Another delay

[Alanqs]

The Dealer told me this morning when I finally got hold of him for my week late update. No new cars will now be built in the UK and since mine hadn't started it's build, it's coming from Slovakia.

If it's not true, that's a hell of a whopper for the Dealer to use as an excuse for late delivery.

[Mike Rometer]

I could be wrong as I haven't taken too much notice, but I thought only one assembly line at C.Bromwich had to be cleared (XF?) to make way for the new electric XJ.

[Bazzamf]

@Alanqs, where did you get this info that the XE will be made in Slovakia?
I've seen the build sheet for the one I have on order, and it clearly states Castle Bromwich. That's in Birmingham, UK.

I've been to the Castle Bromwich site and seen the XE being built there. It's definitely built in the UK.

[jamesg]

The expected "hitting the fan" has happened. Not 26th July, sometime in September now. Like they didn't suspect that in the first place. But it gets worse. All XE models will now be made in Slovakia. New production line, new equipment (or worse, old stuff adapted). New workers. Who wants their new car to be from a first production line where everyone is still trying to find their feet?
It's not totally new, they used to build Land Rovers there; - and Land Rovers have such a sterling reputation for reliability!
And here's me thinking I was buying British...

I hope not My dealer has told me the car was built on the 17th but is still at the factory. Hope they’re not telling porkies

[Alanqs]

I would assume there is some kind of cut-off date for orders to be built in Slovakia and mine is on the wrong side of that date. Although I ordered it on 18th May, it wasn't accepted by Jaguar into the build list until two weeks later. I can only assume that was too late and Jaguar didn't have the honesty to tell me. According to the Dealer, they gave a date of 26th July for leaving the factory. According to the dealer it is now to be built in Slovakia.

Maybe I've got a Walter Mitty for a salesman?

I searched the web and there is a shiny new Slovakian factory giving employment to lots of people together with sourcing parts locally, more local jobs but it only refers to Land Rover production. Perhaps the decision is so recent it hasn't had time to make the press though they must have all their equipment already installed and knew they were doing this months ago.

I'm seriously considering cancelling the order because I'm in desperate need of a car over the next few months but I've wasted 7 weeks already so no one else is going to deliver a factory option any quicker. I feel like swearing, loudly, and repeatedly.

The irony is, I'm going to be away from home so much from the end of September that I won't need the car until the New Year from then on in.

[Stephen]

I've checked the Jaguar Land Rover online Media Centre and there are no announcements to this effect. So if your dealer has this on good authority, I'd appreciate knowing the source of such information. It has to be a reliable source, or it's meaningless.

The new factory in Sloviakia is currently producing the Discovery 5 and the only other model that has been officially allocated to the factory as far as I know is the upcoming Defender.

[G7DCW]

What a sorry tale. My top reason for buying Jags (and my upcoming Evoque) was that they were built in this country. The E-Pace is made in Austria. The world's going mad.

[Alanqs]

I've written to Jaguar customer relations. Let's see if I get an honest reply.

[147daytona]

The only reason I can see in the press for the delay is that JLR are closing the Castle Bromwich factory for 6 weeks to allow for changes to the production lines to accommodate the electric XJ, no mention of the XE production being sent abroad!

[PhilB]

The only reason I can see in the press for the delay is that JLR are closing the Castle Bromwich factory for 6 weeks to allow for changes to the production lines to accommodate the electric XJ, no mention of the XE production being sent abroad!

Sounds right to me too.
Plus would they stop XE production completely then start again in Slovakia??
Previously the XE production was at Solihull and when it moved to Castle Bromwich it was seamless with no delays.
From order being accepted to build is normally 10-12 weeks.