JLR announces 1,300 new UK jobs

The Jaguar F-PACE crossover, set to go on sale in 2016, follows the Jaguar XE into the new facilities within the company's Solihull plant. The company has already invested £1.5 billion to support the introduction of its new aluminium and lightweight technologies. The new facilities represent the largest single investment in the Solihull plant in its 70 year history and created a 'factory within a factory'. Incorporating what is claimed to be Europe's largest aluminum body shop and final assembly hall – collectively the size of 22 football pitches – the new facilities bring the Jaguar brand to Solihull for the first time. The company said: "As a result of the continued developments at Solihull, Jaguar Land Rover is creating an additional 1,300 new jobs at the site. Applications for the new roles are now being accepted and following its commitment to enhancing employment opportunities for former service personnel in the wake of the Invictus Games, Jaguar Land Rover is welcoming applications from military personnel who are leaving or have left the services." Jaguar Land Rover continues on its path of measured and sustainable growth with record full year retail sales in 2014 of 462,678, double that of 2008. A 2014/15 fiscal year investment of £3.75bn in product creation has seen the introduction of a host of new and exciting products and business expansion. The company's headcount has increased to 32,000, 10,000 more than were employed just four years ago. The Jaguar F-PACE is the production version of the C-X17 concept car first launched at the Frankfurt motor show in 2013. Ian Callum, director of design at Jaguar, commented: "The Jaguar F-PACE, inspired by the F-TYPE, represents a perfectly judged balance of performance, style and practicality. It offers a unique combination of Jaguar sports car inspired exterior design, fused beautifully with a thoroughly practical and spacious luxury interior. The F-PACE is our family sports car."