The BSVI compliance is bringing landscape changes in the luxury car segment in India. To remain competitive as well as meet demand, luxury car makers like Mercedes-Benz and BMW have achieved considerable localization. Tata-owned JLR assembles imported CKD models for almost all its offerings which include the likes of Range Rover Evoque, Land Rover Discovery Sport, and the Jaguar variants. However, reports suggest that the Tata Owned British manufacturer is setting up its very own engine assembly and manufacturing facility in Pune. JLR’s segment rival Volvo has off late started India Assembly.
The move comes as JLR’s effort to stay price competitive post the BSIV era. The emission norms are getting stricter by the day and transition from BSIV to BSVI vehicles promises a significant increase in the price of luxury cars. To negate the price jump in a price sensitive automobile sector, most luxury, and other car makers will now opt for localization of engine assembly and manufacturing line. It will take some time before full fledge assembly and manufacturing go on the floor. Initially, only BSVI engines will be produced locally followed swiftly by the manufacturing of diesel engines.
Claiming inheritance with the Ingenium family of engines, the 2.0-litre petrol and the 2.0-litre diesel engine claim power output in the range from 150PS to 300PS. This family of engines underpins most JLR offerings that include the likes of Jaguar XE, XF, F-Pace and F-type and the Land Rover Evoque, Discovery Sport.
JLRs CEO, Ralf Speth, said, “Every six months we look at India and say, there must be a breakthrough around the corner — it must come. Whenever we have a critical mass of volume, we will also expand our footprint in India. We produce already today, we are also looking at the assembly of the engine, we are assembling more models today and will look at expanding further.”
