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Jaguar Land Rover to cut output and jobs due to Brexit, diesel slump

LONDON — Britain's biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover will cut around 1,000 jobs and production at two of its English factories due to a fall in sales caused by uncertainty around Brexit and confusion over diesel policy, a source told Reuters. Output will be cut at its central English Solihull and Castle Bromwich plants, affecting some 1,000 agency workers, the source said. A spokesman at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) declined to comment on the number of jobs which would be lost but the firm said it would be making changes to its output plans. "In light of the continuing headwinds impacting the car industry, we are making some adjustments to our production schedules and the level of agency staff," the company said in a statement. It is not renewing the contracts of a number of agency staff at the Solihull site and would be informing staff on Monday of its plans for the 2018-19 financial year. In January, the firm said it would temporarily reduce production at its other British plant of Halewood later this year in response to weakening demand due to Brexit and tax hikes on diesel cars but did not detail any job losses. Jaguar sales are down 26 percent so far this year whilst Land Rover demand dropped 20 percent in its home market as buyers shun diesel, concerned over planned tax rises and possible bans and restrictions in several countries. "It's been obvious to everyone that sales have been dropping," the source said. British new car registrations have been falling for a year which the car industry body has partly blamed on weakening consumer confidence in the wake of the Brexit vote, after record demand in 2015 and 2016. Reporting by Costas Pitas. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: REUTERS/Phil Noble Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Plants/Manufacturing Jaguar Land Rover Diesel Vehicles Luxury sales jaguar land rover jobs brexit

Ford's J Mays feels vindicated by Fusion reception

It's hard to think back now, but the same man overseeing the design of the 2013 Ford Fusion also presided over a rather lackluster period in Ford design, highlighted by vehicles like the Five Hundred and Freestyle. With the redesigned Fusion receiving high praise, J Mays tells Automotive News that he feels vindicated from criticisms suggesting he's not a daring enough designer.
When Mays took over as lead of design in 1997, he admits to having quite an ego ("My head would barely fit through the door some days. I've long since gotten over myself") and the workload to match. With the Blue Oval's portfolio full of premium brands like Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo at that point, along with the bread-and-butter Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models, Mays certainly had quite the challenge.
It was in the mid-2000s that Mays took over just the premium brands, and took on the new title of Chief Creative Officer. At the time, Mays endured some criticism for looking backwards to retro styling, rather than setting a new standard for American car design - criticism that Mays says he is free from with the all-new Fusion.

Jaguar teases four-door EV grand tourer; electric Range Rover orders open this year

Jaguar just revealed a few vital details about a new EV it says will be revealed by the end of 2023, and Land Rover shared a little update about its upcoming electric Range Rover, too. Starting with the Jag, JLR — the new, official name for Jaguar Land Rover — announced that its next electric vehicle will be a four-door GT car. The image above is the teaser the company provided. Power output will be greater than any previous Jaguar, with the current record holder being the XE SV Project 8 at just over 590 horsepower. Range is claimed to be about 430 miles on a full charge (Jaguar doesn't specify the test cycle type), but that number could be different (and likely lower) here in the United States once EPA testing takes place. Jaguar says the grand tourer will debut its new in-house EV platform that is officially named JEA, which is unrelated to the electric XJ that was scrapped a couple years ago. And lastly, Jaguar says the vehicle will start at GBP100,000 in Great Britain. Pricing for the United States wasnÂ’t estimated, but a direct conversion at todayÂ’s rates puts it at about $124,000. Considering the price point, power level and range, this Jaguar is shaping up to be a potential Porsche Taycan competitor. The single teaser image at the top of this post suggests the same, as the photo shows a car with a fast-sloping roofline and wide, bulging fenders. ItÂ’s an exciting teaser, as it pretty much confirms that Jaguar will be coming in hot with a spicy-looking electric four-door. The last detail about this Jag confirmed today is its production site, as Jaguar says it will build the vehicle at its Solihull plant in the West Midlands, England. As for the Range Rover news, weÂ’ve known an electric Range Rover was on its way, now we know that the vehicle will launch in 2025. JLR says it will begin accepting orders for the electric Range Rover later this year, but didnÂ’t set an official date. The electric Range Rover will be built at JLRÂ’s Halewood plant in Merseyside, England. Those are all the details we know about today, but expect more teasers and information leading up to the reveal of these new EVs later in 2023. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.