Wednesday, April 15, 2015
By Kriti Gupta
Tata Motors launches Jaguar XE Saloon in United Kingdom
Tata Motors has made automotive history in Britain with the launch of Jaguar's newest model XE, an entry-level luxury saloon car, at its factory in the West Midlands region of England. The factory at Solihull has traditionally been the home of sister brand Land Rover but the first Jaguar XE saloon rolled off the all-new production facilities at the plant this week. The 500-million pounds "factory within a factory" consists of a new body shop and trim and final facilities. The Tata Group's investment in the unit represents the largest single investment in the Solihull plant in its 70-year history.
Jeremy Hicks, Jaguar Land Rover's UK managing director, hopes that in its first full year the XE would double Jaguar's present annual UK sales of 18,000. "People who buy cars in this market stay very loyal. We are the new arrival in the playground and aiming to punch the three biggest kids on the nose," he said. "The XE will bring the average age of the Jaguar driver down significantly. We are accessing young professionals who have historically defaulted to the German brands because they have had nowhere else to go," he added.
The XE, dubbed the 'Baby Jag' for its compact size, is not the only Jaguar that will be made at the new Solihull unit. The F-Pace, unveiled earlier this year, will also be built at the new unit from next year. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) was acquired by Tata Motors back in 2008 and has since seen a drastic turnaround in its profits. In 2010, the Solihull plant, which started operations building aircraft engines during World War II, was in danger of closure.
Courtesy: Economic Times
