THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME –THE JLR WAY

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has opened a new ’boutique’ showroom that gives a glimpse of its network transitioning to an agency model next year.

Stratstone Land Rover Mayfair, which officially opened on February 7, is the first JLR site to showcase a new strategy by the British brand to cater even more to customers in the luxury market.

It’s owned by Stratstone – which itself comes under the Pendragon umbrella – and operates in a traditional franchise capacity, but the new showroom gives a taste of the customer experiences that JLR is intending to offer under an agency model from next year onwards.

JLR said it is still ‘transitioning’ and ‘consulting’ with its retailer network ahead of the adoption of agency sales in late 2024.

The showroom, which is more than 100 years old and is in Berkeley Street, London, dispenses with the usual dealership fixtures and fittings and instead has been modelled as a ’boutique’.

Digital art and content screens cover the walls, while private consultation rooms allow customers to bespoke-order their cars.

Buyers can choose from a plethora of upholstery, trim and colour options, while there’s also an SV Lounge for customers of SVO-engineered vehicles.

Jaguar Land Rover said: ‘The Mayfair boutique is the manifestation of Jaguar Land Rover UK’s approach to client services for the luxury sector which sees a transition to a directto-customer agency model by 2024 – a move that elevates customer experience both in showrooms and online.’

JLR sales director Patrick McGillycuddy sat down with Car Dealer at the showroom’s grand opening, where he told us more boutiques such as the Mayfair one were likely in the future. ‘We’re looking at the different spaces we need in the future,’ he said. ‘Our “Arch Concept” [showrooms] are very much part of our future and our key route to market.

‘But if we think there is an opportunity to put a different premises in a different place, then we will assess them.’

The look and feel of the showroom is very different to JLR’s regular ‘Arch’ facilities, with staff dressed in smart pastel-coloured jackets, and the walls and flooring painted in sophisticated muted shades. McGillycuddy said Stratstone was involved throughout the refurbishment process.

‘We very much worked with Stratstone on this,’ he said. ‘Our partners are fundamental to our strategy. They are fundamental to our routes to market now and into the future.

‘We work with them, so we say “here are the design concepts, here’s what we think it [the showroom] should look like, what do you think?”, but we do look for consistency.

‘If you look at some of the colours, the tones and how those have been executed, we’re doing similar things across the world. So, in Beijing and Shanghai there are some that have a similar look and feel, but in their own spaces and in their own interpretation as well. So there is a degree of consistency in how the brands are presented.’

McGillycuddy is very clear that the future of JLR retail is omni-channel – a mixture of online services and physical retail experiences.

‘Online sales are absolutely growing – we’re seeing more and more customers configuring online, then moving to retail inquiry. We’re also seeing more and more growth in paying for reservations online. When we launched the new Range Rover, we had our first online order in eight minutes.’

However, Stratstone Mayfair has been designed to pamper the customer with a modern, luxury experience – and physical representation is still absolutely key for Jaguar Land Rover. ‘Each customer will be different,’ says McGillycuddy. ‘That’s the whole point of why we want to enable our customers to purchase online or in store.

‘With online, it has to be easy, seamless and hassle-free with no barriers whether you want to be online or in store. It’s easy, it’s seamless, it’s hassle free, there are no barriers and I’m treated the way I deserve.

‘There’s no friction to the journeys; what I did online is the same in store – it’s the same system and I can pick up where I left off.

‘For our brands to bring that luxury manifestation to life, you have to have physical representation.

‘You have to be able to come and experience the product, you have to be able to touch it, see it, feel it. And the Lansdowne Edition [see panel] is the best manifestation of that.’

REVEALED: RANGE ROVER LANSDOWNE EDITION

LAND Rover has revealed an ultra-exclusive version of the Range Rover that pushes its halo model into Bentley and Rolls-Royce territory.

The Lansdowne Edition features a ‘curated’ specification designed by Land Rover’s SV Bespoke division and costs £250,000. Just 16 cars have been built, and they’re all sold.

Based on the SV version of the Range Rover, it gets a unique body colour called Lansdowne Grey Gloss, while the roof and mirror caps are painted in Corris Grey Gloss.

Additionally, the exterior gets special ‘SV Anthracite’ and ‘Graphite Atlas’ exterior trim details, black Land Rover badging and black chrome metal script badging – the latter being handcrafted by jeweller Fattorini.

Completing the look are 23-inch black satin forged alloy wheels with Corris Grey inserts.

The interior has received a custom-made overhaul too, with SV Bespoke rosewood and ebony leather upholstery featuring diagonal stitching, satin black ceramic controls and leather-edged mohair wool carpets.

The tread plates are illuminated as well, complete with ‘Lansdowne Edition 1 of 16’ script, and all cars get the Tailgate Event Suite package, allowing owners to sit on folding leather seats on the tailgate. There are no mechanical changes, with all 16 cars featuring the same BMW-derived 523bhp 4.4-litre twinturbocharged V8 petrol engine.

Patrick McGillycuddy, Jaguar Land Rover UK sales director, said: ‘The profound desirability of our products has never been so apparent. All 16 of the exquisite Range Rover SV Lansdowne Editions have been sold ahead of reveal, truly demonstrating the appeal of our luxury brands.

‘Alongside exceptional vehicles like the Lansdowne Edition, we are developing locations, services and events that provide unique and exclusive touchpoints for our clients. Our new Mayfair boutique provides