JLR sales plummet in China slowdown
SALES figures at West Midlands car giant Jaguar Land Rover have once again slid.
The luxury car manufacturer reported a fall due to a slowdown in China where sales have fallen by 50 per cent.
Jaguar Land Rover said market conditions remained challenging in China, due to tariff changes and continued trade tensions with the US.
It said the situation was “impacting consumer confidence and automotive purchases”.
The company’s November sales were down by eight per cent year on year.
Jaguar Land Rover sold a total of 48,160 vehicles in November.
Sales in China were 50.7 per cent lower than a year ago, a slide which JLR blamed on consumer uncertainty following tariff changes and trade concerns.
It pledged to continue working closely with retailers in China to respond to the tough market conditions.
Sales were up by 18.1 per cent in North America due to strong sales of Range Rover models while sales in Europe rose by 5.6 per cent and were up 3.2 per cent in the UK.
Jaguar sold 14,909 vehicles in November, up 8.9 per cent year on year, due in part to the introduction of the E-Pace and I-Pace models.
Land Rover sales totalled 33,251 vehicles in November, down 14 per cent year-on-year.
Chief commercial officer Felix Brautigam said: “We are encouraged to see our best-ever November sales performance in North America, propelled by strong SUV sales. This performance was combined with growth in Europe and the UK where we have outperformed the market – a significant accomplishment in today’s challenging conditions.
“These positive regional results reflect our strong brands and attractive product line-up.
“In China, we continue to see significant market challenges but we remain focused on taking all the operational actions necessary to balance production with demand.”
Employees returned to work last month following a two-week shutdown period after JLR chiefs announced a freeze in vehicle production.