Jaguar Land Rover is targeting up to $2.3 billion in savings as plunging sales force the automaker to cut jobs and rethink its lineup.
Jaguar Land Rover is preparing for a major restructuring that will affect both its workforce and vehicle lineup. The automaker's profit plunged by nearly 70% during the quarter, while revenue fell 10%. According to JLR's own financial report, net profit for the period dropped to about $200 million, down from roughly $675 million a year earlier. The scale of the company's problems is becoming increasingly difficult to hide.
Up to 4,000 employees could lose their jobs over the next two years. JLR currently employs around 33,000 people in the U.K. and another 40,000 worldwide. The cuts won't be limited to factory workers. Engineers and office staff are also expected to be affected, with reductions potentially reaching both British manufacturing plants and overseas operations.
The reason is straightforward: sales have fallen sharply, while government assistance never materialized. Bloomberg reported that the British government declined to provide financial support to the automaker, despite efforts by JLR management to negotiate subsidies. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds described workforce optimization as a normal step for large companies and said the government would continue discussions with labor unions. Other major automakers have also sought government support, but officials have so far shown little appetite for intervening in privately owned companies.
JLR is targeting up to $2.3 billion in savings. Job cuts are only part of the plan. The automaker is also expected to streamline its model lineup, potentially dropping less-profitable and aging vehicles that are struggling to compete with newer offerings from Asian automakers.
For dealers, that could mean fewer models on showroom floors and less choice for customers. Among the vehicles facing questions are the Jaguar XE and XF sedans, along with some diesel-powered Land Rover models. Demand for some of these vehicles has fallen by more than 30% over the past year.
The decline in interest in JLR's luxury SUVs and sedans isn't limited to Europe. The same broader trend is visible in the U.S. and China. Dealers are dealing with weaker customer traffic, rising prices and more difficult parts availability, while competition from Chinese automakers continues to intensify in global markets. Some service centers have less work than before, while inventories are building up.
JLR's sales in Europe fell 18% last year, while deliveries in China dropped 26%. Those declines are putting additional pressure on a company that is already trying to reposition itself for a rapidly changing luxury-car market.
The situation bears some similarities to the restructuring undertaken by Volkswagen. The German automaker has also cut jobs and adjusted production as it looks for ways to reduce costs and remain competitive. Volkswagen's restructuring efforts in 2023 were expected to generate savings of roughly $1.2 billion.
For Jaguar Land Rover, however, the challenge goes beyond simply cutting expenses. The company must decide which models are worth keeping, where future investment should go and how aggressively it can compete in a luxury market that is changing faster than ever.
The immediate result is likely to be a smaller workforce and a tighter lineup. For JLR customers, that could eventually mean fewer choices — and a very different Jaguar Land Rover lineup than the one they know today.