Jaguar Land Rover finish the year significantly higher, but warns on the coming year of trading difficulties.

Jaguar Land Rover said sales rose 7 percent to a record 621,109 vehicles in 2017 but the automaker warned it faces tough conditions in its UK home market due to weakening consumer confidence and a planned diesel tax hike on new cars.

December registrations rose 1 percent to 55,697.

Jaguar sales rose 20 percent to 178,601 over the year and were up 8 percent in December to 15,079. Land Rover volume increased 2 percent to 442,508 in 2017, and rose 4 percent to 40,618 last month.

Since being bought by India's Tata group from Ford Motor in 2008, Jaguar Land Rover has pursued a major turnaround plan to refresh and expand its model lineup and to increase volumes to around 1 million by the turn of the decade.

It said growth in China, its largest market, and in the U.S. helped to offset difficult conditions in the UK and the rest of Europe.

"We have once again delivered year-on-year sales increases thanks to a world-class product range and new models such as the E-Pace and Velar, as well as China-specific models such as the XFL," group sales operations director Andy Goss said in a statement on Monday.

"But we are facing tough times in key markets such as the UK where consumer confidence and diesel taxes will hit us," Goss said.

However, JLR does expect domestic sales to rise this year from 2017's 118,000 vehicles.

Britain's car industry body said last week that 2017 sales across the sector recorded their biggest drop since 2009, blaming plans to increase a levy on new diesel cars from April and weakening consumer confidence in the wake of Brexit.

Like the rest of the UK car industry, Jaguar Land Rover faces uncertainty over possible tariffs or customs delays if Britain fails to secure a favorable Brexit deal before the country leaves the European Union in March 2019.

Britain's finance minister Philip Hammond said in November that the vehicle excise duty would rise from April for those buying almost any new diesel car, potentially costing hundreds of pounds more for top-end models.

Around 90 percent of JLR sales in Britain are diesel models, which compares with around 45 percent globally.

Separately, Goss said JLR will have to decide in the next 12 months whether to build electric cars in its home market. The company's first EV, the I-Pace, will be produced in Austria by contractor Magna Steyr.

Automotive News Europe contributed to this report

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TMW - It's that time of the month again, December and full year sales in the United Kingdom.

JAGUAR

DEC 2017 2009 Sales - DEC 2016 2520 Sales - -20.28%
YTD 2017 35544 Sales - YTD 2016 34822 Sales - +2.07%

LAND ROVER 
DEC 2017 4186 Sales - DEC 2016 4967 Sales - -15.72%
YTD 2017 82653 Sales - YTD 2016 79534 Sales - +3.92%

JAGUAR LAND ROVER (COMBINED)

DEC 2017 6195 Sales - DEC 2016 7487 Sales - -20.80%
YTD 2017 118197 Sales - YTD 2016 114356 Sales - +3.36%

AUDI 
DEC 2017 10671 Sales - DEC 2016 11319 Sales --5.72%
YTD 2017 174982 Sales - YTD 2016 177304 Sales - -1.31%

BMW 
DEC 2017 13471 Sales - DEC 2016 15066 Sales - -10.59%
YTD 2017 175101 Sales - YTD 2016 182593 Sales - -4.10%

INFINITI 
DEC 2017 59 Sales - DEC 2016 78 Sales - -24.36%
YTD 2017 3515 Sales - YTD 2016 2891 Sales - +21.58%

LEXUS 
DEC 2017 772 Sales - DEC 2016 750 Sales - +2.93%
YTD 2017 12670 Sales - YTD 2016 13915 Sales - -8.95%

MERCEDES-BENZ 
DEC 2017 10427 Sales - DEC 2016 10220 Sales - +2.03%
YTD 2017 180970 Sales - YTD 2016 169828 Sales - +6.56%

INCREASES BY BRAND BY MONTH-YTD

ABARTH +11.98%

ALFA ROMEO +2.38%
ASTON MARTIN +62.36%
HYUNDAI +1.06%
KIA +4.32%
MASERATI +18.54%
MCLAREN +3050.00%
MG +5.94%
PORSCHE +7.28%
SEAT +18.28%
SUZUKI +5.70%
TOYOTA +5.42%
VOLKSWAGEN +0.69%

