Tata’s JLR to move UK production of Discovery model to Slovakia from 2019

LONDON:Tata-ownedJaguarLand Rover (JLR) has announced that said it will move production of its Land Rover Discovery SUV from the West Midlands to Slovakia from next year, which is expected to lead to job losses in the UK.

The company’s base in Solihull, where the Discovery is manufactured, will be used to build a new generation of Range Rover models, JLR said in a statement, adding that while the move to Slovakia would involve job losses, it remained “committed to the UK”.

The company said: “The decision to move the Land Rover Discovery to Slovakia and the potential losses of some agency-employed staff in the UK is a tough one but forms part of our longterm manufacturing strategy as we transform our business.”

The new Slovakia plant is likely to be the base to build a new generation of the cheapest Land Rover, the Defender. JLR said the move will help the company invest more in higher-value engineering and manufacturing in Solihull for the introduction of the hybrid and electric Range Rovers of the future.