Photo: Land Rover
As Jaguar Land Rover prepares to start up an all-new production plant in China, the first vehicle to be built in that country will be the Range Rover Evoque. Expected to go online next month, Automotive News is reporting that the decision to start with the Evoque was due to the fact that this vehicle currently has the highest demand among Chinese buyers.
Located northeast of Shanghai, the plant is a joint venture between Jaguar Land Rover and China’s Chery Automobile, and the report adds that this plant is the “full-scale production plant outside the U.K.” All of the Range Rover Evoques that are to be built in China will be intended solely for that market as all countries will continue to get U.K.-built versions of the SUV.
In addition to production of the Range Rover Evoque, this plant will eventually produce the all-new Ingenium family of Jaguar Land Rover engines, and this is expected to begin by 2015. Looking past these two milestones for the British automaker in China, it’s very likely (although not confirmed) that will produce further models at this plant for China’s automotive market. One of the most probable additions would be the newly introduced Land Rover Discovery Sport, but when asked about the possibility of a long-wheelbase Jaguar XE, Jaguar Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth only said that if such a car were to come to fruition, it would have to be built in China.
China represents a significant market for Jaguar Land Rover as more than a quarter of all global sales and about a half of the automaker’s profits come from that country. Through June, Jaguar and Land Rover have combined for 62,479 sales in China compared to 240,372 globally. By next year, Jaguar Land Rover anticipates the Chinese market to account for 150,000 sales.
In addition to production of the Range Rover Evoque, this plant will eventually produce the all-new Ingenium family of Jaguar Land Rover engines, and this is expected to begin by 2015. Looking past these two milestones for the British automaker in China, it’s very likely (although not confirmed) that will produce further models at this plant for China’s automotive market. One of the most probable additions would be the newly introduced Land Rover Discovery Sport, but when asked about the possibility of a long-wheelbase Jaguar XE, Jaguar Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth only said that if such a car were to come to fruition, it would have to be built in China.
China represents a significant market for Jaguar Land Rover as more than a quarter of all global sales and about a half of the automaker’s profits come from that country. Through June, Jaguar and Land Rover have combined for 62,479 sales in China compared to 240,372 globally. By next year, Jaguar Land Rover anticipates the Chinese market to account for 150,000 sales.
Google News