Land Rover's CO2 challenge as a part of Tata Motors
Yesterday's big news that Land Rover and Jaguar were sold to Tata Motors give us a chance to talk Land Rover in terms of CO2 emissions. Jaguar we'll just ignore for now, because Land Rover is a much more interesting case. We've ooohed and aaahed at the nice LRX concept, which would emit just 120 grams of CO2 per kilometer should it ever make it out of the Auto Show circuit, but in general Land Rover isn't exactly a clean car company. Automotive News Europe (subs req'd) found that Land Rover's sales are up dramatically in the last few years and the company is apparently "solidly profitable" (Jaguar's in trouble here). ANE said that Land Rover's CO2 emissions across the board need to be dropped and a brand reinvention to feature "fun, fashionable SUVs with a social conscience, rather than big gas-guzzling V-8 models that attract criticism from environmental campaigners" would be the right move. I see Tata as getting a bit schizophrenic here: big SUVs, the world's cheapest car and Jaguars? Still, if AutoWeek is correct, then the LRX will play a big role in the future of this new automotive hydra. That'd be sweet.
[Source: Tony Lewin / Automotive News Europe]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ug 8:54PM (3/27/2008)
How humiliating for two iconic British brands to be bought out by two former colonies, the US, and now India.
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Avinash machado 6:14AM (3/28/2008)
#ug Better humiliated than dead.
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Alistair 12:13AM (3/29/2008)
humiliating? no.
Don't you want the kids to help you out a bit when you get old?
Don't you want them to some day inherit the old car in the garage that you never quite finished restoring?
Wouldn't that make you proud?
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Whopper 12:45PM (3/28/2008)
Sir William Lyons must be spinning in his grave! Jaguar built fine automobiles - OK, the British insistance on using "positive earth" impacted their dependability. Still, they were fun, good handling cars in their day. Ford brought improved quality but watered down the design in my opinion. Will Tata respect the 80+ year history? Time will tell.
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JESH 2:11PM (3/28/2008)
As a matter of fact, Tata was the preferred buyer of the unions and the buyout has generally received positive press in UK. Those who still associate British brands with British 'pride' (whatever that means) have few and far between in the UK since... WWI? WW2? The idea that Britain is a highly patriotic country is largely a perception of those outside the UK, often used by those in former British colonies to justify their own jingoism. In fact, the UK is markedly unpatriotic compared to most countires, barring a few right-wingers. Even most conservatives are hardly flag-wavers. Excessive patriotism has had a bad name in western Europe since aforementioned conflicts, for obvious reasons. Besides, anyone who's stupid enough to equate modern, purely business decisions with their culutral identity truly has been taken in by slick marketing.
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Whopper 4:54PM (3/28/2008)
JESH, who said anything about patriotism? Tata builds junk, plain and simple. My question is will they influence Jaguar to the point where the quality efforts made by Ford will be wasted and the Jaguar name will join other fine automotive brands in the trash bin.
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Whopper 5:08PM (3/28/2008)
Further, pure "business decisions" have been the undoing of some of the best corporations in the world. Not just automotive but in all industries. Green eyeshade "business decisions" helped ground PanAm and put Continental in Chapter 11. Business decisions killed Oldsmobile at GM and now have Pontiac's future in doubt. Business decisions take the soul out of products and result in AMC Pacers and Ford Mustang II's. The new Mustang and the future Dodge Challanger are successful because they harken back to the days before the balance sheet made the final decision.
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TG 12:36PM (3/29/2008)
And about Ford selling Jaguar to Tata Motors India. Any bets that Tata will eventually market the Jaguar as an EV roadster to compete with our Tesla Roadster? = TG
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