in the Chinese market, one particular premium vehicles manufacturer is doing surprisingly well. Over the past three months, British luxury brand Jaguar has been the only expensive car name to see growth in sales. This continues a record-setting spree that Jaguar have been seeing in the surprising Asian market that is China.

Jaguar sales in the first half of the year 2010 reached an all-time record figure of 1,500 vehicles with June sales, passing the 400-unit threshold for the first time in it’s Chinese history.

Thus, expected performance for this year is predicted to be a new record for Jaguar in China, surpassing sale figures of last year by almost 2,000 units.

Lorenz Glaab, general manager of Jaguar China, did not offer an exact pictures of the company’s sales goal in China this year, but said their products are “still in high demand”. And we all know Brits are ambitious folks, so we can only figure…

“We do believe that as the society here (in China) matures and customer taste matures, the luxury market in general has a very bright future,” he added.

Mr. Glaab also told of what helped Jaguar know success in China, apart from the high quality products we all know so well. He mentioned pro-activeness, expansion of the dealer networks (not a hard pick for the most populated country in the world), and they’re also preparing a local sales arm in China. Jaguar hold 37 dealers in China, the third biggest network after the United States and their homeland UK.

A public display of “testing” R models in southern city Zhuhai also boosted public interest in fast premium cars and attention in Jaguar as a top European maker with a solid presence in China.

Jaguar’s product portfolio in China includes the XF and XJ executive cars, but, as we stated above, the high-performance range of XFR and XKR. The XF, with its lower relative price that starts at around 600,000 yuan, accounts for 80 percent of Jaguar’s China sales.

What’s interesting, and even more laudable, about Jaguar’s record in China is that all it’s production is based in the UK. The maker has no overseas plants currently, and they take proud in national production. Let’s hope that even if they do start building in foreign lands the high level of quality and classic design will suffer no changes.

Photo gallery of the Jaguard power flagship XFR below: