Jaguar and Land Rover India PHOTO GALLERY

Tata Motors bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford in 2008, it had great plans for both brands. Driven by sales of the sub-$5,000 Nano, the Indian conglomerate would have enough funds to secure their future. Now it seems that the tables have turned, and it's the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) unit that may have to bring in the profits.

Tata Motors reported an 8.5% drop in sales in India for the first quarter of 2011, due to rising interest rates in a country where, according to Bloomberg, 80% of new car sales are based on loans.

Demand for the Nano dropped by a whopping 48% in the last two months alone. Jaguar's global sales dropped even more in the first quarter, as the luxury carmaker reported a 27% decrease.

“Tata Motors had a pretty flat quarter as far as Jaguar sales are concerned, and Indian passenger vehicles sales went down” said Juergen Maier, a manager at Raiffeisen Capital Management in Vienna.

“Everyone is looking at the Evoque and also the product launches from Jaguar that will help increase sales”. Ashvin Chotai, the managing director of Intelligence Automotive Asia, agrees: “The company now revolves around the JLR unit and not the other way around”.

Fortunately for Tata, Land Rover is doing quite well: its sales in the past quarter grew by 22% to 50,747 units. And the Range Rover Evoque has already 18,000 orders even before it officially goes on sale in September, something that according to the brand’s director, John Edwards, will create a waiting list “well into next year” for new buyers.

Tata also has in the pipeline several Jaguar products including a Sport Break version of the XF and the exotic 200 mph C-X75 hybrid supercar. More importantly, Jaguar will launch a small sedan to rival luxury models like BMW’s 3-Series (hopefully with better results than the X-type).

In order to achieve its goals, the Tata Group plans to invest $2.4 billion annually in the development of 40 new products and variations of Jaguar and Land Rover models in the next five years.

Story source: Bloomberg

PHOTO GALLERY

Design of New 2012 Range Rover

smallest and most fuel efficient model in the British firm's range, but also because its styling will influence the design of the new 2012 Range Rover (spied here testing with heavy camouflage), according to the company’s head of design Gerry McGovern.

“There are aspects of the design that will be key. Range Rovers usually have a level window line and the body’s side and glass areas are equal. We’ve got rid of both on the Evoque, but we’ve still got the signature floating roof” said McGovern in an interview with Autocar magazine.

In addition, both the windscreen and the rear window will have a steeper angle, contributing to the sportier feel of the new Range Rover, while the interior will bear some resemblance to the Evoque. Land Rover says it will try to improve interior space, especially for rear passengers.

Reducing fuel consumption is also priority, not only with the use of more modern engines but also by constructing the Range Rover from alloy panels which is said to help shave about 450kg (992 pounds) reducing the weight to around 2,200kg (4,850 pounds).

PHOTO GALLERY

Land Rover fully reveals 5-Door Range Rover Evoque before LA Show debut [20 Photos]

