China now number one for Jaguar Land Rover

Despite a slowdown in the overall auto sales last year, China became Jaguar Land Rover's biggest market globally, according to the company's top executive in the country.

JLR delivered 73,347 imported vehicles in China in 2012, an increase of 74 percent over the previous year.

In December alone, the automaker registered a single month sales record of more than 8,200 vehicles.

"Since we established the first sales company in China in July 2010, our products have received wide acceptance," said Bob Grace, president of Jaguar Land Rover's China operations.

"After over two years of rapid development, China has now become Jaguar Land Rover's biggest market."

He said the iconic British brands "will keep sustainable growth as the core value and steadily practice our long-term commitments to pay back Chinese customers with excellent products that cater to market demands and offer qualified services".

The Jaguar brand sold 7,451 vehicles in 2012, an increase of 25 percent over the year previous.

The all-new Jaguar XJ and XF models equipped for the first time with 2-liter turbo-charged engines have proven popular in China's competitive luxury auto segment.

The Land Rover brand sold 65,896 vehicles in 2012, an increase of 83 percent from 2011.

The fuel-efficient Range Rover Evoque led the sales charge with 21,300 units delivered in 2012.

Also offering fuel economy and driving performance, the second-generation Land Rover Freelander also sold well.

The Range Rover sports edition and Land Rover Discovery also boosted the brand's yearly sales performance.

The new-generation Range Rover - the world's first lightweight aluminum-body SUV - that had its China premiere at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November is expected to also propel sales in 2013.

In addition to a more diverse portfolio in China, Jaguar Land Rover has also been expanding its dealership network in the country.

It currently has 151 authorized dealers in China, 106 of them now operational.

Its new regional office in Guangzhou is expected to help strengthen the automaker's foothold in South China.

xuxiao@chinadaily.com.cn