Browse over 9,000 car reviews

JLR independence day

The move to Tata won't mean design and production shortcuts for the two marques.

Following the death of Land Rover and Jaguar CEO Geoff Polites last week, Smith, who has been given the role of shepherding the former Ford properties into the Tata stable, says he is confident the Indian owners will take a hands-off approach to the up-market British marques.

“I am very confident that it [the new ownership] will have no effect as I think that what is important to customers at the end of the day is that they buy either a Jaguar or a Land Rover ... that is what is important to customers,” Smith said in Melbourne where he attended a memorial service for Polites and the launch of the crucial new Jaguar XF sedan.

“I don't think they are particularly interested at the end of the day in who owns the company ... as long as the company is delivering the product that they want.”

Unlike the Ford acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover, when global cost sharing saw Ford's generic componentry appearing in the luxury brands, Smith says Tata will not use economy of scale to force Tata parts into the cars.

“Tata have been quite explicit in all the conversations I have had in saying they want us to run the business as an independent business within their group,” Smith says. “Of course they will be involved in our board but it is up to us to define the strategy.

“I think it is pretty unlikely that we will be sharing components in the short or medium term because we are at different ends of the market.

“We source parts in many different countries already ... we have maybe a fifth of our parts made in what are generally referred to as low-cost countries — and we have plans to continue progressing that. That is not unusual. All automotive manufacturers do that ... in fact, we have sourced from India before and bought tooling and services from Tata before.”

Negotiations and agreements completed under Polites' stewardship mean that the key Ford parts and engines used by Land Rover and Jaguar will continue to be available for at least another model cycle.

“We have agreements [with Ford] that go well into the next decade. Certainly long enough to give us time to plan for our strategies as to where we go after that,” Smith says. Both Jaguar and Land Rover, he adds, will continue to develop their engines for fuel economy and emissions and will also consider alternative solutions to the EU's proposed CO2 emission standards.

“We will be looking at hybrids,” he says. “We have some advice and research programs looking at hybrid areas at the moment, but hybrids, I believe, are not going to be the most significant solution for us.

“It is going to be more about how we can improve the overall economy. If you take a typical diesel or [petrol] engine then there is still a lot that can be done to improve them.”

As the engines are being developed, Smith is adamant that the company's future model programs will continue seamlessly after the June1 transition to Tata.

“I think you will find that the Jaguar and Land Rover design teams have quite a few ideas. They are a very creative team and they are continuing to develop nice ideas.”

Smith says a small sports coupe in the mould of the BMW 1 Series is one of the ideas being looked at and aimed at attracting younger buyers.

And there is still a glimmer of hope for a spiritual successor to the famous E-Type.

While declaring the gorgeous F-Type concept “dead” Smith was not as dismissive of a new, small sports car, so stay tuned.