Indian-owned luxury car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover revealed plans on Monday to create 1,300 jobs in Britain to build Jaguar’s first-ever sports utility vehicle.
The new F-PACE crossover vehicle – billed as a family sports car – will be made at its factory in Solihull, central England, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said in a statement. The vehicle will go on sale in 2016 and is inspired by Jaguar’s F-Type sports car, it added.
“Today’s announcements once again demonstrate our commitment to the UK and the advancement of a high-tech, high skilled, manufacturing-led economy,” said JLR chief executive Ralf Speth. “We want to offer customers greater choice, with even more exciting vehicles, crafted with that special British flair.”
Prestigious British car brand Jaguar Land Rover – bought by India’s Tata Motors for $2.3 billion from Ford in 2008 at the height of the global financial crisis – now employs a total of 30,500 people in Britain.
Back in September last year, JLR said it would create 1,700 jobs at the Solihull plant in a £1.5-billion investment. A spokesman told AFP on Monday that the additional 1,300 jobs would also be part of that investment.