DECREASES BY BRAND BY MONTH

BENTLEY -10.01%
CITROEN -18.31%

DACIA -5.09%
DS AUTOMOBILES -42.87%

FIAT -26.59%
FORD -9.71%
HONDA -8.81%
JEEP -54.72%
LOTUS -17.70%

MAZDA -16.13%
MINI -1.19%

MITSUBISHI -11.76%
NISSAN -0.90%
PEUGEOT -16.55%
RENAULT -18.79%
SKODA -0.76%

SMART -14.12%

SSANGYONG -19.22%
SUBARU -25.83%
VAUXHALL -22.24%
VOLVO -1.19%

Well, we have gotten to the end of 2017 and the sales for the year are as expected, DOWN, and down by some serious numbers, Vauxhall, has lost its #2 spot in the sales chart which it has had for so many years, Ford remains number 1, but for how much longer, their sales are slipping, so no amount of new metal, segment leaders, and commercial sales are helping Uncle Henry, and as for Vauxhall, now they are in PSA hands, they are heading the same way, with all of PSA brands dropping sales like a stone, Vauxhall has joined Citroen, Peugeot and DS Auto, in publishing sales significantly lower than the year before.

MG continue to buck the trend, with the all new ZS, which we will be reviewing here later this month, they have increased the warranty on the MG3, along with the already extended warranty on the ZS, this year at the London Motor Show, we should be getting  the new MG6 and the facelifted MG3, both of which will help grow sales further, they could have just flooded the market with cars and models, but they have taken their time, and released each one, and expanded that model, which as far as i am concerned is the right way to go about it, get each model sorted and then move onto the next one, we could however do with a more sporty engine in the MG3, and that would give it the "boy racer" appeal it is lacking.

Volvo has taken a downturn which considering they have so many new or almost new models, the XC-90, XC-60, S90 and V90 are all "new Volvo" along with the soon to be launched XC-40, S40 and V40, the first for the 40 series, is an expanded range of models, but this year should see Volvo head back to growth in the UK.

Brexit, that stupid word that does nothing but cause grief, will be finally dealt wither a saving grace or a death ring, but saying that, if the Eurozone does impact a tax on cars imported from the UK to Europe, we will then do similar, with cars arriving from the Eurozone to the UK, so a no win situation, why couldnt we just stay within the Eurozone

Jaguar Land Rover Commissions SkunkWorks Surf Co. to Make Five Surfboards from early Range Rover Evoque Design Model

• Custom Surfboards Made From Discarded Automotive Models Hit Southern California Shores Following LA Auto Show
• Jaguar Land Rover Commissions SkunkWorks Surf Co. to Make Five Surfboards from early Range Rover Evoque Design Model

Closing out the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show, Jaguar Land Rover surfboards hit the water for the first time in North America on the shores of El Porto Beach in Manhattan Beach, CA on December 1. Created as part of the Jaguar Land Rover ‘Waste to Wave’ project, first debuting at Jaguar Land Rover Tech Fest in September, the boards are made from recycled polyurethane foam used as the structure in discarded vehicle design studio models.

The surfboards were shaped in partnership with SkunkWorks Surf Co, a surf company based in Northern Ireland with a focus on minimizing environmental impact. Five custom boards were handmade for the Los Angeles Auto Show with colorful designs showcasing the Californian lifestyle, including the Hollywood sign, rock guitarist and a tie-dye pattern. The boards feature carbon fiber rails from the nose and a carbon strip from the tail for additional strength while allowing flex to push through high-intensity maneuvers.

Plastic sent to landfill can take up to 500 years to decompose. The Waste to Wave project is part of a wider ‘second life’ initiative by Jaguar Land Rover and supports the company’s longer term zero waste strategy.

Polyurethane is used in the manufacturing process of life-size clay models which are modelled by hand at the very beginning of the car design process. The polymer forms the ‘skeleton’ of the models, which is normally destroyed once a car is launched, while the clay is recycled and re-used on site.  Now, Jaguar Land Rover is ensuring that plastic is recovered and sliced into blocks ready for a second life as surfboards or paddleboards.

The Los Angeles surfing event was the first time the boards had been used outside of the UK since England’s number one female surfer, Lucy Campbell, first tested them off the coast of Northern Ireland in September.

TMW - It's that time of the month again, July's sales in the United Kingdom.

