Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the UK subsidiary of Tata Motors, on Monday reported a 6.7 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) decline in its retail sales at 34,176 units in August hit by weak demand in overseas market and Europe.
The Britain's largest carmaker had posted a 5 per cent increase in sales in the month of July. The sales had dropped by 9.6 per cent in June, 12.2 per cent in May and 13.3 per cent in April, as consumer sentiments in China and emission regulations continued to weigh on the sales.
Of the brands, Jaguar sales dropped 17.8 per cent y-o-y to 9,702 units in August, while Land Rover retailed 29,228 vehicles, down 1.4 per cent compared to August 2018.
For April-August period, JLR retail sales were 200,736, down 8 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Retail sales in China continued to recover, rising by 17.4 per cent on yearly basis, as the company's local turnaround plan gathered momentum.
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"While UK sales dropped by 21.6 per cent, other markets were also down including Europe (1.4%) and North America (9.0%, impacted by new engine introduction timing issues this month), and overseas (24.7%, primarily softer sales in Korea and MENA)," Tata Motors said in filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Demand for the all-new Range Rover Evoque rose by 50.9 per cent year-on-year (with sales just beginning in China), and sales of the Range Rover Sport increased by 6.4 per cent, it said in the exchange filing.
The Jaguar XJ reported a growth of 31.1 per cent and sales of the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE also increased. Sales of other models were down year-on-year, including Land Rover Discovery Sport, Tata Motors said.
Commenting on monthly sales numbers, Felix Brautigam, Jaguar Land Rover Chief Commercial Officer, said: "While the global market remains challenging, we have seen a second month of consecutive growth in China. For Jaguar, customer demand for the World Car of the Year-winning I-PACE continues to go from strength to strength, cementing the vehicle's position as one of the world's leading premium electric SUVs."
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"For Land Rover, the all-new Range Rover Evoque is now on sale. With its advanced technology based on the new PTA architecture and electrified drivetrains it is the most refined, most capable and most efficient compact Range Rover ever. The comprehensively re-engineered Land Rover Discovery Sport will be launched in China later this year further solidifying its position as a best-selling model," he said.
He expressed confidence that the company has the right strategy in place to support long-term sustainable growth and is looking forward to revealing the new Land Rover Defender at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Meanwhile, shares of Tata Motors ended trade at Rs 121.90 apiece, up 0.66 per cent, on the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Edited by Chitranjan Kumar