Autos

Jaguar

How the brand is in trouble: Just got sold, narrow appeal
How it can survive: New models, dealer handling, global sales
Sales, first four months 2008: 5,264
Sales, first four months 2007: 5,672
Percent change: -7.2%
Pictured: Jaguar XF
Starting Price: $49,975

India’s Tata Motors last month bought the Jaguar and Land Rover brands from Ford Motor Co. for $2.3 billion. Tata has its work cut out for it, despite the all-new, 2009 XF sedan, with a 300-hp V-8. Jaguar’s recent history under Ford includes the Jaguar X-Type, which reminded too many people of a Ford Taurus with wood and leather. Its more distant past includes a reputation for terrible quality. That’s hard to live down, even though Jaguar now has above-average initial quality, and it’s No. 1 for service, according to J.D. Power and Associates.