JAGUAR
MAY 2017 2639 Sales - MAY 2016 2200 Sales - -16.64%
YTD 2017 22590 Sales - YTD 2016 19236 Sales - +17.44%

LAND ROVER 
MAY 2017 5265 Sales - MAY 2016 4882 Sales - +7.82%
YTD 2017 50940 Sales - YTD 2016 47441 Sales - +7.38%

JAGUAR LAND ROVER (COMBINED)
MAY 2017 7904 Sales - MAY 2016 7082 Sales - +11.60%
YTD 2017 73530 Sales - YTD 2016 66677 Sales - +10.28%

AUDI 
MAY 2017 12896 Sales - MAY 2016 11582 Sales -+11.35%
YTD 2017 102615 Sales - YTD 2016 101103 Sales - +1.50%

BMW 
MAY 2017 9083 Sales - MAY 2016 9699 Sales - -6.35%
YTD 2017 101721 Sales - YTD 2016 101309 Sales - +0.41%

INFINITI 
MAY 2017 340 Sales - MAY 2016 399 Sales - +14.79%
YTD 2017 2472 Sales - YTD 2016 1964 Sales - +25.87%

LEXUS
MAY 2017 843 Sales - MAY 2016 774 Sales - +8.91%
YTD 2017 7285 Sales - YTD 2016 8190 Sales - -11.05%

MERCEDES-BENZ 
MAY 2017 11617 Sales - MAY 2016 11650 Sales - -0.28%
YTD 2017 110174 Sales - YTD 2016 100253 Sales - +9.90%

INCREASES BY BRAND BY MONTH-YTD

ABARTH +17.53%
ASTON MARTIN +108.20%
DACIA +6.857%
HYUNDAI +3.91%
KIA +7.52%
LOTUS +36.88%
MASERATI +26.81%
MCLAREN +0.00%
MG +4.41%
MINI +2.72%
NISSAN +7.17%
PORSCHE +17.11%
SEAT +21.14%
SKODA +3.19%
SMART +2.12%
SUZUKI +7.79%
TOYOTA +5.02%
VOLVO +6.34%

DECREASES BY BRAND BY MONTHALFA ROMEO -3.60%
BENTLEY -5.22%
CITROEN -21.47%
DS AUTOMOBILES -46.75%
FIAT -16.83%
FORD -4.23%
HONDA -8.99%
JEEP -51.88%
MAZDA -13.88%
MITSUBISHI -15.17%
PEUGEOT -15.05%
RENAULT -8.14%
SSANGYONG -6.98%
SUBARU -20.85%
VAUXHALL -18.77%
VOLKSWAGEN -1.20%

Well, its now four months on the trot and sales are still dropping like a stone, and thats not just it, since last month the UK Government has decided that that from 2040 cars will no longer be allowed for sales with petrol or diesel engines, and thats just bloody stupid, how is this going to work, what about the classic cars, what about the jobs within the motor industry, the small independant garages, petrol stations and so on and so on, the pathetic decision has been made without the thought process behind it.

Yes there are hybrids and electric cars, like the ZOE, Prius and Leaf, and semi-hybrids that rely on petrol/diesel back up engines, and what about the cars that will be virtually unsaleable, like hyper cars, McLarens, Rolls Royce and Bentley's, Ferrari and Lamborghini's, without the back up of massive car brands behind them, what future will they have, Lambo and Bentley has the VW Group, Rolls Royce has BMW, Ferrari, might be able to tap into Fiat Chrysler, but what about McLaren, Aston has the might of Mercedes behind it now, but that leaves many brands than have NO Electric or hybrids in their range.

What about some of the brands that currently have NO cars that will fall into the 2040, well, MG, they are in China, will the Chinese brands fall into place and produce the cars that are needed to be made to become eligible to be sold in the UK, i think that 23 years is a long time, but not long enough in the motoring world.

The current sales in the UK have dive-bombed, with Vauxhall sales showing massive drops in sales, now that they are a part of the PSA Group, it is now the Euro #2 company for sales not only are Vauxhall sales dropping, DS Automobiles are down by over 50%, Citroen are down 21% and Peugeot are down 15% along with Vauxhall's 18% drop, was it really the best idea in the world to combine the five brands together.

What about The other big brands in the UK, Ford, BMW, Audi and Mercedes, well Ford dropped, the others grew, in fact the German brands have shown a steady sales incline throughout the year, Suzuki is another brand that has seen sales grow significantly, they have launched the Baleno, Ignis and New Swift, and with the Swift Sport coming later in the year sales will continue to grow.

Volvo Is another brand that has seen sales grow throughout the year, mainly the steady launch of new models, first we had the XC-90, then the V90 and S90 and next was the XC60, which leaves the S and V 60 and the V/S/XC-40 range of cars.

Fiat sales continue to drop, Jeep is down by over 50% but Maserati is up by about 27, Lotus grows as does Aston Martin, Dacia not only  gets nominated as one of the most reliable brands it is also growing in sales for the year to date, so, thats about it for this month, expect some great launches throughout the rest of the year and thats for reading the blog.

TMW - Its that time of the month with UK sales figures showing a further 4.8% drop.

