Jaguar Land Rover has raised its 2009 China sales forecast as the country’s improving economic confidence revives plunging demand for sport utility vehicles.
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Local MD Christopher Brown told Bloomberg News full year sales would pass last year’s 12,500 vehicles even though Land Rover sales have struggled so far this year.
Land Rover sales in China were down 30% year on year to 3,666 in the first five months after the government doubled consumption tax on vehicles with engines of four litres or more to 40%. The decline slowed in May and sales were little changed from last year at about 1,000 vehicles, said Brown.
However, Jaguar sales rose over 40% in the first five months to 595 vehicles.
Like other luxury makers, JLR, which is owned by India’s Tata Motors, is hoping sales gains in China will offset falling demand in the US and Europe. Daimler has previously predicted China sales would grow at least 10% this year after posting a 30% increase in Mercedes-Benz car sales in the first quarter.
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By GlobalDataBMW’s sales in the country rose 14% in the period. Industry wide vehicle sales rose 3.9% to 2.68m.
JLR has just opened a new distribution centre in China which Brown said would become a hub for supplying parts across the country, as well as other Asian markets, including Japan, Malaysia and Thailand.
