JLR launch their new logo and strategy, all-electric models by 2030

Everyone and everything needs to move with the times, and car companies are no exception. Jaguar Land Rover has looked into the future and decided it knows what it needs to do. In short; two platforms not the current nine, luxury focus, AI, tech, digital services and sustainability.

Behold, the new logo:

Does the little green oval look out of place to you? Does to me. Won’t be long before it’s gone, methinks – you can read about the reasons why in my previous post. In fact, Jaguar looks a little out of place too. What was that about the “absolute clarity” the market needed again?

So let’s take a look at what JLR are saying:

Jaguar Land Rover is a House of Brands: Range Rover. Defender. Discovery. Jaguar. 

Makes sense. I wonder if there’s a specific order to that lot. Why not Jaguar first, as it’s the J in JLR? Or lead with Range Rover, the most luxury-oriented brand? You may think I’m second-guessing but trust me marketing people would have their reasons. However my mind doesn’t operate like a marketing person so I’ll never really know.

Truly distinct, global brands that embrace our modernist design philosophy and are emotionally compelling and unique.

Standard marketing-blurb. Emotion, compelling, yadda yadda.

Jaguar Land Rover is unique in the global automotive industry. Designers of peerless models, an unrivalled understanding of the future luxury needs of its customers, emotionally rich brand equity, a spirit of Britishness and unrivalled access to leading global players in technology and sustainability within the wider Tata Group.

Two interesting points. “future luxury” – clear indication of where things are headed. Second, reference to Tata Group. Hmm. I’d have thought that Tata Group ownership would be something you’d distance a luxury brand from, and I know Land Rover owners do get teased about it today, but again…I don’t do marketing. It’s now even in the website footer:

Back to the statement.

We are harnessing those ingredients to reimagine the business, the two brands and the customer experience of tomorrow.

TWO brands? I counted four. I’m sure they meant four. I’m not making that up:

The Reimagine strategy allows us to enhance and celebrate that uniqueness like never before.

I honestly have no clue what this means. What uniqueness? It’s not defined, nor how it’ll be celebrated.

OK, that’s the intro. On the website there’s more:

Let’s break down some of the text:

By the end of the decade every model will be available with full battery power. We will launch six pure-electric models across the Range Rover, Discovery and Defender brands by 2026, starting with the all-electric Range Rover in 2024.

Can’t wait to see these vehicles, should be class-leading even if I’m not sure which class they’ll lead! Unfortunately, doesn’t sound like they’re for the non-luxury market though.

IT’S ABOUT THE RENAISSANCE OF JAGUAR…

...as a pure-electric brand from 2025.

A copy of nothing, Jaguar will be respectful of the past, but not bound by it. A new distinct design language built on our new in-house platform will deliver a dramatic, truly aspirational brand.

I knew they couldn’t get through an entire web page without the term “design language”! Further bingo points for aspirational, dramatic and “respectful of the past but not bound by it”.

Pioneering technologies such as our Over-The-Air capability to deliver a future of exceptional digital services, features and experiences for our clients.

This should be interesting as the industry generally moves to OTA and digital services, for which read “subscriptions” and “rent not own”.

With market-shapers like NVIDIA, we will deliver automated driving systems and AI-powered connected services in our vehicles from 2025; and with pioneers like Silicon Carbide manufacturer, Wolfspeed, we will increase the performance and range for the next generation of electric vehicles. 

Can’t wait to see how AI will be integrated into cars!

And:

We are simplifying our vehicle architectures from nine to three. Two – the flexible MLA and the electric-native EMA – will produce our Range Rover, Defender and Discovery vehicles whilst our new JEA platform will produce all future Jaguar vehicles.

So what will the difference be between all these vehicles? At the moment there’s quite a difference between the various types, but with two platforms? Time will tell.

So if it wasn’t clear – JLR are exiting the working and recreational 4X4 market. A shame, but a company’s got to do what it’s got to do, and they’ve got a strategy. I wonder what purpose the cars will now be built for? No longer workhorses, but what? Is Jaguar still a sporting, grand-tourer brand or…? I don’t know.

Regardless, I am excited to see what sort of innovations will be delivered, hopefully the rich tradition of invention that brought us so much from the Range Rover itself to hill descent control to Terrain Response will continue.

And here’s a EV vs diesel tow test…JLR are going to need to address that, assuming future JLR vehicles will be towing.