Big plans for Jaguar Land Rover starting immediately with their latest announcement of 3 new models over the next 5-years and gradually switch of all its vehicles to a new modular platform.
The first model will be a new-generation Land Rover Defender, arriving in the 2020-21 financial year, JLR said in a June 22 presentation to investors. Two more vehicles will be launched between 2021 and 2024, increasing JLR’s model range to 16 from 13 now.
JLR’s new Modular Longitudinal Platform (MLA) will bring cost efficiencies by being shared across the bulk of its vehicles. Currently JLR uses 6 platforms, including the D7U aluminum platform used by the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Discovery large SUVs, and the D7A aluminum platform used by Jaguar XF and XE sedans, Jaguar F-Pace SUV and the Range Rover Velar.
The Range Rover Evoque, Land Rover Discovery Sport and Jaguar E-Pace use the D8 steel platform, a heavily reworked version of a legacy Ford platform. The Jaguar XJ sedan, F-Type sports car and I-Pace EV are on unique platforms.
JLR said the shift to the new MLA platform will start in 2020, which confirms that the first vehicle to use it will be the upcoming Land Rover Defender. Vehicles on the MLA architecture can be offered as mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid or full-electric vehicles.
The D8 platform will underpin new small models until the 2024-25 financial year, after which the cars will switch to the MLA. Before then, JLR will update the platform, now called Premium Transverse Architecture (PTA), to include plug-in hybrid and 48-volt mild hybrid models. The first model to use it will be the new Range Rover Evoque, which is expected to go on sale next year.
Other technologies available with the new transverse engine architecture is a “see-through,” a video technology that lets the driver see the ground directly ahead of the car during off-road driving.
Jaguar Land Rover will open its first assembly plant on the European mainland in September, in Slovakia. It will start with production of the Land Rover Discovery, with a capacity of 150,000 vehicles a year. Defender production may be added later.
