Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) saw its retail sales plummet by more than a quarter in the final months of last year, as the fallout from a significant cyber attack continued to cripple operations. New data reveals the severe impact on the luxury carmaker's performance.
Production Halted as Hackers Strike
The disruption began with a cyber attack at the end of August, which forced JLR to suspend production across its factories throughout September. Parent company Tata Motors has now detailed the consequences, confirming that production only returned to normal levels by mid-November. The time required to distribute vehicles globally once manufacturing resumed further compounded the delays.
Steep Declines in Sales and Output
The newly released figures show a stark picture. In the October to December quarter, JLR's retail sales fell by 25.1% year-on-year, to 79,600 units. The drop in wholesale production was even more severe, collapsing by 43% to 59,200 units compared to the same period a year earlier.
This contributed to the carmaker posting a quarterly loss of almost £500 million. The cyber incident was not the only challenge, however. The company also cited "incremental US tariffs" as a continued drag on its export volumes to that key market.
Regional Sales Breakdown Shows Widespread Pain
The sales slump was felt across JLR's major regions. The most dramatic fall was in North America, where retail sales dropped by 37.7%. Other key markets also suffered significant declines:
- United Kingdom: Sales down 13.3%
- Europe: Sales fell by more than a quarter
- China: Sales declined by 18.4%
An additional factor affecting volumes was the planned wind-down of older Jaguar models ahead of the launch of a new design, a move that reportedly prompted some customer backlash at the end of 2024.
The cyber attack and its protracted recovery period underscore the growing vulnerability of global manufacturing supply chains to digital threats, with JLR's financial results offering a clear case study in the potential cost.
