Jaguar Land Rover back in black

Jaguar Land Rover boss Carl Peter Forster says the company is back in the black and has exciting plans for the future.

Forster told Whatcar.com that JLR made a profit of 32 million was made last year, much of it thanks to the success of the Jaguar XF and Land Rover, both of which had sales increases of 50% and 60% respectively.

Savings were also made in restructuring the business, however, which means 2500 jobs have been lost and one of the company's plants in the UK still faces closure.

Despite that, and plans to look at manufacturing in China where a huge amount of growth potential lies, Forster said the company will continue to develop its modern Britishness.

Forster also said that Jaguar Land Rover needs help from the UK Government to continue the development of hybrid and electric vehicles, and also wants to work more closely with universities to get more engineering and software experts on board.

Jaguar Land Rover is also looking at the chance of in-house engine development with parent company Tata, whose Nano city car and electric Vista could be on the way to the UK.

Range Rover and Land Rover
The two-pronged approach with Land Rover and Range Rover will be developed. Land Rover will go forward with a tougher image and greater off-road ability, while Range Rover will offer a more premium, and expensive, experience with a greater focus on their ability on the road.

Forster said the gap between next year's LRX-based compact Range Rover and the Range Rover Sport may have to be plugged, and also said there was a possibility of an even smaller model than this in the future.

A baby brother to the Jaguar XK has also been talked about for many years, but the project appears to have taken a big step forward with the creation of a clay model that Forster likes the look of.