Jaguar design will be influenced by Chinese tastes, but not in an overt fashion
Jaguar design boss Ian Callum has said he would resist any pressure to produce special editions purely for the exclusivity obsessed Chinese market, but concedes Chinese tastes will play an increasing role in Jaguar design in years to come.
Speaking at the Shanghai motor show, where several top-end manufacturers displayed limited or special edition versions of their cars, Callum said: “It is true that we do make changes now for the Chinese market, such as putting the car names and engine size on the back, so we do cater for tastes. But these one-offs feel cynical, and I wouldn’t want to do that.
“They tend to be over-designed for the sake of it, and a bit patronising in the use of Chinese imagery or materials. However, what I can see happening as China becomes a trend leader in world design is us using more materials that influence Chinese buyers across our global range. But it would be a subtle use of woods or materials rather than anything overt.”