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Jaguar Cars unveiled a sports crossover concept, C-X17, which it will showcase at the Frankfurt auto show that opens on Thursday. Jaguar also announced an advanced monocoque (single frame) aluminium architecture, on which a new range of cars will be built.
The first car on this architecture will be a mid-sized premium sedan whose global rollout will begin in 2015, according to Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar’s Global Brand Director.
A Jaguar press release said the sedan would be built at a new production facility in Solihull, UK.
Jaguar also unveiled a sports crossover concept and announced the new light-weight aluminium architecture at an event on Monday at the Palais Thurn and Taxis, an 18th century palace that was destroyed in World War II and part of which is used to host exclusive events.
The new sedan is stated to be the first aluminium monocoque product in the segment, which will be powered by a range of engines, including the new family of petrol and diesel engines to be produced at Jaguar Land Rover’s new engine manufacturing facility now under construction at Wolverhampton in the UK.
The C-X17, Jaguar’s first sports crossover concept, is meant to demonstrate the capabilities of the aluminium monocoque architecture, which enables flexible high volume production.
This will enable Jaguar to grow its product portfolio, targeting high-growth areas of the premium market.
JLR, which has seen its year-to-date sales up 16 per cent, will invest nearly £1.5 billion to introduce technically-advanced aluminium vehicle architecture in new models.
It will also create 1,700 new jobs in the UK at Jaguar’s manufacturing facility in Solihull.
Announcing this at the Frankfurt Motor Show today, Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer, Jaguar Land Rover, said the investment reaffirms JLR’s financial strength and its commitment to manufacturing in the UK.
The new jobs at Solihull in the Midlands will bring the total number of UK manufacturing jobs announced by JLR over the last three years to almost 11,000.
According to a press release, JLR sold 27,852 vehicles in August, up 28 per cent over the same month last year.
So far this year, it has sold 269,653 vehicles, up 16 per cent year-on-year.
( The writer is in Frankfurt at the invitation of Jaguar Land Rover. )
>ramakrishnan.n@thehindu.co.in
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