Jaguar Land Rover sales in China double in first half of 2012

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai July 4) - Despite the Chinese automobile market cooling down this year, British luxury marque Jaguar Land Rover is continuing to maintain steady growth. The manufacturer's sales from January to June totaled 36,451 units, approximately double the amount it sold in the first six months of last year, auto.sina.com.cn reported today. The Land Rover brand made up the majority of sales, with a total of 32,177 vehicles sold during the six month period.

Partly in order to better accommodate government demands and consumer tastes in the country, the manufacturer has begun announcing more lightweight and fuel-efficient models. The energy-efficient Range Rover Evoque and lightweight XJ Ultimate (pictured above), which made its debut at April's Beijing International Automobile Exhibition, were prime examples of this. The Evoque has been especially popular in China, with over 10,000 units sold since the beginning of the year. The new Victoria Beckham special edition Evoque (pictured below) ended up being one of the most popular models at the Beijing Auto Show.

JLR is also continuing to invest in its Chinese sales network. At the end of June, the number of certified JLR dealers had already topped 130 outlets, with around 90 of them open for business. The manufacturer's also has two world-class Land Rover Experience Centers in the country.