What's the news?
Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed that the first member of its new Discovery family of vehicles, the Freelander replacing Discovery Sport, will be produced at its Halewood factory near Liverpool, alongside the highly successful Range Rover Evoque.
Apart from announcing the plans to launch the Disco Sport, the Tata-owned marque also promised 250 new jobs at the facility. The addition of these new positions will take the manpower at the plant to a considerable 4,750. An investment of £200 million has also been made in order to support the new vehicle's production.
Commenting on the announcement, JLR CEO, Dr Ralf Speth, said: "The Land Rover Discovery Sport is the next in a line of exciting new products to come from Jaguar Land Rover. I am delighted that Halewood - and Liverpool - has been selected for this new investment. It is totally deserved, and strengthens the 'special relationship' that bonds Jaguar Land Rover to this great city."
Anything else?
JLR Halewood Operations Director Richard Else said "I am delighted to be welcoming the new Land Rover Discovery Sport to Halewood. Its arrival has been a further boost to the region and to our committed and loyal workforce who are all passionate ambassadors for this great company. In many ways, Halewood has embodied the transformation of JLR. We have seen our work force treble and production quadruple in just four years. Today we are operating three shifts, 24 hours a day to meet global demand and I am confident that the new team will rise to the challenge and deliver a flawless launch of this exciting new model."
Paranjay Dutt - 23 Jun 2014