A Mini Modern Renaissance, Hopefully

I mentioned a while back that Ford was selling Jaguar (and Land Rover) to an Indian conglomerate named Tata.

I was slightly worried at this development, as I am a huge Jaguar fan, and am saddened by the way that Ford has handled the brand. The cheap modeling and half-assed design have essentially driven it into the ground, making it into a losing business. At this point, I feel that any change in ownership is likely to be a good thing.

Well, it seems like I might not be too far off:

"As far as Jaguar is concerned, the plan calls for a return to its premium traditions, eschewing volume models such as the unloved X-type. The first step will be a new XJ, Jaguar’s flagship saloon, due next year, which will ditch the current model’s frumpy retro styling for something insiders describe as even more radical than the XF. After that there is likely to be a coupé version of the XF and, most exciting of all, a successor to the E-type sports car of the 1960s."

Joy!

Jaguar needs exactly this type of re-invigoration. The leaders at Tata have also said that they plan on giving Jaguar and Land Rover extra freedom to run their own type of luxury car business, something that Ford wasn't too keen on doing.

Good news for Jag, here's to hoping that we see some nice new models soon, with the extra polish that the brand so desperately needs.

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