► Magna Steyr to build cars for JLR
► New model to be built in Graz, Austria
► Jag Land Rover UK factories fill up
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has struck a deal with contract manufacturer Magna Steyr to build future models at its Graz facility in Austria, as JLR’s UK factories fill up to capacity.
It has not yet been specified which models will be assembled in Austria, but it is likely to be a future, incremental model that the British car maker simply can’t squeeze into an existing British plant.
Front-runners are likely to include the Range Rover Evoque Convertible, now confirmed for production, the Land Rover Defender replacement or the new mini-me Jaguar F-Pace loosely dubbed the E-Pace.
Why JLR’s UK factories are full to bursting
The company admits its three UK plants are running ‘close to their operating capacity’ as sales have doubled in the past five years to 462,000 cars. Sites in Castle Bromwich, Halewood and Solihull are flat out building the fast-selling SUVs that have powered the company’s growth, and it hopes newer arrivals such as the new Jag XE will continue that upward trend.
Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover’s CEO, said: ‘The UK remains at the centre of our design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities. Partnerships such as this will complement our UK operations and engineering. Today marks another step in building our global footprint.’
It’s not the first time Jaguars and Land Rovers will have been made abroad; it already has joint ventures in China and India, and JLR is building its first factory in Brazil. Moreover, it is seeking a location for its planned fourth European facility, believed to be headed to Hungary or Poland.