Jaguar Land Rover targets big China expansion

Offering a compelling product portfolio, advanced technologies and supreme customized services, Jaguar Land Rover strives to effortlessly meet the demanding requirements of the Chinese market - the single biggest market for the British premium automaker.

One of the latest signs of its dedication to this market is its attendance at ongoing Chengdu Motor Show, where it is showcasing an array of fantastic models and bespoke services.

One heavyweight star is the all-new coupe-style SUV E-PACE, launched on August 29 accompanied by a grand musical inspired by the shows performed in London's West End. It is the latest member of Jaguar's SUV family, which now also includes the pure electric SUV I-PACE and high performance SUV F-PACE .

Jaguar's coupe-style SUV PACE family is said to be "the trinity of three models and capable of competing in a pentathlon". They combine a coupe's comfort and luxury, the dynamics of a sports car, and are as spacious and functional as an SUV. With their unique British design, exclusive luxury and performance, they represent exquisite customer taste and individual personality.

Nicknamed the "cub" of the PACE family, the all-new E-PACE, inspired by Jaguar's legendary sports car, the F-TYPE, combines a sports car appearance with Jaguar's strong functionality, forging a new British aesthetic standard for SUV design.

Supported by Jaguar's leading capability on advanced driving and handling, the all-new E-PACE is capable of 16 driving settings with its unique Configurable Dynamics, allowing drivers to customize their own driving modes and making every E-PACE unique.

In addition, the standard all-wheel drive, sportive chassis and 2.0T Ingenium engine grant the all-new E-PACE strong power.

"The E-PACE combines British aesthetics with Jaguar racing DNA. It is energetic, progressive, agile, confident and expressive," said Frank Wittemann, president of Jaguar Land Rover China and Chery Jaguar Land Rover's Integrated Marketing, Sales and Service.

"This is truly a vehicle that perfectly balances luxury and practicality, making every drive a thrilling experience," said Wittemann.

"It is tailor-made for the young generation of vibrant Chinese consumers. Thus, we are very confident in the market performance of this new PACE family member." I-PACE, the first pure electric SUV developed by a traditional automaker that integrates the functionalities of sports cars, SUVs and electric vehicles, is claimed to be the one-and-only electric all-terrain vehicle.

"I-PACE stands for a development direction of Jaguar Land Rover - electrification," Wittemann said. With utilizing the cutting-edge technology to the greatest extent, I-PACE is poised to meet the customers' pursuit for innovation, he added.

A participant in the worldwide all-electric FIA Formula E Championship for the past two years, Jaguar has accumulated plenty of testing results and driving experiences, which has provided plenty of feedback for the research and development of the I-PACE, according to Wittemann. And from this November, the I-PACE will be driven by every team in the Formula E support series - eTROPHY.

As scheduled, since 2020, all the models launched by Jaguar Land Rover will offer their new energy versions, comprising all-electric models, plug-in hybrids and mild hybrid models. Apart from Jaguar, a rich lineup bearing the Land Rover badge are also showing their faces at the Chengdu Motor Show.

Among those, the Land Rover Discovery and Land Rover Discovery Sport are the members of 2018 Land Rover's branding campaign named Never Stop Discovering, which began in China in 2012.

In the past five years, thousands of participants have taken part in the Never Stop Discovering journeys. While experiencing the driving pleasure offered by Land Rover models, they explore the magnificent hidden scenery of China. The theme this year is Discovering the 24 Solar Terms. For this, Land Rover is partnering with China National Geography on a wonderful year-long journey to experience different Chinese traditions.

Having undertaken countless expeditions, the brand experience activity reveals the brand's leading and unique all-terrain technology, which makes Land Rover one of the most capable SUVs.

"But Land Rover does not only stand for adventure and exploring, it also stands for the most premium and refined SUVs," Wittemann said. With its sub-brand SV, Jaguar Land Rover aims to go even further by re-defining the luxury SUV segment, he added.

The Range Rover SV Coupe, one of the models presented at the motor show, is tailored, aiming to offer individual and customized services to discerning consumers. The options for the exterior go beyond 100 paint colors, or even further to "match to sample". For interiors, customers can tailor-design the script badging from initials to personalized tread plates.

Wittemann announced at the press conference that the new Range Rover SV Coupe is now available for order with a starting price of around 3.8 million yuan ($545,659.5).

"Looking ahead, we will keep pushing the boundaries to introduce new brand experiences and innovative products to China," said Wittemann. "The Chinese market has a lot of potential in the long run," Wittemann said to China Daily in an interview at the motor show.

"Due to the sound development of China, the middle class is keeping growing in the country and the demand for premium vehicles is also increasing here, which has injected Jaguar Land Rover with strong confidence."

Since coming into the Chinese market in 2010, Jaguar Land Rover has established its offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu and has more than 230 authorized dealers across China.

zhangdandan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/01/2018 page7)