Must Read Interview - Andrew Jago (JLR)

Editor: Andrew Jago is the General Manager of Fleet and Business Operations for JLR. He was recently interviewed by Fleetworld Magazine. This is an edited version focusing on Jaguar related questions.

How would you sum up 2022 for Jaguar Land Rover?

It was a year of transformation for us in the fleet and business space. In January, we moved all of our key accounts to a direct sales model as part of a new fleet strategy.

Leasing companies will directly deal with JLR, with the vehicle then allocated to the drivers nearest authorised Fleet and Business Centre for delivery.

A key element of the new process is that all JLR fleet customers will receive a full handover from a retailer. It comes a year before the brand’s retailers fully transition to an agency sales model. (Editor - as outlined in last month’s Classic Marque).

What does the future look like for established EV products within JLR?

I-Pace continues to be a real staple product for us. Despite all of the noise around supply and volatility, it’s the only product in its segment that was able to be supplied from order to delivery within six months consistently. That was the case throughout the whole semiconductor crisis and it continues to be. We’ve taken very strong steps to protect supply of that product and make sure that where we’ve got customer demand, we can support it with delivery.

Land Rover has some great product coming through, but what’s the latest Jaguar news?

Despite what some people might think, it hasn’t been forgotten! I think you’ve got to look at it in the context of the market data not necessarily reflecting the demand, much of which has come from the Land Rover side. We’ve only had a certain number of components and when you’ve got new models – like we had with Range Rover – you need to ramp up production of that.

In terms of the product proposition itself, the I-Pace isn’t the oldest model on the market, but because it was early in its segment, people perceive it as such. But in terms of its range, which has been enhanced since launch, it’s still in the top third of the segments it competes in. In terms of driving dynamics and attributes, it’s still one of the best products out there.

When can we expect to see new Jaguar products?

We introduced the F-Pace for MY24 at the end of 2022, which included battery technology in the PHEV, which has improved the range. Beyond that we’re working on a total renaissance of the

Jaguar brand for 2025, so there’s a lot going on behind closed doors. We’ve taken the opportunity to look at the whole brand from a blank sheet of paper. Rather than fitting the existing battery technology around our existing portfolio, we’re taking the time to ask what Jaguar actually means and what it looks like in the future.

What will Jaguar’s future line-up look like?

We know internally, but we haven’t confirmed the number of models yet. They are like nothing you’ve ever seen. There’s a lot of eagerness to understand what’s going on – and it will be pretty ground-breaking when you see it. .

Editor - Information for this story sourced from FleetWorld Magazine UK.