Jaguar Land Rover Diesel offensive in USA still the focus despite VW Defeat Device scam

Jaguar Land Rover Diesel offensive in USA still the focus

Jaguar Land Rover are still committed to their diesel engine offensive in the USA, despite negative feedback on diesel engines with the VW defeat device scam.

JLR had already been caught out by the drop in oil prices removing one of the main drivers of diesel-engine take-up in the USA when they launched their diesel domination plan, but it’s hard to see too many US buyers being willing to jump in to a diesel-engined Land Rover, Range Rover or Jaguar at the moment.

So far, JLR are only offering the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport with the V6 TDI in the States, but the plan is to offer a diesel engine option in all its cars – except the F-Type – by the end of 2017, and were clearly hoping the arrival of the XE and F-pace with diesel engines would kick US interest in to life.

JLR’s US boss, Joe Eberhardt, has said that there will be no changes in JLR’s diesel plans, despite the VW scam, and he seems to believe diesel engines will take hold in the US (really, they will) and cites sales of the diesel Range Rover and Sport of 322 units to date as proof. But those sales almost certainly came before the #dieselgate scam broke.

Time will tell.