When news broke out about Jaguar Land Rover’s rebranding, several motoring news agencies reported that the Land Rover name was to be retired. At the time, it was said that the Land Rover models will be spun off into their respective brands, namely Range Rover, Discovery, and Defender. However, that’s only half the story.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Toyota FJ Cruiser wraps up production after 16-year run
This beefy-looking Isuzu D-Max is more than just a sticker job
The folks at Car and Driver rang up Land Rover to get the real score, and, as it turns out, the reports were ‘misinterpreted’. So, what was the cause of the panic that sent Land Rover die-hards hyperventilating? It was likely because of a quote from Gerry McGovern, the chief creative officer of Jaguar Land Rover.
Quoting from a story from Motor Trend, McGovern said, “The reality is Range Rover is already a brand, so is Defender. We love the Land Rover name, but it doesn't have as much equity as Range Rover, and Defender is rising fast. People tell us they drive a Range Rover, not a Land Rover.”
What followed was misconstrued reports published online that gave the impression of the Land Rover name being discontinued. The whole misunderstanding was clarified when Land Rover told Car and Driver “We are not losing the Land Rover name; its spirit is—and will continue to be—a crucial part of our DNA”. On that note, Jaguar Land Rover is now called JLR with the LR bit standing for, well, Land Rover.
As for the ‘spin-off’ part, it’s likely that Land Rover meant to expand the range of products it has under its three core products, Range Rover, Discovery, and Defender. It’s part of JLR’s new strategy called “House of Brands”.
In some ways, we’re seeing that with its current lineup. Under the Range Rover name, there’s the full-sized Range Rover, the Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar, and Range Rover Evoque. Meanwhile, the Discovery brand has the mid-sized model simply called Discovery, and a compact version with the Discovery Sport. The Defender doesn’t have other models spun off from it just yet, but we can expect that soon with JLR’s new strategy.