JAGUAR
JUNE 2017 2960 Sales - JUNE 2016 2922 Sales - +1.30%
YTD 2017 20390 Sales - YTD 2016 16597 Sales - +22.85%

LAND ROVER JUNE 2017 6201 Sales - JUNE 2016 5669 Sales - +9.38%
YTD 2017 45675 Sales - YTD 2016 42559 Sales - +7.32%

JAGUAR LAND ROVER (COMBINED)JUNE 2017 9161 Sales - JUNE 2016 8591 Sales - +6.64%
YTD 2017 66065 Sales - YTD 2016 59156 Sales - +11.68%

AUDI JUNE 2017 15081 Sales - JUNE 2016 14503 Sales - +3.99%
YTD 2017 89719 Sales - YTD 2016 89521 Sales - +0.22%

BMW JUNE 2017 19149 Sales - JUNE 2016 18712 Sales - +2.34%
YTD 2017 92638 Sales - YTD 2016 91610 Sales - +1.12%

INFINITI JUNE 2017 383 Sales - JUNE 2016 569 Sales - -32.69%
YTD 2017 2132 Sales - YTD 2016 1565 Sales - +36.23%

LEXUSJUNE 2017 1161 Sales - JUNE 2016 1370 Sales - -15.26%
YTD 2017 6442 Sales - YTD 2016 7416 Sales - -13.13%

MERCEDES-BENZ JUNE 2017 15715 Sales - JUNE 2016 15566 Sales - +0.96%
YTD 2017 98557 Sales - YTD 2016 88603 Sales - +11.23%

INCREASES BY BRAND BY MONTH-YTD

ABARTH +14.36%
ASTON MARTIN +110.28%
BENTLEY +0.73%
DACIA +7.01%
HYUNDAI +4.21%
KIA +9.29%
LOTUS +17.86%MASERATI +35.25%
MCLAREN +0.00%
MG +5.12%
MINI +3.02%
NISSAN +8.28%
PORSCHE +12.59%
SEAT +19.72%
SKODA +0.77%
SMART +4.25%
SUZUKI +9.39%
TOYOTA +3.53%
VOLVO +8.35%

DECREASES BY BRAND BY MONTH

ALFA ROMEO -0.15%
CITROEN -20.99%
DS AUTOMOBILES -45.46%
FIAT -13.89%FORD -1.68%
HONDA -9.93%
JEEP -50.11%
MAZDA -14.48%
MITSUBISHI -15.44%
PEUGEOT -13.20%
RENAULT -8.40%
SSANGYONG -2.82%
SUBARU -19.49%
VAUXHALL -15.39%
VOLKSWAGEN -1.40%

Well we are half way through the year and it seems like there are a mixture of brands that are either above or below the same time a year earlier, Vauxhall is the big loser again with sales considerably down, considering that in recent months we have had the new Mokka X, Grandland X, New Insignia Grand Sport, estate and country models and the Crossland X, yet sales are stil down 20,500 units.

Volkswagen is still struggling here in the UK, but by less of a margin as there has been, Subaru too is struggling, and there has been new and improved models there too, MG remains a growth company as they have every month this year, with the New XS due at the end of the year and the new facelifted MG3 and Possibly a new MG6 next year, things are looking good for the Longbridge based brand.

Jaguar and Land Rover have improved sales on the month and year to date, with some significant new model launches recenlty made and to come this and next year, again the British brands are doing really well, The US giant, Jeep after a big year last year are doing the opposite this year with sales down 50% YTD and with all three PSA Group companies, Citroen, Peugeot and DS Autombiles, also doing badly, along with Renault, the French are definately not flavour of the month.

VW Group brands, Audi, Bentley, Porsche, SEAT and Skoda are all riding high, shame that VW its self is struggling, Suzuki is now reaping the rewrds of loads of hard work and new cars from the Baleno, Ignis and the new Swift which we will be foing a full road test on later this month, like the Fiat 124 Spider, we are currently doing that.

The Luxury brands Audi, Mercedes and BMW are all up, whereas the luxury brands Lexus and Infiniti are both down, so there seems no real reasons as to why some are doing better than others,  for June sales have dipped by 4.81%, and YTD has dipped by 1.33%, the top ten are made up of the usual subjects, 2 x Ford, 2 x Vauxhall, 2 x Volkswagen and one each from Mercedes, Nissan, MINI and BMW with the Golf taking the top slot knocking the Fiesta off the top, but that could be due to the run out model as people await the all new Fiesta.

So, six months in and we are on the downward trend, will this continue into the last two quarters, we will see, but for now we look back at the first two quarters and its not good reading.