New models save Jaguar Land Rover's sales figures
New models have helped keep Jaguar Land Rover sales growing around the world, despite a sharp drop in demand for its older cars.
Thousands of the newly launched Range Rover Velar, revamped Land Rover Discovery and the new Jaguar E-Pace – the baby version of the F-Pace SUV – were sold last month, helping hike JLR's global sales by 6.1 per cent in May to 48,281.
Sales for the company, which makes its engines at the £1bn factory on the i54 site to the north of Wolverhampton, were up in the UK, America and the 'Overseas' markets – including the Pacific area, Middle East, South America, India and Russia. But they were down in Europe and in the key Chinese market.
It was only the new E-Pace that helped buoy Jaguar's figures, with sharp drops in demand for the relatively new F-Pace, the F-Type sports car and big XJ and XJ saloons. And the new Velar and Discovery helped counter a drop in sales of the Discovery Sport and the Range Rover Evoque.
Felix Brautigam, Jaguar Land Rover's chief commercial officer, said: “Strong demand for Land Rover vehicles drove our performance in May particularly in the US and UK. The new, award winning Range Rover Velar was an important contributor. Also our latest Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models, including plug-in hybrid options, have been performing particularly well in key markets.
“For Jaguar we’ve had very positive customer response and industry reviews about the innovative Jaguar I-Pace, our first battery electric vehicle. With deliveries starting this summer we expect demand to be strong. Sales for the Jaguar E-Pace also continue to ramp up and we look forward to retails of this exciting sporty compact SUV beginning in China in August.
“China is a key market for us and we welcome the reduction in import tariffs announced in May. Although there has been an initial drop in sales as customers weigh up what it means for them, all indications are that this will be temporary and the move mid-term will further strengthen demand.”
Jaguar retail sales were 14,507 vehicles in May, up 6.6 per cent on the same month last year. Land Rover retailed 33,774 vehicles in May, up six per cent year on year.
Jaguar Land Rover total retail sales for the calendar year to date were 266,170, up a scant 0.3 per cent year-on-year as the introduction of new models were offset by lower sales of more established models.
