Dubai: There is no hint of any slow down for Range Rover’s drive through these markets. Well over a year and months since the all-new, lighter and ever more refined version of the flagship — and its Sport counterpart — made the regional debut, sales are still holding up quite well.
“It’s no surprise our Range Rover vehicles have continued to experience high demand in the region,” said Bruce Robertson, who has taken over as managing director of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) MENA. “Appetite for our luxury SUVs shows no sign of abating, with sales of Range Rover up 119 per cent and Range Rover Sport by 40 per cent.”
But does that sort of imply that Range Rover sales continue to lord it over while the rest of the Land Rover line up play a game of catch up?
“This is a region where people appreciate quality and luxury, and we are lucky enough to be in a position where our flagships make a significant contribution to our sales volumes.
“That said, we have worked very hard and invested an incredible amount of time and money in developing new products that deliver across different segments, including the Evoque, which continues to perform well, and the Land Rover LR2, which underwent a refresh last year and is a popular model for those looking for a practical family car at an accessible price point.
“But we have products coming on line which will open up new segments for us, and this will drive further growth at all levels.”
That is the cue for the upcoming expansion of the Discovery line-up.
“Certainly the Discovery family presents a huge opportunity for us globally and in the region,” said Robertson. “With the Discovery transitioning from a single model to a family of vehicles, we will redefine the leisure SUV category.”
The first model of the all-new Discovery family — the Discovery Sport — goes on sale in 2015. In fact, a lot of the prime JLR launches are spread across next year, including that of the mid-size sports sedan, the Jaguar XE (the first of the models to be developed on Jaguar’s new advanced aluminium architecture). “The XE will open up a whole new segment for Jaguar and is a fantastic opportunity for us,” said Robertson. (The F-Type and F-Type Coupe have already done their bit in prising open new categories for Jaguar.)
At a broader level, JLR intends to expand its reach from the current 17 markets in the region with 40 dealerships to 64 dealerships in 18 markets over the next three years.
New investments will support dedicated facilities, which include an enhanced $1.5 million (Dh5.5 million) Engineering Test Centre launched last year in Dubai. A JLR Training Academy was launched last month. There is also the dedicated pre-owned programme rolled out recently.
“We are starting to see some traction — the pre-owned industry here is a growing business, and the initial response indicates that we are seeing a greater demand from customers who are looking for the guaranteed quality of customer service you only get from an authorised Jaguar or Land Rover dealer,” said Robertson.
“Demand for our vehicles will only grow over the coming years, reflected not only in our new car sales but also those through our ‘Approved’ programmes. From my perspective, there’s never been a more exciting time for Jaguar Land Rover Mena.”
