The upcoming India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is set to make high-end British luxury cars significantly more affordable. Leading the charge is Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) India, which is preparing to slash prices on its top-tier imported models.
Major Savings on Range Rovers
Due to a massive cut in import taxes, the Range Rover Sport SV is expected to get cheaper by roughly ₹40 lakh. Other flagship models could see even bigger price drops:
- Range Rover Sport SV: Price likely to drop from ₹2.75 crore to ₹2.35 crore.
- Flagship Range Rover: Savings could reach up to ₹63 lakh for top-end variants.
- New Entry: JLR is also introducing a "standard" SV model priced at ₹2.05 crore to make the performance range more accessible.
The "Why": Slashing Import Taxes
Currently, cars brought into India as fully built units from the UK are hit with a massive 110% import duty. Under the new trade deal (CETA), this tax will plummet to 30% in the first year and eventually drop to just 10% over five years.
Important Note on Currency: While the tax cut is huge, the Indian Rupee has weakened against the British Pound (rising from ~₹107 to ~₹125). This means some of the tax savings are being eaten up by the higher cost of buying the cars from the UK, so the final "on-road" benefit might be slightly less than expected.
Which Cars Get Cheaper?
The price cuts only apply to vehicles that are:
- Made in the UK.
- Fully imported (not assembled in India).
| Eligible for Price Cuts | NOT Eligible |
|---|---|
| Range Rover SV variants (made in Solihull, UK) | Land Rover Defender (made in Slovakia) |
| Bentley & Rolls-Royce | Range Rover Velar/Evoque (assembled in India) |
| Aston Martin & McLaren | Discovery Sport (assembled in India) |
What Next?
JLR is the first to announce these benefits, but other iconic British brands like Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Aston Martin are also eligible for these tax breaks.
While the "volume" cars (the ones JLR sells the most of) are already put together in Pune and won't see a price change, this move makes their most expensive, "dream" cars much more competitive against German rivals like Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Expect the new prices to go live around April 2026.