Tata Motors' Jaguar Land Rover reported record retail sales of 604,009 vehicles (including sales from the China joint venture) in the financial year to 31 March 2017, up 16% year on year and exceeding 600,000 for the first time in the company's history.
Retail sales for the fourth quarter were 179,509 vehicles, up 13%, while March sales reached 90,838 units, up 21%.
Full year sales rose in China (32%), North America (24%), the UK (16%) and Europe (13%) but were down 6% in other overseas markets. March retail sales were up in Europe (21%), North America (21%), China (21%) and overseas markets (6%). In the UK, with annual vehicle tax changes looming in April, March sales were up 26.5% to a record 31,778 vehicles.
Andy Goss, group sales operations director, said: "These numbers set the seal on Jaguar Land Rover's seventh successive year of sales growth, by breaking through the 600,000 barrier. We continue to make encouraging gains in key markets such as China and North America.
"The last 12 months have seen the launch of three completely new product lines, and successful growth across many of our existing products. Jaguar sales are still increasing strongly and Jaguar is now Europe's fastest growing car brand."
Retail sales for Jaguar were a record 172,848 vehicles in the financial year, up 83% and primarily driven by the successful introduction of the F-Pace and solid sales of the XE and XF. Jaguar retails in the fourth quarter were 53,972 vehicles, up 81%, and 27,820 units in March, up 83%.
Land Rover retailed 431,161 vehicles this financial year, up 1%, as continuing strong sales of the Discovery Sport, Evoque and Range Rover Sport were offset by the run-out of Defender and Discovery. Retail sales for Land Rover for the fourth quarter were 125,537 units, down 3%, and retails in March were 63,018 vehicles, up 5%.
