DETROIT, Jan 13 - Ford Motor Co unit Jaguar expects to see a far better year in 2008 than 2007 largely due to the upcoming launch of its XF luxury sedan, the unit's top executive said on Sunday.
CJ O'Donnell, Jaguar's head of global marketing, said widespread fears of a potential U.S. recession has not had any impact on prospective sales, with advance orders for the new XF sedan -- which starts at around $50,000 -- already above 6,500 worldwide.
"In 2008 we are expecting a much stronger year in terms of sales," Mike O'Driscoll, Jaguar managing director, told Reuters on the sidelines of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. "The previews for the XF have been great, as has the reaction of potential customers."
The XF is due to start going on sale at dealerships in some markets at the end of February or early March.
"So far the orders have come predominantly from people who have never touched and never driven an XF," O'Donnell said.
Jaguar saw its U.S. sales slide 24 percent to 15,683 vehicles in 2007, which O'Driscoll said was due to the discontinuation of sales of its X-type model in this market.
O'Driscoll said he was unable to make any comment on negotiations between Ford and India's No. 3 car maker, Tata Motors Ltd , which has been named as the front runner to buy Jaguar.
Jaguar sales in China in 2007 totaled around 1,000 vehicles, which O'Donnell said put the country just inside Jaguar's top 10 markets.
"Within three years China should be in our top five markets and some would argue it will be in our top three," he said.
Jaguar is not present in the Indian market but O'Driscoll said the company plans to enter it "within a few years."
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