A brand new Indian-built JLR mannequin primarily based on a brand new platform being created by father or mother agency Tata Motors will likely be launched subsequent yr.
Confirmed by Tata Group boss Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the platform can even underpin a “high-end” Tata mannequin.
Each will likely be inbuilt an all-new manufacturing unit in India, and there are plans to export them to different markets.
“We’re in a position to carry the fee angle of Tata Motors with the design sophistication of JLR,” Chandrasekaran informed Autocar India. “Then you definitely get the profit occurring for each in two other ways and the volumes go up, which justifies the funding that goes into the platform.”
He added: “Now we have greater aspirations, each for JLR and Tata Motors.”
He stopped wanting confirming which badge the brand new JLR mannequin would put on, or what would energy it, however it’s not anticipated to be electrified given India’s dependency on combustion engines.
As such, additionally it is prone to initially be offered solely in Asian markets, with a powerful enterprise case wanted earlier than exports to areas the place JLR is pushing electrification are thought-about.
When approached for a response, JLR informed Autocar that it doesn’t touch upon future merchandise.
JLR already builds vehicles in India, opening its Prune manufacturing unit in 2011, and this now assembles Land Rovers and Vary Rovers from knock-down kits for the native market.
That is the newest JLR mannequin to be inbuilt India, the model having began producing vehicles again in 2011; the nation’s Pune manufacturing unit now builds the Vary Rover, Vary Rover Sport, Vary Rover Velar, Vary Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport for the native market from knock-down kits.
The British firm made the transfer to fulfil rising demand from Asian and notably Chinese language prospects. China was JLR’s largest retail market final yr, recording 104,123 gross sales.
That demand has additionally seen JLR revive the Freelander moniker, which can spawn a spread of plug-in hybrid and electrical vehicles constructed by Chery JLR in China. That powertrain combine means export plans have already been tabled.