Jaguar Land Rover is dead, all hail the automaker that’s now known as JLR. To go along with this change, the role of the Land Rover marque will be diminished.
Adrian Mardell, the automaker’s CEO since the start of 2023, announced the change today as he outlined the company’s EV strategy for the coming decade.
As part of an accelerated version of the Reimagine strategy launched during the two-year reign of former CEO Thierry Bollore, Jaguar Land Rover will rename itself as JLR.
This move is said to shift company’s thinking away from its two historic marques, Jaguar and Land Rover, towards a new “House of Brands” approach, which will see the automaker launch vehicles under the Range Rover, Defender, Discovery, and Jaguar brands.
Range Rover
Defender
Jerry McGovern, the automaker’s head of design, told Autocar, “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 said Land Rover would become a “trust mark” for the Range Rover, Defender, and Discovery brands.
Presumably Range Rover’s emphasis will be on luxury, Defender will concentrate on off-road vehicles, and Discovery will lean towards “lifestyle” crossovers.
Jaguar
Discovery
Prior to today’s announcement, the automaker had already begun to emphasise the Defender and Discovery names, with those sub-brands’ word marks emblazoned above the grille and tailgate, while the Land Rover has continued to remain small and tucked away in a corner.
As we’ve reported elsewhere, the company’s new mid-size crossovers, such as the Range Rover Evoque and Velar, and Land Rover Discovery Sport, will now be built on a new exclusively electric MEA architecture.
The company will also launch a Jaguar range in 2025, starting with four-door GT based on the separate JEA platform.
Keyword: Defender, Discovery, Range Rover become brands with Land Rover name de-emphasised