Jaguar and Land Rover are as British as Chevrolet and Ford are American. So you might be surprised to learn that these two iconic English brands are owned by Tata Motors, an automaker based in Mumbai, India. As an enthusiast of Jaguar and/or Land Rover automobiles, you might be curious to know more about Tata and all the models the two brands offer in 2022.

A brief history of Tata Motors, the company that owns Jaguar and Land Rover

Named for Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata — an Indian aviator, industrialist, entrepreneur, and chairman of Tata Group — Tata Motors became a commercial automaker in 1945 as part of a joint venture with Daimler-Benz of Germany. 

After years of dominating the commercial vehicle market in India, Tata Motors entered the passenger vehicle market in 1991 with the Tata Sierra, a multi-utility vehicle. It was followed by the Tata Estate (1992), the Tata Sumo (1994, an LCV), the Tata Safari (1998, India’s first SUV), and the Indica (1998, the first fully indigenous Indian passenger car).

The company also successfully exported large numbers of the Indica to South Africa, which was key to the growth of Tata Motors, which acquired Daewoo’s South Korea-based truck manufacturing unit, Daewoo Commercial Vehicles Company, in 2004 and Tata Hispano Motors Carrocera, a bus and coach manufacturer based in Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, in 2009.

In 2008, Tata Motors acquired the British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover from Ford Motor Company, manufacturing the Jaguar and Land Rover luxury car brands. Despite being a subsidiary of Tata Motors, Jaguar Land Rover PLC is a British premium automaker headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, United Kingdom, with two design centers and three assembly plants located in the UK.

2022 Jaguar models

F-Type

The unique, sporty lines of the C-type (1951), D-Type (1954), and E-type (1961) models are what most auto enthusiasts envision when they hear the name “Jaguar.” Those three classic designs paved the way for the F-Type two-seat coupe and convertible (2013), dubbed the “spiritual” successor to the E-type.

For the 2022 model year, the F-type is offered with only two V8 engine options with varying horsepower, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive. Consumer Reports notes the F-Type is “agile in the corners and steers with precision, making it a delight to drive.” 

Jaguar SUVs: E-Pace, F-Pace, and I-Pace

Keeping pace with competitors BMW, Audi, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar also makes three SUV models: E-Pace, F-Pace, and I-Pace.

The frisky E-Pace — a small luxury SUV with curvaceous styling, a lively engine, and sharp handling — is in the same class as the Audi Q3, BMW X1/X2, Mercedes-Benz GLA, and Volvo XC40. 

Jaguar’s first effort in the luxury compact SUV segment, the F-Pace, delivers swift acceleration and cat-like reflexes but has a stiff ride, cut-rate interior, droning exhaust note, and inferior infotainment system that lag behind the class leaders.

The I-Pace, a luxurious, fun-to-drive electric vehicle, marks a major turning point in Jaguar’s storied history and is “the first EV that can truly challenge Tesla’s mixture of technology and luxury,” Consumer Reports says.

Jaguar XF

The XF is possibly the most agile luxury midsize sedan, offering rear- and all-wheel-drive versions, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and updated interior and exterior styling. However, now it offers only one engine: a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder.

2022/2023 Land Rover models

Range Rover series

Range Rover is Land Rover’s most recognized luxury SUV model, launched in 1970 and entering its fifth generation of production. The latest version is a regal, ultra-luxury SUV with new tech and a streamlined, elegant design that pushes boundaries. The 2022 model offers a third row in the long-wheelbase configuration and a choice between a mild-hybrid turbocharged inline-six and a twin-turbocharged V8, with plans for a fully electric powertrain by 2024.

Three Range Rover models are available in 2022: Evoque, Velar, and Sport. They’ve received mixed reviews despite high praise for the nameplate.

The Range Rover Evoque offers attractive styling, a flashy interior, and the Land Rover brand cachet, but its drivetrain delivers a rough and bumpy ride, and it has confounding controls. Redesigned for 2022, the Evoque is “the least talented luxury compact SUV yet the most expensive,” according to Consumer Reports.

The Range Rover Velar compact SUV is the Range Rover of the future. It boasts better cornering, quick steering, and graceful handling in place of the off-road-ready, adventure-seeking, rugged SUV consumers have come to expect from the brand. It shares a platform with its cousin, the Jaguar F-Pace, derived from the Jaguar XF sedan.

Shorter, lower, sportier, and more affordable than the Range Rover, the Range Rover Sport is distinctively different from Land Rover’s flagship. It’s similar to its German competitors but lacks the comfortable, refined ride of the premier nameplate.

Defender

Charming, civilized, and quick-handling thanks to its smooth powertrain, the 2022 Defender comes with an optional mild-hybrid six-cylinder engine or the standard turbocharged four-cylinder. Britain’s favorite go-anywhere SUV also comes with four doors or two doors. 

Discovery

The 2022 Discovery breaks the mold of the square-edged, robust off-roader reputation attached to Land Rover models. No longer a truck-like implement, the Discovery is a luxurious, contemporary three-row SUV. However, the Discovery Sport lags far behind the Discovery and even further behind luxury compact SUVs like the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC.

Jaguar and Land Rover retain their British roots under Tata Motors

You might’ve been disappointed to learn that a non-British company owns these two iconic British brands. But Tata Motors has been careful to keep Jaguar and Land Rover’s heritage intact and continues to design and manufacture their vehicles at home. The Jaguar Land Rover subsidiary of Tata Motors means these English classics live on and advance into the future.