After teasing us at the end of September with a single photo, Land Rover today came out with more details and a full image gallery of the 5-door version of the Range Rover Evoque ahead of its global debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, on November 17.
The Evoque Coupe's five-door sibling combines the same bold design, first seen on the Land Rover Concept Car, with increased space and more practicality.
"While retaining everything that's great about the Range Rover Evoque coupé, this new 5-Door bodystyle will offer customers even more choice, greater practicality, versatility and flexibility" said Land Rover's Managing Director Phil Popham.
Design-wise, the rising beltline and muscular look are still there, but the 5-door has a slightly higher roof, as it's 30 mm taller than the coupe. Even though the overall length and width remained the same, Land Rover's designers managed to offer 50mm (2 inches) more shoulder room for the rear seat passengers, alongside ample headroom.
Opting for a full-sized glass panoramic roof, which lets plenty of natural light through, can further enhance the sensation of space.
The Evoque will offer customers the ability to specify premium leather packages, which can cover almost any surface of the interior. Furthermore, it gets 60/40 folding seat squabs with ISOFIX child seat mounts and, when required, luggage capacity can be expanded to a decent 1,445 liters.
Most of the SUV's functions can be controlled by using an intuitive touch-screen display, available with dual-view technology, so that driver and passenger can access separate functions or content at the same time. Integrated Bluetooth and a range of USB and auxiliary inputs are also available.
There's also a new, high-end sound system from Meridian, which offers 17 speakers for a total of 825 W of surround-sound performance.
Underneath the sheetmetal, the Evoque can be equipped with the optional Adaptive Dynamics System with MagneRide that promises to offer a better balance between handling and ride quality, while the company's signature Terrain Response manages the full-time four-wheel-drive system in off-road conditions. The Evoque is also the first Range Rover to offer a front-wheel drive option.
The turbocharged powertrain line-up is shared with the Coupe and consists of modern petrol and diesel engines, said to offer "four-cylinder efficiency with six-cylinder refinement and power".
Diesel variants will make up the bulk of sales in Europe, so it's no surprise that the 2.2-liter unit has two derivatives, with 150 hp (112 kW) and 190 hp (142 kW).
The lonely 2.0-liter petrol unit combines turbocharging with direct fuel injection and twin variable valve timing to produce a very respectable 240 hp or 179 kW.
The 5-door Range Rover Evoque will go on sale in more than 160 countries starting from summer 2011 with a base price of £30,000 in the UK, and from US$45,000 in the US. More details (performance figures, photos, etc.) are likely to emerge during next week's LA Auto Show.

By Csaba Daradics

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Land Rover fully reveals 5-Door Range Rover Evoque before LA Show debut [20 Photos]

After teasing us at the end of September with a single photo, Land Rover today came out with more details and a full image gallery of the 5-door version of the Range Rover Evoque ahead of its global debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, on November 17.
The Evoque Coupe's five-door sibling combines the same bold design, first seen on the Land Rover Concept Car, with increased space and more practicality.
"While retaining everything that's great about the Range Rover Evoque coupé, this new 5-Door bodystyle will offer customers even more choice, greater practicality, versatility and flexibility" said Land Rover's Managing Director Phil Popham.
Design-wise, the rising beltline and muscular look are still there, but the 5-door has a slightly higher roof, as it's 30 mm taller than the coupe. Even though the overall length and width remained the same, Land Rover's designers managed to offer 50mm (2 inches) more shoulder room for the rear seat passengers, alongside ample headroom.
Opting for a full-sized glass panoramic roof, which lets plenty of natural light through, can further enhance the sensation of space.
The Evoque will offer customers the ability to specify premium leather packages, which can cover almost any surface of the interior. Furthermore, it gets 60/40 folding seat squabs with ISOFIX child seat mounts and, when required, luggage capacity can be expanded to a decent 1,445 liters.
Most of the SUV's functions can be controlled by using an intuitive touch-screen display, available with dual-view technology, so that driver and passenger can access separate functions or content at the same time. Integrated Bluetooth and a range of USB and auxiliary inputs are also available.
There's also a new, high-end sound system from Meridian, which offers 17 speakers for a total of 825 W of surround-sound performance.
Underneath the sheetmetal, the Evoque can be equipped with the optional Adaptive Dynamics System with MagneRide that promises to offer a better balance between handling and ride quality, while the company's signature Terrain Response manages the full-time four-wheel-drive system in off-road conditions. The Evoque is also the first Range Rover to offer a front-wheel drive option.
The turbocharged powertrain line-up is shared with the Coupe and consists of modern petrol and diesel engines, said to offer "four-cylinder efficiency with six-cylinder refinement and power".
Diesel variants will make up the bulk of sales in Europe, so it's no surprise that the 2.2-liter unit has two derivatives, with 150 hp (112 kW) and 190 hp (142 kW).
The lonely 2.0-liter petrol unit combines turbocharging with direct fuel injection and twin variable valve timing to produce a very respectable 240 hp or 179 kW.
The 5-door Range Rover Evoque will go on sale in more than 160 countries starting from summer 2011 with a base price of £30,000 in the UK, and from US$45,000 in the US. More details (performance figures, photos, etc.) are likely to emerge during next week's LA Auto Show.

By Csaba Daradics

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