JLR

By: Dave Leggett - 24 September 2009 17:19

I guess it's not that surprising to hear that JLR is taking a plant out. Some consolidation of operations has looked on the cards in the light of the division's losses, the severity of the recession and the sales outlook.

The 'greening' of Land Rover as a brand certainly presents a challenge, but there is some interesting work going on with the vehicle technology and the LRX-based crossover certainly sounds like a step in the right direction. And Jaguar has a product renaissance - led by XF - going on that augurs well.

This restructuring could create the platform for a bright future when markets recover and premium brands are back in fashion. Keep an eye on union/labour force issues, though there is plenty of time for negotiation in private when the initial public posturing is over.

BREAKING: JLR to close a plant