Mumbai, Oct 29 (PTI) Tata Motors' British luxurymarquee Jaguar-Land Rover (JLR) expects to vroom past the4,500-unit volume-mark this fiscal year and increase itsmarket share to around 14 per cent.
It had already sold 2,942 units in the first ninemonths of 2017, clipping past a solid 45 per cent over sameperiod last year. In the whole of 2016, it had clocked around2,400 units only, accounting for around 9 per cent of the34,000 units luxury market.
JLR India president and managing director Rohit Suriis bullish about a spike in volumes despite the end of thelower taxation boost that GST regime had offered for twomonths and the resultant tepid festive sales in October.
And he bases the high expectation to the good responseit has seen in the first nine months — when the company sold45 per cent more units over what it had sold in the sameperiod last year.
"We are hopeful of closing this fiscal with a volumeof 4,500 units and a market share of 13-14 per cent. Last yearwith a volume of under 2,500 units, we had 8-9 per cent of themarket pie," Suri told PTI in an interaction here over theweekend.
He also expects the new `Discovery', launched lastevening with two global industry first features and at anattractive prices coupled with a petrol option, to do theneedful in the remaining part of the year.
The 34,000 units per annum in 2016 luxury car marketwas dominated by the German trio — Mercedes-Benz, BMW andAudi, respectively -- and JLR comes at a distant fourth slot.
Merc retained its leash over the market for the thirdyear in a row during the first nine months of 2017selling 11,869 units, up 20 per cent, driven by the new EClass and the SUVs. BMW sold 7,138 units in the same period, agrowth of 17.3 per cent, on robust demand for the new BMW 5series sedan, helping it make a comeback to the No 2 slotafter many years.
The niche market, which is only 1 per cent of totalpassenger car market, was bumping from one regulatory ortaxation hiccup or another since the past two years such asthe Supreme Court ban on high end diesel vehicle sale in Delhi-NCR, note-ban and the short-lived GST boost.
JLR expects the 7-seater fifth generation Land RoverDiscovery to boost the sales given the petrol option and thelower prices starting from Rs 71.38 lakh for the petroloption.
The full size seven-seater premium SUV comes with botha 3-litre petrol and diesel powertrain options and offers ahost of features such a full-sized spare wheel with anautomatic tyre lifting option and intelligent seat foldfunctionality-both industry firsts. The new model comes insix variants.
It also boasts of the highest wading depth of 900 mm,(Merc's GLS has only 600 mm while Q7 of Audi offers only 500mm) which will help the vehicle wade through flooded streets,the company said.
Suri also bases his optimism to the filling of a widegap in his Land Rover portfolio all these while with the newDiscovery.
"The Land Rover portfolio ranged from the Rs 42 lakhDiscovery Sport and the Rs 1.66-crore priced Range Roverleaving a yawning gap in the middle. The new Discovery fillsthat gap, which should help further build onto our alreadyhigh growth we have had so far this year.
"Also, there is a faster move towards petrol modelswhich also we are filling up with the new Discovery. Earlierour volumes were 95 per cent diesel but it is only around 75per cent now," Suri said.
But he parried a direct answer about salesexpectations from the new Discovery which will be importedfrom England, saying "We're already booked for the first twomonths."Land Rover launched the first Discovery 28 years agoand the latest model is the fifth generation.
Suri said India is the only market where the newDiscovery offers headroom for seven adults across the threerows of seating. It also offers permanent four-wheel drive.
The Land Rover range in the country includes theDiscovery Sport (Rs 42 L), Range Rover Evoque (Rs 44.44 L),new Discovery (Rs 71.38 L), Range Rover Sport (Rs 93.82 L) andRange Rover (Rs 166.42 L).
JLR sells its nine models (from Jaguar—the XE, XF,F-Pace and F-Type) sells through 25 outlets. It added twodealers this year and may add a similar number next year aswell, Suri said.
Suri said from Jaguar stable the XE, XF, F-Pace arethe volume grossers, while from the LR side the DiscoverySport and Range Rover Evoque do the volumes.
"The first nine months performance is a greattestimony to our focus on building highly aspirational brandsand world-class sales and after-sales infrastructure," Surisaid, adding with over 4.8 million Facebook fans, JLR has thehighest fan following among all the luxury players in thecountry. PTI BENRSY.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.