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Jaguar Land Rover has enhanced its West Asia test programme by opening a new engineering test centre in Dubai, UAE, to conduct extreme hot weather vehicle research, development and testing.
With temperatures in the desert typically reaching 48 to 50 degrees Celsius in the summer months, the new 11,120 square feet facility in the Al Barsha area of Dubai, UAE, is to offer a comprehensive range of tests including durability, calibration and hot weather testing for heat and humidity.
The engineering team at the new centre, which replaces a smaller facility in Dubai, will also test powertrains, chassis and heat and ventilation systems, as well as the off-road and sand driving capability of Land Rover’s unique terrain response system.
Jaguar Land Rover has a network of five global test facilities at Nurburgring, Germany; Arjeplog, Sweden; Phoenix and International Falls, USA, and Dubai, UAE.
Jaguar Land Rover Director of Engineering Technical Services Martyn Hollingsworth said, "Jaguar Land Rover has ambitious plans for growth. Since 2008 we have been investing to enhance our engineering capability.''
In 2012, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) sold 357,773 vehicles, up 30 per cent. In the 2011-12 fiscal year, JLR achieved profits of Pound 1.5 billion, an increase of Pound 392 million when compared to the previous year.
The new facility in Dubai is four times the size of the previous test centre and is to enable the company to enhance its testing of future products and technologies.
Robin Colgan, Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover MENA (Middle East and North Africa), added Dubai offers some unique and challenging environmental conditions.
"If a vehicle passes our tests here we know it will perform in any hot weather environment. The new facility will be crucial to the company’s continued success as every model for the European and MENA markets will be certified here in Dubai, following thorough testing before going into global production,'' he said.
JLR is the largest investor in automotive R&D and engineering in the UK. The company is to invest Pound 2.75 billion in the year to March 2014, on product creation and capex.
amritanair.ghaswalla@thehindu.co.in
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