Range Rover SUVs Will be Assembled in India for The First Time

JLR is poised to assemble both the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport outside the UK for the first time.

The Jaguar-Land Rover (JLR) group is poised to assemble both the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport SUVs in India. Set to be produced exclusively for the Indian market, this momentous occasion marks the first time any Range Rover has been produced outside the UK.

JLR’s Solihull plant in the UK has always been the birthplace of the marque’s flagship SUV pair, with the automaker proudly designating said plant as “the global home of Range Rover.” For the first time ever in its decades of history, Range Rover SUVs will be assembled from knock-down kits (CKD or SKD) in Tata Motors’ production facility in Pune, India.

Tata Motors production facility in Pune, India

Located near the bustling Mumbai metropolitan area, Tata Motors’ Pune plant has served as the production hub for several JLR products tailored to the local market, starting with the second-gen Land Rover Freelander back in 2011. Currently, the Pune plant is in charge of producing local-specific JLR models like the Range Rover Evoque, Range Rover Velar, Jaguar F-Pace, and Land Rover Discovery Sport.

Commenting on the brand’s decision to assemble Range Rover SUVs in India, JLR chief commercial officer Lennard Hoornik said, “India has experienced steady and remarkable economic growth over the past few years and is expected to continue this trajectory in the near future.”

“While Range Rover will now be ‘Made in India’ for clients in this market, its exemplary British design remains distinctive and will continue to define the aesthetic grace and technological sophistication that are synonymous with the Range Rover brand,” Hoornik added.

Pictured above is the new L460 Range Rover launched in Malaysia last year.

The Indian-made Range Rover will be offered in two trims for its local market, namely the Autobiography, powered by a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol mill rated at 393 HP, and the HSE, which uses a 3.0-litre straight-six turbo diesel mill rated at 346 HP. Coming in the long wheelbase body style as standard, both the locally produced Range Rover Autobiography and HSE are tagged at INR 260 Lakh (RM1.427 million) and INR 236 Lakh (RM1.336 million), respectively.

Malaysian-spec Range Rover Sport pictured during its launch last year.

Meanwhile, the Indian-made Range Rover Sport is also offered in the same powertrain specs as the Range Rover model, with both models getting the Dynamic SE trim as standard. Both models are priced at INR 140 Lakh (RM793,196), making them a smaller and more affordable alternative to the larger and more luxurious Range Rover LWB models.

Deliveries for these made in India JLR Range Rover models are poised to commence from May 24 onwards for the Range Rover, followed by the Range Rover Sport later in August 16 this year. With JLR’s total sales volume surged by 160% this year, both the locally assembled Range Rover models are expected to be a hit amongst the wealthy locals in the near future.