China asks Jaguar Land Rover to recall Evoque SUVs

SHANGHAI, March 20 (Reuters) - China's quality watchdog has asked British luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover to recall Range Rover Evoque SUVs, following a media report which said the vehicles used faulty gearboxes.

The Tata Motor Ltd-owned carmaker must take immediate measures to recall and repair defective vehicles and extend their warranty period, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said on its website on Thursday.

AQSIQ said it had also asked the firm and its dealers to contact buyers to organise after-sales services like repairs, and had advised customs authorities to monitor imports of the Evoque SUVs.

Chinese state television on Sunday criticised Land Rover for gearbox problems in some of its vehicles in a consumer show that also targeted other carmakers such as Volkswagen AG (Other OTC: VLKAF - news) and Nissan Motor Co. Land Rover apologised to its customers on its microblog.

Land Rover, which is among carmakers being probed in China for possible anti-competitive behaviour, in October forecast sales growth in China to roughly halve this year amid slower expansion of the world's largest auto market. (Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)