It doesn't seem that long since Jaguar Land Rover's (JLR's) last reinvention, but with a new CEO and faced with a changing new-car market, the company has this week laid out a new road map for its future. Electrification is at the forefront of the new strategy, obviously, with Range Rover and a new Jaguar four-door GT spearheading a move upmarket.
Major investment in an upmarket future
The €17 billion investment will span five years and will transform JLR's factories for its new electrified future. Under the guidance of Chief Executive Adrian Mardell - who replaced Thierry Bollore in November 2022 - and Chief Creative Officer Gerry McGovern, current engine plants and factories will be transformed to focus on electric powertrains, while the already revealed Electrified Modular Architecture (EMA) will now focus on pure electric powertrains only - when it was first announced, there was provision for hybrid drive, but this has now been scrapped.
Speaking at JLR's presentation, CEO Mardell said: "Two years ago, we launched our Reimagine strategy, and since then we have made great progress, including launching two new critically acclaimed modern luxury Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models, joining the Defender family, for which there is record demand. We achieved this while navigating the headwinds of the pandemic and chip shortages, and successfully ramping up production of our most profitable models to deliver a profit in Q3 [of 2022].
"Today I am proud to announce we are accelerating our electrification path, making one of our UK plants and our next-generation medium-size luxury SUV architecture fully electric. This investment enables us to deliver to our modern luxury electric future, securing jobs, developing new skills, and reaffirming our commitment to be net zero carbon by 2039."
Range Rover, then Jaguar will go electric first
Before the EMA platform comes on stream, JLR will introduce an all-electric Range Rover. The luxury 4x4's MLA platform was designed with 100 per cent electric drive in mind, so JLR will be able to fast-track its development ahead of other electric models. Customers will be able to order the electric Range Rover later this year, with deliveries in 2025.
And in other news, Jaguar will introduce a brand-new four-door grand tourer, the first of three 'modern luxury' models to come from the firm. JLR is targeting "more power than any previous Jaguar, a range of up to 700km and pricing around €115,000" (that might not be the Irish price it should be noted). It will use a new platform called JEA and is scheduled to go on sale in 2024. JLR teased the new model with a close-up shot and an abstract look at the rear end.
"With Range Rover, the original luxury SUV, available for pre-order in pure electric form later this year, and the first of three breath-taking electric reimagined Jaguar models to be launched in 2025, we are stepping into an incredibly exciting new electric era for JLR as a modern luxury business," said Mardell.
The new Jaguar has been designed with McGovern at the helm, after many years refining Land Rover's product line-up. According to McGovern, "We have radically reimagined Jaguar as a modern luxury brand. The key to Jaguar's transformation is that the designs convey the sense that they are a copy of nothing."
A 'House of Brands' outlook
The move upmarket sees JLR forming what it calls a 'House Of Brands', where Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar are curated to offer modern luxury and to focus on the status of these brands. Jaguar in particular will strike out in a new direction, offering expensive luxury models that, as McGovern said above, are 'A Copy Of Nothing'. In the media this week there's much consternation about the demise of the Land Rover brand, but it's unlikely to be completely killed off. We're awaiting clarification on that.
Looking forward to a profitable future
There are some ambitious targets set out for JLR as a whole, with a goal of earning double-digit profits by 2026 and being 'cash-positive' by 2025. The company currently has an order book of 200,000 Range Rovers, Range Rover Sports and Land Rover Defenders that will help it achieve its goals, while JLR is planning to be a net carbon-zero company by 2039.