66 Years After The Raj, Jaguar Builds In India

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

If there’s a better symbol of how much the world has changed since the fall of the British Empire than an Indian-made Jaguar, built by Tata, then I haven’t seen it.

Although Tata imports the Jaguar XF from the UK, their Jaguar Land Rover facility in Pune, India, will build a local version from CKD kits. “Petrol-hipsters”, take note; this one has Jaguar’s 2.2L four-cylinder diesel and will feature all the usual luxury car features, like a backup camera, sunroof and navigation, as well as the all-important TV tuner, something we’re not privy to in North America.

The new XF, which starts at roughly $83,000, is JLR’s best-selling model in India, alongside the Land Rover LR2. While perhaps not as prolific as Chai and curry are in the UK, JLR’s sales in India were up 32 percent last year – though that still only equates to just under 2400 cars per year.

Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

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  • Duncan36 Duncan36 on Jan 25, 2013

    Might want to check that again. India is a member of the British Commonwealth basically the British Empire 2.0.

  • Gentle Ted Gentle Ted on Jan 25, 2013

    Maybe it's just as well as the United Kingdom slips into a Triple Depression, then build these Cars in India, after all Tata is a Indian Company!

  • Chas404 Chas404 on Jan 25, 2013

    part of this is a commentary on the strength of new 3rd world economies and the downward spiral of euro-socialist style governments (and nanny CAFE numbers) aka France, UK, currently leftist USA. It's all fun and games talking about 50mpg hybrids but a 4 cyl turbo jag to me just seems wrong. Amazing the mustang is a 5.0 liter 400 hp monster and not a 4 cyl turbo fwd mazda/probe. Oh wait that never nearly happened???? What the sense of having a trophy wife if you are going to buy her a 4 cyl Jag??? I am opening up a turbo specialist repair shop. In ten years we will be PRINTING money. Who is in with me?

  • Chas404 Chas404 on Jan 25, 2013

    I remember when "turbo" was cool as in the 1980s riding around in black dodge shelby listening to Tainted Love. I even thought turbos were cool!!! (remember 80s we had ZERO power). it would hold its own against the IROC Z. saab 900 turbo funnnn IF you could get across the intersection before you got run over while waiting for the turbo to finally kick in (around 3rd gear 50mph). Then I discovered the beauty of a 225hp straight six 3.0 bmw and a six spd manual in a z4 which felt more like 400hp. and a jeep 4.0 liter 180 hp wrangler with manual too. or a mustang 4.6 liter 300hp manual. or the lazy v8 power of a hemi ram or escalade or F150. Turbos are sooo 1980s. Power of a V8 with gas mileage of a 4 cylinder!!! pleassssseeee. I love ford but EcoPower on the side of an F150???? What is Eco about a 5000 pound 350 hp truck? Funny all the decent 3.0 v6s went to 3.5 and 4.0 then they decided wait too thirsty so now they go back to turbo 4??????? This is what you get when you vote for a guy that once he runs for president trades his hemi 300c for a ford hybrid escape. we are in the heyday of great power (200hp 4s and 300hp 6s and 400hp v8s) and muscle cars but it makes me wonder if this downgrading of the luxos will dip into the new rejuvenated muscle car fad.

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    • Robert Gordon Robert Gordon on Jan 27, 2013

      @Sam P "Yeah yeah, good point, but when talking track ponys or V8 supercars, who even thinks of Hyundai?" Ha the Hyundai Pony, now there was an awful car...

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