The future of Jaguar and Land Rover in New Zealand is undergoing a significant shift, as the brands navigate an ever-changing automotive landscape with a new pair of hands on the wheel.
Ben Montgomery takes over from outgoing Motorcorp boss Steve Kenchington on the 1st of February, as the latter embarks on a new role as CEO of the Giltrap Group. Montgomery takes the reins at Motorcorp as Land Rover sales continue to hit new levels, thanks to the success of new Range Rover models and the ongoing high demand for Defender, but it is also at a pivotal time for Jaguar both locally and globally.
Jaguar is undergoing a major transformation, repositioning itself in the super-luxury segment to take on the likes of Bentley and Aston Martin. As a result, the brand will be on run out in 2025, followed by a hiatus of about 12 months before new models are released, with the UK and US markets being prioritised initially.
This move is a strategic pivot away from the premium EV market, which Kenchington says is becoming increasingly saturated. The decision is a move to build brand equity and make money out of smaller volume, with the company focusing on "profit for sanity rather than volume for vanity". The new direction for Jaguar is a departure from its previous EV-only strategy that was set to kick in as current models came up for replacement.
While Jaguar transitions to this new segment, Kenchington says Land Rover will fill the gaps in the market with other products. Existing retailers will become Land Rover dealerships, and a determination will be made on which of those retailers will take on the Jaguar brand nearer the arrival of the new models.
Montgomery says the new Jaguar will be a "high price" and "low volume" vehicle that will see the need for a different approach in the New Zealand market.
"I think we're going to have to go find new customers. And if we don't find new customers, any brand, doesn't matter what you are, if you don't find them, you die,” he said.
“However, we're also going to have to take our existing Jaguar customers on the journey. And it's not going to be a car for everyone: it is going to be high price. It is going to be low volume, but we're going to make sure we do share it with them.
“They understand where we're going. And then ultimately, as with Jaguar has always been, it's about desire. It'll be whether people will make that choice.”
The new Jaguar direction has taken some design cues from the E-Type, with a London Blue color, as well as a Miami Pink being showcased on the recent Type 00 concept car the company revealed following its bold and controversial brand relaunch.
While the Type 00 is a “design vision” for the company’s next generation of models, Jaguar's next actual production car will be a 4-door GT with pure-electric power that will wear design cues taken from the Type 00, which will be revealed at the end of 2025. It will use dedicated Jaguar Electric Architecture (JEA) and target a range of up to 770km WLTP, with the capability to add over 300km of charge in as little as 15 minutes.
While Jaguar’s future is still something of an unknown for the medium term, New Zealand is a key market for Land Rover, with strong sales figures and a high level of recognition within the Asia-Pacific region for the Land Rover, Range Rover and Defender brands.
Kenchington says the New Zealand market is particularly strong for the Defender, with one of the strongest global market shares that gives the New Zealand operation “a great voice for Kiwis to get the right product at the right time.”
Those products include the new Defender Octa high-performance off-roader, as well as a facelift for the entire Defender line up later this year.
Land Rover is also venturing into the EV market with a fully-electric Range Rover, which has generated significant interest with 45,000 expressions of interest globally. The company is focused on ensuring its EV models maintain the brand's reputation for best-in-class off-road performance.
Despite the brands' successes, Montgomery is well aware there are challenges ahead. The market is becoming increasingly competitive, and there is a need to adapt to changing customer preferences.
Montgomery says he recognises the need to be more efficient and nimble, and wants to provide a customer experience that is “as special as the cars they sell.”