Jaguar to create 1,300 UK jobs with launch of new SUV
Jaguar F-PACE said to be the next step in the carmaker's development of aluminium technology
Jaguar Land Rover has announced plans to create 1,300 new jobs at its Solihull plant in the West Midlands as it breaks into the sports utility vehicle (SUV) market for the first time.
The British carmaker revealed details of its first 4x4 "crossover" vehicle yesterday at the Detroit Auto Show, one of the world's biggest annual motoring events.
The Jaguar F-PACE, based on the C-X17 concept first unveiled in 2013, is set to arrive in dealerships in 2016 and is said to be the next step in the company's development of aluminium and lightweight technologies.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Solihull is already home to one of the world's largest aluminium body shops and final assembly hall, collectively the size of 22 football pitches, says the Birmingham Post.
The company, owned by Indian multinational Tata Motors, has 30,500 UK staff and has invested £1.5bn in new production facilities at Solihull over the past year.
The new F-PACE will follow this year's launch of the Jaguar XE sports saloon, which has seen several thousand new UK jobs created in recent years.
Chief executive Ralf Speth said yesterday's announcement demonstrated the company's "commitment to the UK and the advancement of a high-tech, high-skilled, manufacturing-led economy".
He added: "We want to offer customers greater choice, with even more exciting vehicles, crafted with that special British flair."
Business Secretary Vince Cable told the BBC the decision was a "ringing endorsement" of the UK's car industry. "The UK's automotive industry is thriving with a new car rolling off the production line every 20 seconds, and increasing levels of investment that's helping to secure local jobs," he said.
Jaguar Land Rover is set to reveal another record year of sales, says the Daily Telegraph, with almost 463,000 vehicles sold worldwide, a 9 per cent increase on 2013. Land Rover celebrated 381,108 vehicle sales, while Jaguar sales were 81,570.
"JLR has turned into a remarkable success story since Tata acquired it from Ford for $2.5bn (£1.5bn) in 2008," says the newspaper.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Band Aid 40: time to change the tune?
In the Spotlight Band Aid's massively popular 1984 hit raised around £8m for famine relief in Ethiopia and the charity has generated over £140m in total
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Starmer vs the farmers: who will win?
Today's Big Question As farmers and rural groups descend on Westminster to protest at tax changes, parallels have been drawn with the miners' strike 40 years ago
By The Week UK Published
-
How secure are royal palaces?
The Explainer Royal family's safety is back in the spotlight after the latest security breach at Windsor
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Labour shortages: the ‘most urgent problem’ facing the UK economy right now
Speed Read Britain is currently in the grip of an ‘employment crisis’
By The Week Staff Published
-
Will the energy war hurt Europe more than Russia?
Speed Read European Commission proposes a total ban on Russian oil
By The Week Staff Published
-
Will Elon Musk manage to take over Twitter?
Speed Read The world’s richest man has launched a hostile takeover bid worth $43bn
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Shoppers urged not to buy into dodgy Black Friday deals
Speed Read Consumer watchdog says better prices can be had on most of the so-called bargain offers
By The Week Staff Published
-
Ryanair: readying for departure from London
Speed Read Plans to delist Ryanair from the London Stock Exchange could spell ‘another blow’ to the ‘dwindling’ London market
By The Week Staff Published
-
Out of fashion: Asos ‘curse’ has struck again
Speed Read Share price tumbles following the departure of CEO Nick Beighton
By The Week Staff Published
-
Universal Music’s blockbuster listing: don’t stop me now…
Speed Read Investors are betting heavily that the ‘boom in music streaming’, which has transformed Universal’s fortunes, ‘still has a long way to go’
By The Week Staff Published
-
EasyJet/Wizz: battle for air supremacy
Speed Read ‘Wizz’s cheeky takeover bid will have come as a blow to the corporate ego’
By The Week Staff Published