Jaguar Land Rover’s inaugural overseas manufacturing facility has finally opened in China and the award-winning Range Rover Evoque will be the first model to be built under the first Chinese-British automotive joint venture, with Chery Automobile Company Ltd.
The plant inauguration follows the two-year construction of the factory, which is almost 400,000 square-metres and located in the Changshu Economic Development Zone north of Shanghai.
Dr Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer of Jaguar Land Rover, and Mr Yin Tongyao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chery Automobile Company, welcomed the formal opening of the facility that aims to be the most advanced and efficient car factory in China.
At the plant inauguration, Dr Speth said: "The opening of this world-class facility is an important milestone for Jaguar Land Rover.
While Mr Yin added: "Chery Jaguar Land Rover remains committed to delivering excellence in its quest to lead the Chinese premium automotive industry through its historic British lineage, world-class quality and unique shared value approach."
By 2016, the facility is expected to be building three Jaguar Land Rover models with a total production capacity of 130,000 units a year.
Those vehicles will be manufactured in highly-automated press shops - including cutting-edge aluminium and steel technologies - along with a steel body shop comprising 306 robots, an energy-efficient paint shop and an ergonomically-friendly final assembly line.
A new aluminium body shop, the first in China, is already under construction, at the Changshu facility, to support the introduction of new Jaguar products.
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