JAGUAR Land Rover will create 1,300 jobs to build Jaguar’s first sports utility vehicle (SUV) at its Solihull plant.
The new F-Pace will go on sale in 2016 and as well as creating 1,300 jobs will also secure hundreds more jobs across the region’s car parts supply chain.
The plans for the new Jaguar were announced at the Detroit Auto Show, one of the world’s biggest annual motoring events at the beginning of this week.
This will be the second Jaguar to be built in Solihull.
The first – the Jaguar XE, which began production in the spring, saw a whopping 1,700 jobs at the factory, new technologies being introduced and a £1.5 billion investment to support the project.
The new facilities represent the largest single investment in the Solihull plant in its 70-year history, creating Europe’s largest aluminium body shop and final assembly hall in a space the size of 22 football pitches
JLR’s announcement has been welcomed across the borough.
Solihull Council leader Coun Bob Sleigh said: “This announcement from Jaguar Land Rover is excellent news for Solihull but equally for the wider economy.
“It shows clearly that JLR are committed to innovative solutions to meet a market need and offers the opportunity to more people with the right skills to share in their success.”
Meriden MP Caroline Spelman said she is delighted by the jobs announcement.
She added: “Not only will this offer exciting employment and apprenticeship opportunities locally, it also demonstrates the advancement of the high-tech manufacturing sector which strengthens our national economy.”
Solihull MP Lorely Burt said the news is a big vote of confidence in our area by Jaguar Land Rover – a world-beating brand with a heart that beats in Solihull.
