Gaydon, England – There’s change brewing at Jaguar Land Rover.
Not only is the Tata-owned British premium carmaker rebranding itself as JLR as it embarks on an ambitious electric car strategy, but the way we label its products is also set to change in the not-too-distant future.
During a press conference this week, JLR’s CEO Adrian Mardell said the company was moving to a “House of Brands” approach that would amplify the unique character of each of its brands, namely Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar.
But where does this leave the actual Land Rover brand, you might ask? According to JLR’s chief creative officer Geery McGovern, Land Rover is set to become a “trust mark” for the Ranger Rover, Discovery and Defender brands, Autocar reported.
“The reality is Range Rover is a brand and so is Defender. Customers say they own a Range Rover. In luxury, you need absolute clarity. Land Rover Range Rover SV Autobiography doesn’t give it.
“We love Land Rover, but there isn't as much equity as Range Rover, and Defender is increasing massively,” McGovern added.
This week’s conference also saw JLR announce its intention to accelerate its ‘Imagine’ strategy, which will see it repositioned as an electric-first luxury carmaker.
To that end it announced that its upcoming EMA platform for medium-sized SUVs would be an electric-only architecture.
However, the flexible modular longitudinal architecture that currently underpins the Range Rover will be retained, allowing the company to offer a mix of internal combustion and electrified offerings, particularly in markets (hello, South Africa) that are shifting to EVs at a slower pace.
Speaking of EVs the carmaker announced that a fully-electric midsize SUV under the Range Rover brand would be launched in 2025, with order books opening later this year.
Also on the cards for 2025 is a new Jaguar four-door GT sedan, which will be the first of three reimagined luxury models from that brand.
JLR also issued a teaser image, while confirming that it would have more power than any current Jaguar model and offer a range of up to 700km.
But it won’t come cheap, with an indicative starting price of £100 000, which equates to about R2.25 million, before any of the taxes and duties that would make it even more expensive in South Africa.
IOL Motoring