Range Rover models to be made in India, massive price drop for SUVs

Pune: In a significant development, India becomes the first country outside of the UK to locally manufacture Jaguar Land Rover’s flagship Range Rover and Range Rover Sport SUVs at its factory in Pune, thereby bringing down their prices significantly.

 Till now, the iconic Range Rover models were only being manufactured in Tata Motors-owned JLR's UK plant and then exported world over.

 On Friday the British luxury car maker priced the Range Rover 3.0-litre diesel HSE LWB at Rs 2.36 crore (down by Rs 44 lakh) while the Range Rover Sport 3.0-litre diesel Dynamic SE at Rs 1.40 crore (down by Rs 29 lakh) at pan India showroom.

 Tata Group chairman N Chandrasekaran said the manufacturing of Range Rover in India underscores the confidence JLR has in India.

 “The Range Rover will be manufactured right here in India is just a super feeling… it’s a very, very special moment and I feel proud,” he told reporters.

 “We will sell more, I am very confident that it's going to be a great journey from here," Chandrasekaran said.

 Rajan Amba, MD at JLR India, said it was a big step to making Range Rover and Range Rover Sports cars accessible to a wider set of buyers across India.

 According to experts, JLR’s move is indicative of the kind of market India is shaping into when it comes to premium offerings.

 Amba said the local assembling will allow the company to take the benefit of the duty structure and to bring the price down of the two models by about 18 to 22 per cent.

 JLR India reported an 81 per cent increase in retail sales last fiscal in India at 4,436 units.

 On expansion plans, Amba said the company aimed for doubling its business over the next three years. “We will bring the latest innovative products in the luxury market, and leverage the Tata Group ecosystem," he said.

 "The products remain very premium but more in a price range where we can capture that aspiration and desire to be affiliated to the brand," Amba pointed out.

 Jaguar Land Rover hopes local production would bring down the waiting period for the two SUVs over the next year.

 With the addition of the two Range Rover models, JLR India will now be rolling out six models from the Pune factory that it shares with Tata Motors, where it assembles Range Rover Velar, Range Rover Evoque, Jaguar F-PACE and Discovery Sport.

 Range Rover MD Geraldine Ingham said retail sales in India have surged and the local manufacturing will address this growing demand.

 JLR currently has an installed production capacity of around 10,000 units per annum at its Pune plant.