Jaguar Land Rover confirms Discovery Sport will be first model made in Brazil

VEHICLE manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed that its new Land Rover Discovery Sport will be the first model produced at its new plant in Brazil.

The company made the historic announcement at the start of the Sao Paulo International Motor Show.

The news comes 11 months after the company announced it had secured agreement with the Brazilian authorities to build a new £240m manufacturing facility in Itatiaia.

The Brazilian operation will supplement UK production and have the capacity to build 24,000 vehicles annually for the Brazilian market. With the first vehicle driving off the production line in 2016, 400 jobs will be created initially and this is expected to almost double by the end of the decade.

In addition, JLR will also tap into Itatiaia’s local supply base and its skilled workforce – one of the main reasons the company selected the region as the location for its factory. It is envisaged nearly 1,000 jobs will be created across the local supply chain.
 
With all agreements in place, JLR will start construction of the new facility at the end of this year, taking it one step closer to becoming the only British car maker to open a local manufacturing facility in Brazil. This new factory will be JLR’s first wholly-owned manufacturing plant outside the UK – its recently-launched Chinese plant being a joint venture with Chery.

Speaking at the Sao Paulo Auto Show, Phil Popham, Group Marketing Director, said: “Brazil and the surrounding regions are very important to Jaguar Land Rover. With customers in Brazil showing an increasing appetite for highly capable premium products, we are proud to confirm that our new breakthrough Discovery Sport will be manufactured at our new Brazilian facility.”  

JLR is committed to expanding its global capacity as it raises production volumes to meet demand for its vehicles. It said the new plant in Brazil would play an important role in supporting the significant growth opportunity identified in the country and across other South American markets.

The all-new Discovery Sport, manufactured in the UK at the firm’s Halewood plant on Merseyside, is the first member of the new Discovery family. Featuring 5+2 seating, the Discovery Sport has a footprint no larger than existing 5-seat premium SUV’s, resulting in the ultimate use of interior space.

JLR has had a presence in the Brazilian market for more than 20 years. Its national sales company is based in Sao Paulo, employing almost 100 people. By March 2015 there will be 42 dealers across Brazil as part of the company’s further expansion plans.

Since 2012, the Jaguar dealer network has grown from two to 18 showrooms and in 2013, Jaguar sales were up 385% year-on-year making it the fastest growing luxury brand in Brazil.
 
So far in 2014, JLR has sold 7,346 vehicles in Brazil, with the strongest-selling models being the Range Rover Evoque, Range Rover Sport and Discovery.