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Jaguar Land Rover posts profitable quarter amidst big yearly losses

Jaguar has posted its first profit in quite some time, as the financial quarter ending on March 31 brought in a net income of $151.6 million. However, that is the light in the end of the tunnel, as full year results through March showed a $4.58 billion loss (GBP3.6 billion). The losses are again attributable to declining sales in China, with a whiff of the still-lingering Brexit process. While JLR's annual U.S. sales were up 8.1 percent, and U.K. sales improved by 8.4%, overall sales came down 5.8% to 578,915 vehicles. For April, Chinese sales nearly halved as they dropped by 46 percent. Earlier this year, JLR's woes caused its owner Tata Motors to post the biggest ever quarterly loss in Indian corporate history, at nearly $4 billion. JLR's CEO Ralf Speth stated that the company is "reducing complexity" and transforming its business by cost savings and cash flow improvements, citing the fourth-quarter profits as an example of the ongoing turnaround. Speth said JLR has already managed to deliver $1.59 billion (GBP1.25 billion) of efficiencies and savings. JLR says its turnaround program, dubbed Charge, will drive it to at least $3.18 billion (GBP2.5 billion) of investment, working capital and profit improvements by March 2020, and that it currently has $4.84 billion (GBP3.8 billion) of cash. Speth continued that JLR will "go forward as a transformed company that's leaner and fitter," and that the sustained investment in new products and technologies will drive future demand. There has been earlier speculation of Tata Motors selling JLR to the PSA Group, but as Autocar reports, Tata's financial chief again refuted these rumors. JLR also announced today that its CFO of 11 years, Ken Gregor is stepping down after 22 years with the company, and that he will be succeeded by JLR's Chief Transformation Officer, Adrian Mardell.

2018 Jaguar E-Pace Video Review | Jag's smallest SUV is a high-priced hit

The following is the transcript from our above 2018 Jaguar E-Pace video review. To read more about this compact luxury SUV, read our E-Pace first drive review. There's nothing like some Sunday morning driving. And today I am driving the 2018 Jaguar E-Pace, which is Jaguar's latest gasoline-fueled crossover offering, not to be confused with the I-Pace, which is their electric vehicle. This particular model is powered by a 246-horsepower turbocharged, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that makes 269 pound-feet of torque. It's mated to a nine-speed ZF automatic transmission, and my biggest gripe about the engine is that it can be a bit laggy, especially driving around in the mountains, particularly in Comfort mode. I would also appreciate paddle shifters on all of the models, not just the R-Dynamic, the lack of which on a $54,000, so-called sporty crossover is pretty disappointing. My disappointment doesn't linger very long, however, as the nicely weighted steering in this cub makes driving on these mountain roads pretty enjoyable. All-wheel drive does come standard on all varieties, and each feature four drive modes: Comfort, Dynamic, Eco, and then Rain/Ice/Snow. Let's talk about looks. Jaguar chief designer Ian Callum knows how to design an SUV. The F-Pace is my favorite looking vehicle in the segment and the style translates nicely to the smaller E-Pace. While it's not as good looking as its big brother, in my opinion, it definitely takes the crown over the Range Rover Evoque and the Discovery Sport, both of which share its platform. In fact, the E-Pace would rather easily be the best-looking vehicle in its class, if not for the newly-released Volvo XC40. This Cesium Blue paint is one of my favorite colors on the market, well worth the $590 price tag, in my opinion. I'm not a huge fan of chrome in general, and while this car is no exception, you can opt for the Blackout Pack, which replaces all the chrome on the car with gloss black paint. My biggest gripes with the F-Pace? Interior, infotainment and price. Those issues remain in its smaller sibling. When it comes to interiors, the Germans and the Swedes do a much better job, and when it comes to price, there are much better interiors out there. Most of the materials inside that you touch do feel pretty nice, but there are still a few cheap-feeling plastics around the cabin. And until there's a significant update to the infotainment system, JLR is always going to be behind the competition.

Hardcore Jaguar F-Type underway, 600 horsepower possible

Thanks to an already potent range of supercharged engines with some of the best exhaust notes available, the Jaguar F-Type is without a doubt a sublime performer. Still, there's always room to grow, and we are getting another good look from the Nurburgring at what's suspected to be an even more powerful version on the way. Spy shots of what was believed to be the Jaguar F-Type R-S first came out last spring. This time the roadster is practically uncamouflaged, though. The similarities are definitely there, and both test cars wear the same wheel design and quad-tailpipe rear diffuser. The latest one lacks the massive front splitter jutting out but gets a quite large, fixed trunk lid spoiler at the rear. You can also spot some large-diameter ceramic brake discs behind the wheels. The things happening under the bonnet might be even more interesting, though. To befit all of the exterior performance upgrades, Jaguar's supercharged 5.0-liter V8 is expected to nestle between the front wheels, and the mill is likely getting a boost in power to take output to 580 or even 600 horsepower, versus 550hp in standard form. Hopefully, the extra grunt makes the exhaust note even more intoxicating, as well. Featured Gallery Jaguar F-Type R-S Spy Shots Image Credit: CarPix Design/Style Spy Photos Jaguar Convertible Performance jaguar f-type r jaguar f-type r-s