Jaguar Land Rover Rebranding to Four Sub Brands.

Sub Brands will be Range Rover, Discovery, Defender and Jaguar

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has undergone a rebrand and will now be known as JLR, with a new strategy that focuses on four subbrands: Range Rover, Discovery, Defender and Jaguar. The rebranding is part of JLR’s push to “amplify the uniqueness of our characterful British marques,” said Gerry McGovern, chief creative officer at JLR.

JLR has been trying to create more distinction between its mainly SUV lineup by giving them discrete personalities. Its strategy within Land Rover since 2021 has been to separate vehicles into three “pillars,” with Range Rover leading on luxury, Discovery focusing on families, and Defender majoring in durability by drawing on its offroad roots. With the updated strategy, each Land Rover pillar will be turned into a fully fledged brand, joined by the newly luxurious Jaguar.

Jaguar’s first car under the new strategy will be a four-door electric GT, priced at over £100,000 ($124,200) and with a range of up to 700 kilometers (435 miles). The car’s design is said to be “fearless,” and it marks a significant step towards a fully electrified future for the brand.

While the rebranding exercise did create controversy on social media within the UK, with some commentators assuming that the company had dropped the Land Rover name altogether, JLR confirmed that the name would continue as a badge on its SUVs to serve as a “trust mark.” “Land Rover will remain. It is strong, well known, and we will use that collective strength to give our brands authenticity and purpose,” a JLR spokesperson said.

JLR is also revamping its showrooms to incorporate the new brands, with some dealerships selling all four brands and others focusing on a reduced number. Paddy McGillycuddy, head of JLR in the UK, said that the look is still being refined but will feature “no desks, softer furnishings, and a much more clientoriented luxury experience.”

In February, JLR opened its first Range Rover boutique in London’s Mayfair area. The boutique is run by dealership group Stratstone, and JLR is shifting to the agency model for its dealers in the UK by the end of 2024. The company has also started reducing the number of Jaguar stores in the US by offering dealers extra allocations of hot-selling Land Rover nameplates, such as the redesigned Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Defender, if they give up their Jaguar franchises. It remains to be seen how many dealers have accepted this offer and what preparations they will need to make for the subbrand strategy.

JLR’s new subbrand strategy is aimed at creating more distinction between its SUVs, giving each one its own personality, and creating a more client-oriented luxury experience. The company’s push to sell directly to customers is reflected in its shift to the agency model, which will be rolled out across the UK by the end of 2024. Meanwhile, the upcoming launch of Jaguar’s new electric GT marks a significant step towards a fully electrified future for the brand. Although the Land Rover name will no longer be used as part of the new subbrand strategy, it will continue to serve as a badge on the company’s SUVs to maintain its position as a trusted and well-known name in the industry.

All four of the new brands will be available in the Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts area at Jaguar Warwick and Land Rover Warwick on Bald Hill Road in Warwick RI.