JLR to spend 1 billion pounds more with UK suppliers

(Reuters) - Luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will spend an additional 1 billion pounds ($1.62 billion) with UK suppliers over the next four years, the company said, as strong global demand for its Range Rover Evoque model continues.

Jaguar Land Rover has announced record UK sales for 2012, but what has been the secret of its success? A stagnant economy with high unemployment and, even for those in work, a lack of job security, might not seem like market conditions conducive to selling luxury cars.

The brand new 2013 Range Rover, the fourth generation of what Jaguar Land Rover righty calls an "iconic" vehicle, is an excellent vehicle. Maybe too excellent. At Jaguar Land Rover's (JLR) invitation, we flew out to Utah and put the luxury SUV through its paces on desert highways and a rocky, muddy off-road course.

The West Midlands plant already employs 6,000 people producing the Range Rover Discovery and Defender models, reports The BBC. The news came as the firm announced record sales of almost 358,000 cars in 2012, up 30% from the year before. The carmaker, which is owned by Tata of India, said vehicle sales in China rose 70% to 71,940, overtaking the UK to become its biggest market.

GENEVA (Reuters) - Luxur

For those of you who read my blog, you know that I’ve had an interest in Tata’s acquisition of Jaguar and Rover.