Record July figures for Jaguar Land Rover
VEHICLE manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has announced its best ever sales results for July giving the firm a timely boost ahead of what is expected to be an announcement about one of the most important new models in the company’s history.
During July the company sold 31,611 vehicles – a record for the month and 21% ahead of the same period last year. During the first seven months of the year, JLR sold 241,801 vehicles worldwide, a rise of 15%.
It places the company in a strong position to capitalise on the next phase of its new model strategy.
It is thought the company will announce at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show that it is to launch its long-awaited entry-level Jaguar saloon; a product set to rival BMW’s best-selling 3-Series.
There is also strong speculation in the industry that Jaguar is on the verge of going ahead with a planned crossover vehicle to capitalise on the worldwide popularity of the small SUV, ironically a market characterised by Jaguar stablemate the Range Rover Evoque.
Industry insiders told TheBusinessDesk.com that the new Jaguar is likely to be the most important new model in the range for some time. It will mark the company’s return to volume production, which was last seen with the ambitious but ill-fated X-Type; a saloon built under Ford’s ownership which promised much and yet under-delivered.
Jaguar is determined to do it right this time, according to analysts and the new car will be a premium product aimed at junior executives and new buyers keen to get a taste of Jaguar glamour.
The crossover product is likely to capitalise on the new all-aluminium construction technology pioneered by Range Rover, with the company hoping its reputation for producing the world’s best 4×4 vehicles acting as a stimulus to buyers.
It is thought the new vehicles will be constructed at the Jaguar plant in Castle Bromwich although capacity remains a critical issue. The plant is now busy producing the new F-Type sports car as well as the XF, XJ and XK models.
Commenting on the July performance Phil Popham, Jaguar Land Rover group sales operations director said: “This has been another record month for Jaguar Land Rover driven by particularly strong performances in the US, China and Asia Pacific. Jaguar has delivered a very strong performance with solid growth in China and North America thanks to the refreshed XJ and XF models. Land Rover has again seen record sales this month with continued strong global demand for the new and refreshed model line-up.”
