Jaguar Land Rover’s parent firm Tata Motors has admitted it is considering plans to add three new models to Jaguar’s range: an X-Type replacement, an XF estate and a new XE baby roadster.
Writing to shareholders in the firm’s annual report, Tata chairman Ratan Tata hinted at the models alongside plans to overhaul Land Rover’s entire range, while also inferring JLR production could be shifted to China or India to respond to increased demand in those markets.
See Autocar's renderings of the Jaguar XE and Jaguar XF estate
Tata said he was “considering widening the Jaguar product range of by introducing a station wagon, a new entry-level Jaguar, and a new roadster”.
The long-rumoured XE baby roadster would slot in below the XK, while the new entry-level model would give Jaguar a replacement to the now discontinued X-Type to rival the BMW 3-series. The XF estate is tipped to launch in 2012 to coincide with the XF’s facelift.
Read more on the new Jaguar models
Tata noted that market conditions had been improving; JLR’s sales have been positive for the first two quarters of the year. He also said new JLR products, including the new XJ and Range Rover models, had been well received by markets, providing a big boost to sales after enduring a torrid end to 2008/start to 2009.
“The company has enormous talent, capabilities and skills, in addition to an impressive development of product and process technologies,” said Tata. “These will enable the company to achieve a more prominent position in the international automobile marketplace in the coming years.”
Read more JLR's recent sales success
Tata said Land Rover’s immediate challenge was to produce enough vehicles to cope with a surge in demand, before “progressively introducing fuel-efficient stop-start and hybrid vehicles”.
“Work is underway to revamp and refresh the entire model range,” he added.
Tata also hinted that JLR production could be partially shifted to India or China to increase profitability in markets where there had been a strong increase in demand.
“China has emerged as the third-largest global market for Land Rover/Range Rover and studies are underway to consider options to increase market penetration in China, India and other developing markets,” he said.
