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2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque - Off-Road First Drive
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Indian auto giant Tata has committed to doubling its annual investment in Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), increasing it to 1.5 billion pounds ($2.4 billion) beginning with the current fiscal year (ending next month).
Thanks to both increasing sales in emerging market and increasing margins, JLR has driven growth at Tata in recent quarters, contributing as much as 95 percent of the company’s profit.
As
Automotive News Europe (subscription required) reports, JLR returned a profit margin of 20 percent through December of 2011, three times the profit that Tata realized from domestic sales of Tata-branded product.
In the fiscal third quarter, much of Tata’s revenue growth was due to strong sales of the new
Range Rover Evoque, as well as increasing demand for product from Chinese and Russian consumers.
JLR has realistic expectations sustaining high margins, and expects to see sales growth in emerging market begin to taper off.
To aid with sales and profitability in China, JLR is expected to appoint a Chinese manufacturing partner in the near future. Bloomberg had previously reported that Chery Automobile was Tata’s partner of choice, but the Indian company would neither confirm nor deny the report.
Despite initial claims that
JLR production would not take place in India, Tata has moved production of Freelanders for the Asian market to Pune, India. Reports say the next
Land Rover Defender may be built in India as well, although it isn’t clear if this production will be used for Asian market customers only.
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That has been the problem FAR TOO LONG with myopic profit driven inept managers at the help of big firms. A bunch of rigid and intellectually confined old men with no aspirations. Tata comes from a country EAGER to move forward in the future, acquire knowledge and invest. If any anything TATA IS THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED to either of those company. I look forward to an Asian manufacturer taking over Saab soon and carrying on with some of their project because Saab had some sublime designs in the past.
on a side note, a black on black RR Evoque 4 door went past me yesterday. The misus and i have clearly stated we are stopping at 2 kids and we now want an evoque hahahaha
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