Jaguar Land Rover – ‘Europe’s fastest growing car brand’

Pretoria – Jaguar Land Rover reported record sales of 604 009 vehicles (including sales from the China joint venture) in the 2016/17 financial year, up 16% compared to last year, exceeding 600 000 for the first time in the company’s history. 

‘Jaguar continues to grow’ 

Retail sales for the fourth quarter were 179 509 vehicles, up 13% on the same quarter a year ago, and March sales reached 90 838 units, up 21% on March 2016, claims the automaker.

Retail sales for the full financial year were up year-on-year in China (32%), North America (24%), the UK (16%) and Europe (13%), whilst sales elsewhere were down 6%.

For March, sales were up in Europe (21%), North America (21%), China (21%) and overseas markets (6%) compared to March 2016.

In the UK, March sales were up 26.5% to a record 31 778 vehicles.

Jaguar Land Rover group sales operations director, Andy Goss, said: “These numbers set the seal on Jaguar Land Rover’s seventh successive year of sales growth, by breaking through the 600 000 barrier. 

 “We continue to make encouraging gains in key markets such as China and North America, as well as seeing sustained customer demand for the Jaguar F-Pace, Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport. 

“The last 12 months have seen the launch of three completely new product lines, and successful growth across many of our existing products. Jaguar sales are still increasing strongly and Jaguar is now Europe’s fastest-growing car brand.”

‘Strong Sales’ 

Retail sales for Jaguar were a record 172 848 vehicles in the financial year, up 83% compared to the prior year primarily driven by the successful introduction of the F-Pace and solid sales of the XE and XF. Jaguar retails in the fourth quarter were 53 972 vehicles, up 81% on the same quarter last year, and 27 820 units in the month of March, up 83% compared to March 2016.

Land Rover retailed 431 161 vehicles this financial year, up 1% compared to last year, as continuing strong sales of the Discovery Sport, Evoque and Range Rover Sport were offset by the run-out of Defender and Discovery. Retail sales for Land Rover for the Fourth Quarter were 125 537 units, down 3% on quarter four last year, and retails in March were 63 018 vehicles, up 5% compared to March 2016. 

Last month Land Rover announced the Velar, a new addition to the Range Rover family, positioned between Evoque and Range Rover Sport. The Velar is set to arrive in South Africa by the last quarter of 2017.