New Range Rover

The All-New Range Rover unveiled at the Paris Auto Show.

It's the first SUV to have an all-aluminium body structure. No information about emissions or prices have been released as yet.

Jaguar Land Rover pushes up Tata's profits

Tata Motors has announced a 41% rise in profits booted by rise in sales by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) despite fall in profits within the Indian market (falling more than half to 1.74bn Rupees).

The rise is attributed to sales (32,000) of the new Range Rover Evoque model.

In the three months to December 31, China has also overtaken UK as JLR's biggest market. China now accounts for 17.2% of total sales compared with 16.5% for the UK. Sales have also increased in Russia. In the same quarter, JLR had a profit of £440m, up 57% from a year earlier.

Source: BBC News.

Tata invests in the West Midlands

There was some good news for the automotive sector in the UK today as Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) announced that they plan to increase their workforce at their plant in Solihull by more than 25%.
For more info read their press release here.

This follows the opening of their new Global Headquarters at the Company's site in Whitley in Coventry last week.

From left: Mr Ravi Kant, Vice President of Tata Motors, Mr Ratan Tata (cutting the tape) Chairman of Tata Sons, and Dr. Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover (Right).

Tata the Indian owners of Jaguar Land Rover will be investing more than £1.5 billion pounds annually for the next five years.

Discovery 4 in the Malaysian Jungle

The unmodified Land Rover Discovery 4 takes on the Malaysian jungle and survives. With help of course.

Video of the new Jaguar Land Rover Defenders concepts

Here is a video of the new Jaguar Land Rover DC100 and DC100 Sport concepts. Also inculdes interviews with the designers of the Defender and Jaguar C-X16 concept cars.

New Land Rover Defender Concept

After more than 60 years of production, theLand Rover Defender is finally getting a makeover. Land Rover today unveiled the new Land Rover DC100 and DC100 Sport concept cars at the Frankfurt Motor Show. This indicates a new future direction for the Land Rover Defender which is one of Land Rover’s oldest and most iconic models and has been used by UN aid workers, Red Cross medic’s, police and military forces worldwide.

The new concepts have been designed by the Land Rover Advanced Design team whose remit was to create a vehicle that would resonate with the commercial customer as well as the retail customer. Their aim was to create a model that is relevant to the 21st century.

Both the Land Rover DC100 and DC100 Sport concepts are buit on a Lightweight, mixed-alloy platform using sutting-edge, sustainable, hi-tech materials taken from aerospace industries.

They are loaded with high tech features including

• The Terrain-i scanning device which warns the driver of obstacles when off-roading and can suggest alternative routes.
• Wade Aid which uses sonar technology to assess water depth and advise the driver of optimum speed
• Intelligent, next-generation, Land Rover Terrain Response system automatically optimises the car for any environment.
• Driver-activated spiked tyre system can be deployed at the touch of a button.

Both cars are permanent four-wheel drive with an eight-speed transmission, Intelligent Stop/Start and a transfer case. They are powered by 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines with hybrid and plug-in capabilities.

The new Defender models are planned for production in 2015.

Zara Phillips is the first owner of the Range Rover Evoque

Land Rover ambassador Zara Phillips recently became the first owner of a 5-door Orkney Grey Evoque. The car has a 2.2 litre Diesel engine, 6-speed automatic transmission, panoramic sunroof and features including park assist, blind spot monitoring and a surround camera system.

Zara said: "I've grown up around Land Rovers and have been an ambassador for the brand for several years – I am really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of my new Evoque. It looks absolutely fantastic and I am delighted to be the first person in the UK to take delivery of one."

Land Rover has received over 20,000 pre-orders for the Range Rover Evoque worldwide with 6,000 of these in the UK.

Zara is one of the UK's leading equestrian figures and has been a Land Rover brand ambassador since 2006.

Tata to create 700 jobs in the UK

Indian car maker, Tata recently announced a £ 700 million investment plan with the creation of 600 jobs at Jaguar Land Rover. It is also launching a new programme to recruit new graduate engineers in September. That's great news for the Midlands.

