'Year of the Cat'

(From left) Renowned musician Zhang Yadong, film director Lu Chuan, Handel Lee, lawyer and creator of cultural and lifestyle projects, and Che Yanhua, executive vice-president of Jaguar China, share their insights on art and life with TV hostess Chen Luyu.

Winning hearts, sales

Owning 29 cars but only representing one car brand - Jaguar - Beckham said what appeals to him the most about the brand is that visceral connection.

According to a report released by consulting firm McKinsey & Co last year, emotional factors such as "premium personality" or "brand DNA" are increasingly important in premium car buying in China. Expensive cars are becoming a way of life that buyers want to share with their families, friends and business partners. When customers are looking forward to a cozy and intimate relationship with a brand, acting aloof no longer makes a luxury brand more attractive.

"If you want to build a brand you have got to bring it to customers. If the brand is up in the sky, people cannot identify themselves with it," said Che.

As a relative latecomer in China's premium car market, getting closer to consumers is vital for Jaguar to change the long-standing preconception that the brand is beyond the reach of ordinary buyers. In fact, Jaguar has a variety of models across a wide price range and it continues to enrich its product portfolio.

The F-TYPE marks its comeback to the sports car arena, while the C-X17 concept car built on an all-new technically advanced aluminum architecture, represents its venture into new fields.

The XE, mid-sized premium sports sedan, just has name confirmed at the recent Geneva Auto Show, demonstrates the brand's cat-like agility as it quickly adapted its product planning to increasing market demand for entry-level luxuries following the rise of young consumers. This will be the first product from the new advanced aluminium architecture which was showcased for the first time in the C-X17 concept car at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2013.

All the moves indicate that Jaguar is no longer a niche brand and it offers multiple choices for customers, the carmaker said.

All the efforts have brought good results. Jaguar achieved 140 percent sales growth to deliver 17,876 units in China last year. And many of China's elite have become Jaguar fans.

"Never stop achieving" Jaguar celebrities include renowned writer Han Han and singer Jimmy Lin Chih-ying who were both big magnets for the Jaguar Driving Challenge last year that attracted 3,000 participants in 15 Chinese cities.

During a five-month Jaguar heritage tour across 10 cities in China, director Lu Chuan and ballet dancer Hou Honglan shared their insights of honoring traditions and following trends in the art world.

The gathering of Jaguar's classic C-Type, D-Type E-Type cars as well as brand-new F-TYPE, XF and XJ models created a rare spectacle of historical richness.

"We are not only selling top-class products but also introducing the excellence and elegance of British auto culture to Chinese customers," said Che.

Through an active over-the-line presence in China, Jaguar has succeeded in raising awareness about the brand's unique rendering of British heritage and modernity.

After producing a viral micro-movie featuring the F-TYPE and XF in an rendering of "British Cool", Jaguar recently established a strategic partnership with China's online entertainment giant Tencent.

Getting closer to consumers is about initiating more interaction. Last week, Jaguar Land Rover kicked off its largest-ever customer research campaign that will be continued throughout April.

More than 700 people gathered from across China participated in the event, reviewing current and future Jaguar Land Rover products.

The diverse, changing demands from customers will continue to drive Jaguar forward and "never stop achieving".

One of the art cars under the theme of sportiness to express the "ALIVE" spirit.