The data is in and Tata Motors’ luxury vehicle unit Jaguar Land Rover is again the largest automotive manufacturer in Britain, accounting for over 30% of all domestic car production last year.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said on Thursday (26 January) UK car manufacturers set a new record in 2016, producing 1,727,471 vehicles.
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Output at JLR’s three vehicle manufacturing plants – the former Ford plant at Halewood near Liverpool, Castle Bromwich and Solihull in the West Midlands – rose 8% year on year in 2016 to 544,401 units. JLR vehicles account for five of the top 10 British-made best-selling models worldwide, the automaker claims.
“The latest figures further demonstrate the dramatic transformation undergone by Jaguar Land Rover, which has increased production from its British plants by more than 240% since 2009, when total annual production stood at 158,000 units,” the company said in a statement.
Global sales head Andy Goss said: “[We have] once again shown that investment in new models, skills and advanced technology are critically important to ensure Britain has a thriving automotive industry – even in the face of current uncertainty.
“To be the UK’s largest automotive business once again is a tremendous achievement. We are proud to call ourselves a British company and are committed to ensuring manufacturing remains the backbone of the economy.”
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By GlobalDataLast year, the company launched 15 redesigned or updated models. Entering the luxury SUV segment, targeting models from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, plus domestic luxury brands like Lincoln and Cadillac in the US with the Jaguar F-Pace (already now the brand’s highest-volume model), was rewarded with a boost in brand output of 67% while the Range Rover Evoque once again became Land Rover’s highest-volume car following the launch of a convertible variant.
Since 2010 Jaguar Land Rover has spent close to GBP4bn in its four British manufacturing plants which together produce 10 model lines plus – as JLR weans itself off using former owner Ford’s engines – the new petrol and diesel ‘Ingenium’ engines made at the brand-new, purpose-built Wolverhampton factory. Other projects include installation of Europe’s largest aluminium body shop, two new press lines and technology upgrades for all assembly lines. To support this considerable expansion, the company’s manufacturing headcount has grown from 7,700 in 2010 to around 19,000 today.
JLR has commited another GBP3bn for new and updated models this fiscal year (it has just shown off a revamped F-type).
Sales in 2016 rose 20% to 583,313 vehicles.