I have no idea why but unlike other companies, there is absolutely no news about this in both the Jaguar or the Land Rover sites. Only got to read bout it in the local newspaper.

The Tata, Jaguar, Land Rover Deal in the news

Lord Bhattacharyya, who founded the Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick says “How often do two such icons come up for sale at the same time? Land Rover is now sustainably profitable and you are about to see a renaissance of Jaguar,". Read "Tata, Jaguar and Land Rover. Now what?"

Analysts think it's not a good deal. "Tata's Jaguar Deal Worries Analysts".

Investors are apparently worried as well with the company falling a few points on the Bombay Stock Exchange. "Tata Motors plunges 5 pc post JLR deal".

Definitely Tata will face several management challenges. Read "Can Tata Rev Up Jaguar?"

Tata, Ford, Jaguar and Land Rover

It's official - Ford has sold Jaguar and Land Rover to the Indian Tata Group for $2.3 billion (approx. £1.15bn). Read the BBC report: Tata buys Jaguar in £1.15bn deal
and the Tata Group's press release: Tata Motors enters into definitive agreement with Ford for purchase of Jaguar Land Rover.

Tata doesn't expect any "significant changes" to Jaguar or Land Rover employees' terms of employment, meaning that jobs are safe. The deal is expected to be completed by the end of the summer.

Wonder whether the Indians can finally make Jaguar profitable again.

Tata set to take over Jaguar, Land Rover

Tata Motors, a subsidiary of the Indian Tata group is set to take over British luxury marques Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford.

Ford stands to make around £1 billion (about $2.05 billion / Rs 8,000 crore) from the sale.

Tata won over two other bidders , namely, Indian car company, Mahindra & Mahindra and American private equity group, One Equity.

If it works out, this will be the first time ever that an Indian company has taken over a Western auto company.

Jaguar dealers in the US are worried that the take over might hurt the brand image. Ken Gorin, chairman of the Jaguar Business Operations Council, reportedly said:

I don't believe the US public is ready for ownership out of India of a luxury car make...

Read "Tata hits image problems in the U.S."

Ford selling off Jaguar and Land Rover

According to news reports, Ford has decided to get rid of it's two UK luxury brands -Jaguar and Land Rover. This is probably part of it's restructuring programme. This news comes as a surprise because Ford had invested heavily on these two marques and they are doing OK. Jaguar was bought in 1980 for £1.6 billion.

Read the CNN report here.

According to the Economist, this is the latest sign that

the turnaround at the world's third-biggest carmaker is not going well.

Workers at the Jaguar's Whitley plant (their HQ) here in Coventry are quite worried about their job security. As much as I hate to say it, the fact is that making cars here in the UK is no longer cost effective. This news follows Peugeot's decision to close their Ryton plant.

Latest news indicates that Cerberus, the private equity group that just bought Chrysler, has indicated interest in the companies. However, Cerberus has declined to comment. Read the report here.

Tags: binley car industry coventry ford jaguar land rover

Small off-roaders improve safety

Last Friday, Euro NCAP released the test results for two new small off-roaders, the Land Rover Freelander 2 and the Suzuki Grand Vitara.

The Land Rover Freelander 2 achieved the maximum award of five stars for adult occupant protection. It is the first small off-roader to achieve such a result.

On the other hand, the Suzuki Grand Vitara achieved a reasonable four star score in adult occupant protection.

However, it did better than the Freelander 2 in pedestrian protection than, becoming only the third small off-roader to be awarded three stars. This is the highest pedestrian rating so far awarded in this category.

Summary of Results

Land Rover Freelander 2
Occupant Protection: 5 stars
Child Protection: 4 stars
Pedestrian Protection: 1 star

Suzuki Grand Vitara
Occupant Protection: 4 stars
Child Protection: 3 stars
Pedestrian Protection: 3 stars

Tags: Euro NCAP Land Rover Freelander 2 Suzuki Grand Vitara