Commenting on the company's performance, Mike O'Driscoll, Jaguar's Managing Director, said: "Despite the challenging economic conditions, Jaguar made great progress last year. We introduced the all-new, award-winning Jaguar XF - voted 'Car of the Year' by two major UK magazines, and winner of more than 30 commendations around the world - which has attracted a huge number of new customers to Jaguar.
"The XF underlines the progress we've made in developing exciting sporting cars that capture the hearts of driving enthusiasts the world over. Our cars are sold in more than 60 countries around the world and we're proud of our success as a major exporter - our sales were up by more than 50% in Russia, 35% higher in the Middle East, and 25% better in China.
"We've started 2009 with the introduction of advanced new generation petrol and diesel engines that set new benchmarks in terms of power, economy and efficiency, including a new diesel for the XF that offers a marked improvement in CO2 and fuel economy performance. Our cars meet the challenges of the modern world and the needs of today's consumers - and they're also true to the Jaguar philosophy of creating beautiful fast cars.
"Together with Land Rover, Jaguar invests more than £400m on research and development. At a corporate level, we've committed more than £800m specifically to the research and development of new environmental technologies. Our investment in recent years has helped us bring cars to market that are bucking the downward trend."
Mike O'Driscoll concluded: "There's no doubt that 2009 will be challenging for the entire automotive industry, but we believe the new generation of intelligently designed, technically advanced Jaguars represent the very best sporting cars on the road today."
To contact the Jaguar UK PR team, please ring or e-mail:
Don Hume, Director, Jaguar and Land Rover Corporate &
Governmental Affairs
T: 01926 649280 / M: 07860 872224 Email: dhume@jaguar.com
Jonathan Griffiths, Manager, Jaguar Product & Corporate
Communications
T: 01926 649893 / M: 07801 126893 Email: jgriff76@jaguar.com