Jaguar Land Rover Mulling on Saudi Arab Plant


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JLR says mulling Saudi Arabia plant; govt says $1.2 bln deal signed

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is studying the potential of setting up an automotive facility in Saudi Arabia, the luxury car maker said, as the country's commerce ministry said it has signed a $1.2 billion preliminary deal with the British company. JLR, owned by India's Tata Motors, has seen huge demand over the past year from emerging markets such as China, Russia and countries in the Middle East for its luxury SUVs and sleek sedans, offsetting sluggish growth in developed markets.

The car maker has signed a preliminary deal with Saudi Arabia to manufacture 50,000 Land Rover vehicles per year in the kingdom, a statement from the country's commerce and industry ministry said, investing 4.5 billion riyals ($1.2 billion).

"This is purely exploratory," a spokesman for JLR said of the company's plans when asked by Reuters about the investment figures provided by Saudi Arabia, adding that it was too early to provide details. JLR, which began construction of a factory in China last month, said in a statement on Tuesday issued minutes before the Saudi statement that it had already identified opportunities for aluminium component production in the country.

The British car maker expects to announce further plans in Saudi Arabia next year, it said, adding that levels of investment had not been discussed in detail and the discussions were at "a preliminary stage." "We are committed to further international partnerships to meet record demand for our highly sought after vehicles," Ralf Speth, JLR chief executive officer said in the statement. "If we proceed, it will complement our existing expansion in the UK and elsewhere." The factory will start up in 2017 in either the Jubail or Yanbu industrial cities, the Saudi Arabian statement said. Saudi Arabia is seeking to develop local industry to diversify its economy away from oil exports.

JLR says mulling Saudi Arabia plant; govt says $1.2 bln deal signed | wheelsunplugged.com
 
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JLR's UK sales rise 19.7% in 2012

Jaguar Land Rover said UK vehicle sales rose 19.7 percent to 68,586 in 2012, adding that planned product launches pointed to a "positive" outlook in 2013.

JLR's Land Rover brand notched up its best-ever sales year in the UK, the company said, with deliveries rising almost 25 percent to 54,480 vehicles, boosted by the first full sales year for the Range Rover Evoque SUV.

Registrations of the Jaguar brand increased 2.4 percent to 14,105 vehicles, despite "increasingly competitive market conditions," the company said in a statement. Demand was driven by a 10 percent rise in sales of the revised Jaguar XF saloon, JLR added.

"It's a positive 2013 outlook for Jaguar in the UK with a full year of XF Sportbrake sales, the launch of the XFR-S saloon and the highly anticipated F-Type two-seater sports car," the company said.

Overall new UK car registrations rose 3.7 percent year-on-year in December, industry body SMMT said on Monday, predicting demand would "hold firm" in 2013.

The forecast contrasts with gloomier 2013 outlooks for other major European car markets. The December rise follows an 11.3 percent increase in November, when Britain bucked the downward trend elsewhere in Europe, where economic gloom is keeping drivers away from showrooms.



Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/20130107/ANE/130109945#ixzz2HNwA1Cyj
 
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JLR opens new engineering test centre in Dubai

Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover today said it has opened a new engineering test centre in Dubai to conduct extreme hot weather vehicle research, development and testing.


The new 11,120 sq ft facility in the Al Barsha area of Dubai will offer a comprehensive range of tests including durability, calibration and hot weather testing for heat and humidity, the company said in a statement.

"The engineering team at the new centre, which replaces a smaller facility in Dubai, will also test powertrains, chassis and heat and ventilation systems, as well as the off-road and sand driving capability of Land Rover's unique Terrain Response system," it added.

The company has been conducting hot weather testing in the MENA region for more than 12 years and the new Dubai facility replaces a smaller facility in Dubai Investments Park (DIP), it said.

With its new centre, JLR is enhancing its test programme in the Middle East, where temperatures in the desert typically reach 48 to 50 degrees celsius in the summer months, the company said without disclosing investments put in at the centre.

JLR has, however, announced that it will invest 2.75 billion pounds in the year to March 2014 on product creation and capital expenditure.

"Our new facility in Dubai is four times the size of the previous test centre and will enable us to enhance our testing of future products and technologies," Jaguar Land Rover Director of Engineering Technical Services, Martyn Hollingsworth said.

He further said the centre would help in ensuring that JLR vehicles can withstand even the harshest conditions through rigorous environmental testing.

Commenting on the development, JLR MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Managing Director Robin Colgan said: "The new facility will be crucial to the company's continued success as every model for the European and MENA markets will be certified here in Dubai following thorough testing before going into global production."

JLR has a network of five global test facilities -- Nurburgring, Germany; Arjeplog, Sweden; Phoenix and International Falls, USA, and Dubai, UAE.

JLR opens new engineering test centre in Dubai - The Economic Times
 

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