Ratan Tata with a Jaguar during the Mumbai launch on Sunday. (AFP)

Mumbai, June 28: The Jaguar and the Land Rover — two British marques that Ratan Tata bought from Ford Motors last year for $2.3 billion before a brutal recession gripped the world economy — rolled into India on an overcast Sunday morning.

Tata gazed admiringly at the machines that adorned the quiet porch of the Taj President in downtown Mumbai as a curious crowd hovered nearby.

He showed no sign of regret over the acquisition of the two British brands that has been blamed for dragging his Pune-based Tata Motors into the red for the first time in eight years.

“It was a terrific decision that we took to bid for Jaguar and Land Rover and to own these brands,” Tata said. “In the days gone by, the Jaguar brand was well received and represented in India. Over the years, this brand has been disconnected from India.”

He hoped that Tata Motors would roll back the years and win back some of the respect and appeal these brands once enjoyed.

The Jaguar Land Rover range will initially be available at Ceejay House in Worli, an office complex that is rumoured to be one of the priciest buildings in the sub-continent.

The Jaguar models on offer are the XF, XFR and XKR sedans. They won’t come cheap: the range begins from Rs 63 lakh for the XF and goes all the way up to Rs 92 lakh for the XKR. Only petrol versions of the Jaguar are being launched in India even though diesel versions are available overseas. These sedans will be pitted against the Mercedes E class and the BMW 5 series.

The XF range was introduced last year. “We are now readying to launch the XJ sedan that will have a radical new design in London on July 9. I look forward to seeing the XJ alongside the XF and XFR as they go on sale here,” said Jaguar managing director Mike ’ Driscoll.

The XJ sedan will have a V6 diesel and a super-charged V8 petrol engine option. It will compete with the Mercedes Benz S Class, the BMW 7 Series and the Lexus LS.

The Land Rover models include the Discovery 3, Range Rover Sport and the Range Rover and will carry tags ranging between Rs 63 lakh and Rs 89 lakh.

After Mumbai, Jaguar Land Rover will travel to other key Indian cities. However, Tata and Jaguar Land Rover officials were tight-lipped about the expansion plans and expect to take their cues from customer response. “Tata Motors will develop the dealer network through 2009 and 2010,” the company said in a statement.

Tatas Motors has refused to speculate about how many JLR vehicles it will sell in the first year. Besides BMW and Mercedes, they will have to compete with recent entrants like Audi and Porsche.

“India’s premium car market is small but with a huge potential,” said Land Rover managing director Phil Popham. India’s luxury car segment accounts for less than 1 per cent of the 1.55 million passenger vehicles that were sold in the year to March 31.

The Jaguar Land Rover models are not likely to be assembled here either, at least for now. “Whether we produce or assemble the Jaguar or the Land Rover in India will depend on the business case at that time. I don’t think we have any plans at present to do so,” said Tata.