Jaguar Land Rover China roars into 2014

China overtook the UK in 2013 as JLR's largest single market, Jaguar Land Rover Automotive announced in its annual report for the previous financial year, which ended on March 31, 2013.

And more vehicles are on the way.

"This year, we'll bring Jaguar F-Type Coupe to the market, and we'll bring an all-new Land Rover product to the market," said Grace.

The Jaguar F-Type Coupe just debuted in November in the US, with three types of the sports car: F-Type Coupe, F-Type S Coupe and F-Type R Coupe.

In the middle of this year, according to Grace, Land Rover will launch its first low-emission, hybrid SUV.

In the third quarter, a cooperative effort between JLR and the Intel corporation will yield enhanced levels of connectivity and intelligence in the company's next generation car.

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The company announced in March 2012 the signing of joint venture with Chery Automotive to build a factory to manufacture cars in China.

"Today in the joint venture, there are probably about 700 people. Within the national sales company here I look after we've got about 350 people," Grace said.

"As we step up production, as we start recruiting production workers, we'll be into 3,000. Maybe more than 3,000 people, will be employed directly in the joint venture," he added.

The first 50 workers have received the three-month training in the company's UK plant since August 2013.

It is important for the joint ventures to maintain the consistency in high product quality, according to Chery Jaguar Land Rover President Chris Bryant in an earlier China Daily interview.

Grace promised that China-made cars will have the world-class quality and "as good as those manufactured in the other plants".

Chinese regulatory approval was received in October 2012 for a total investment of $1.8 billion from Jaguar Land Rover and Chery.

The balance of the investment is to be funded by debt in the name of the joint venture without recourse to or guarantees from Jaguar Land Rover or Chery.

JLR initially invested $116 million in the new joint ventures, consisting of $114 million in Chery Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Co and $1.6 million in Suzhou Chery Jaguar Land Rover Trading Co, according to JLR's 2012-2013 annual report.

JLR and Chery established Suzhou Chery Jaguar Land Rover Trading Co Ltd in April 2012 in Suzhou city, Jiangsu province, and Chery Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Co Ltd in January 2013 in Changshu city, Jiangsu province.

"From a joint venture with Chery Automotive in China to developing our own range of low-emission engines, our destiny is firmly in our hands and it is a responsibility our senior leadership team takes very seriously," said Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, in the annual report.

More Jaguar Land Rover pictures:

New C-X17 showcases Jaguar's crossover concept in Guangzhou	Jaguar XF Art Edition at Chengdu auto show