British automaker Jaguar, which was acquired by Tata Motors in 2008, plans to build a competitor to BMW's highest selling model, the 3 Series. The British auto maker currently has only bigger vehicles in its stables and there is no vehicle from the company to take on the likes of BMW 3-Series.
A source from Jaguar told Auto Express, “Look at the 2.2-litre diesel and look at engines like the new 2.0-litre turbo [petrol] and you can see we've got the powertrain platform already for a smaller car.”
The yet to be manufactured BMW 3-Series rival from the stables of Jaguar would be placed below the XF model and is likely to have its engine on the front. The car is expected to come in both the four wheel drive option and the rear wheel drive option. Apart from having a saloon and Sportbrake estate bodystyles, the new model may even have some features of a SUV in order to increase the sales.
Jaguar has to, however, design this new BMW 3-Series competitor with due care as the 3-Series is a highly popular car among the masses and people wouldn't risk to buy a rival unless there are some really elegant and appealing features on the exterior, interiors and under the hood.
The 3-Series from the stables of the German car maker is a luxury sedan with every small feature to detail. The compact executive car comes in five guises out of which four are diesel powered whereas only one is petrol powered. The diesel variants houses a 1995 cc four cylinder engine, which is also considered as the best four stroke powertrain in the world. The engine of the sedan is mated to an 8 speed automatic gearbox capable of delivering a maximum power of 184 bhp at 4000 rpm and 380 Nm of torque between 1750 – 2750 rpm. The BMW 3-Series comes with a price tag between Rs. 29 lacs and Rs. 38 lacs.
The new 3-Series competitor from Jaguar is also likely to have similar specifications. The car is likely to house a 2.0 litre engine capable of churning out a maximum power of around 190 bhp. The car would probably come with a price tag of around Rs. 25 lacs; thus, will take on the likes of the BMW 3-Series.
