JLR opens new engineering test centre in Dubai

Will conduct extreme hot weather vehicle research, development and testing

Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover today said it has opened a new engineering test centre in Dubai to conduct extreme hot weather vehicle research, development and testing.

The new 11,120 sq ft facility in the Al Barsha area of Dubai will offer a comprehensive range of tests including durability, calibration and hot weather testing for heat and humidity, the company said in a statement.

"The engineering team at the new centre, which replaces a smaller facility in Dubai, will also test powertrains, chassis and heat and ventilation systems, as well as the off-road and sand driving capability of Land Rover's unique Terrain Response system," it added.

The company has been conducting hot weather testing in the MENA region for more than 12 years and the new Dubai facility replaces a smaller facility in Dubai Investments Park (DIP), it said.

With its new centre, JLR is enhancing its test programme in the Middle East, where temperatures in the desert typically reach 48 to 50 degrees celsius in the summer months, the company said without disclosing investments put in at the centre.

JLR has, however, announced that it will invest 2.75 billion pounds in the year to March 2014 on product creation and capital expenditure.

"Our new facility in Dubai is four times the size of the previous test centre and will enable us to enhance our testing of future products and technologies," Jaguar Land Rover Director of Engineering Technical Services, Martyn Hollingsworth said.

He further said the centre would help in ensuring that JLR vehicles can withstand even the harshest conditions through rigorous environmental testing.

Commenting on the development, JLR MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Managing Director Robin Colgan said, "The new facility will be crucial to the company's continued success as every model for the European and MENA markets will be certified here in Dubai following thorough testing before going into global production."

JLR has a network of five global test facilities -- Nurburgring, Germany; Arjeplog, Sweden; Phoenix and International Falls, USA, and Dubai, UAE.