JLR global sales decline 4.1% in Feb as China becomes Achilles heel

Auto major Tata Motors Thursday said its struggling British arm Jaguar Land Rover has posted a 4.1 per cent decline in its global sales to 38,288 units in February.

China continues to impact overall performance despite strong sales growth in North America and UK markets, according to a company filing to the BSE.

Sales of Jaguar brand of vehicles in February were up 5.8 per cent at 12,235 units over February 2018, the company said in a statement.

Land Rover range posted sales of 26,053 units in the month, down 8.1 per cent over a year-ago period, it added.

"Despite strong sales of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, we saw a dip in sales for the Land Rover brand during the month," said JLR Chief Commercial Officer Felix Brautigam.

Demand for the sporty compact E-PACE and the all-electric I-PACE powered growth for the Jaguar brand in key regions, he added.

"In the face of the ongoing macro-economic challenges being felt by the automotive industry, particularly in China, our strong sales growth in North America, the UK and Europe reflect continued demand for our exciting product line-up and two strong brands," Brautigam added.

However, JLR expects improvement in the performance after the launch of new compact Range Rover Evoque with hybrid powertrain and space-efficient platform.