Magna Contracts to Build Jaguar E-Pace Compact SUV

Contract assembler Magna announces it will build a second model for Jaguar Land Rover, the Jaguar E-Pace compact SUV, at its plant in Graz, Austria.

E-Pace production is expected to begin in the fourth quarter. It will join the Jaguar I-Pace all-electric CUV, one of four other models in production at Graz. The Magna facility also assembles the BMW 5-Series, BMW 530e plug-in hybrid and Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

“We are proud to expand our partnership with Jaguar Land Rover and contribute to their new E-Pace compact SUV,” Günther Apfalter, President of Magna Europe and Magna Steyr, says in a news release. “This second collaboration in just a short time emphasizes the agility and flexibility we provide automakers with our contract manufacturing capability.”

CUVs and SUVs accounted for nearly 29% of total global sales in 2016, Magna says.

As a contractor, Magna has built more than 3 million vehicles across 23 different models.